01c. 1952 ADIdentifying the source of our personal narratives helps us to release its negative aspects and re-frame it in ways that promote wholeness.Sharon Salzberg / quote ↗
02c. 1952 ADCultivating loving kindness for ourselves is the foundation of real love for our friends and family, for new people we encounter in our daily lives, for all beings and for life itself.Sharon Salzberg / quote ↗
03c. 1952 ADWhen we experience inner impoverishment, love for another too easily becomes hunger: for reassurance, for acclaim, for affirmation of our worth.Sharon Salzberg / quote ↗
04c. 1952 ADLove is a living capacity within us that is always present, even when we don’t sense it.Sharon Salzberg / quote ↗
05c. 1952 ADSanskrit has different words to describe love for a brother or sister, love for a teacher, love for a partner, love for one’s friends, love of nature, and so on. English has only one word, which leads to never-ending confusion.Sharon Salzberg / quote ↗
06c. 1952 ADWhen our focus is on seeking, perfecting, or clinging to romance, the charge is often generated by instability, rather than by an authentic connection with another person.Sharon Salzberg / quote ↗
07c. 1952 ADReal Love may run on a lower voltage, but it’s also more grounded & sustainable.Sharon Salzberg / quote ↗
08c. 1952 ADFrom our first breath to our last, we’re presented again and again with the opportunity to experience deep, lasting, and trans-formative connection with other beings: to love them and be loved by them; to show them our true natures and to recognize theirs.Sharon Salzberg / quote ↗
09c. 1952 ADBuddhist teachings discourage us from clinging and grasping to those we hold dear, and from trying to control the people or the relationship. What’s more, we’re encouraged to accept the impermanence of all things: the flower that blooms today will be gone tomorrow, the objects we possess will break or fade or lose their utility, our relationships will change, life will end.Sharon Salzberg / quote ↗
10c. 1952 ADWhatever language we use use to describe healthy relationships, when we’re in them, we feel nourished by them, in body as well as mind.Sharon Salzberg / quote ↗
11c. 1952 ADWhen we constantly hear that we should be smarter, better connected, more productive, wealthier—it takes real courage to claim the time and space to follow the currents of our talents, our aspirations, and our hearts, which may lead in a very different direction.Sharon Salzberg / quote ↗
12c. 1952 ADIntellectually, we may appreciate that loving ourselves would give us a firm foundation but for most of us this is a leap of logic, not a leap of the heart.Sharon Salzberg / quote ↗
13c. 1952 ADThough it may seem counter intuitive to our inner perfectionist, recognizing our mistakes as valuable lessons (not failures) helps us lay the groundwork for later success.Sharon Salzberg / quote ↗
14c. 1952 ADWe long for permanence but everything in the known universe is transient. That’s a fact but one we fight.Sharon Salzberg / quote ↗
15c. 1952 ADScience tells us that love not only diminishes the experience of physical pain but can make us—and our beloveds—healthier.Sharon Salzberg / quote ↗
16c. 1952 ADEvolutionary biologists tell us we have a “negativity bias” that makes our brains remember negative events more strongly than positive ones. So when we’re feeling lost or discouraged, it can be very hard to conjure up memories and feelings of happiness and ease.Sharon Salzberg / quote ↗
17c. 1952 ADWhen we pay attention to sensations in our bodies, we can feel that love is the energetic opposite of fear.Sharon Salzberg / quote ↗
18c. 1952 ADLove seems to open and expand us right down to the cellular level, while fear causes us to contract and withdraw into ourselves.Sharon Salzberg / quote ↗
19c. 1952 ADThere is a sentiment common among most of us when it comes to love—letting go can feel scary.Sharon Salzberg / quote ↗
20c. 1952 ADThere are an incalculable—even infinite—number of situations in which we can practice forgiveness. Expecting it to be a singular action—motivated by the sheer imperative to move on and forget—can be more damaging than the original feelings of anger. Accepting forgiveness as pluralistic and as an ongoing, individualized process opens us up to realize the role that our own needs play in conflict resolution.Sharon Salzberg / quote ↗
21c. 1952 ADLoving kindness is the practice of offering to oneself and others wishes to be happy, peaceful, healthy, strongSharon Salzberg / quote ↗
22c. 1952 ADWe begin to cultivate real love for ourselves when we treat ourselves with compassion.Sharon Salzberg / quote ↗
23c. 1952 ADA lack of real love for ourselves is one of the most constricting, painful conditions we can know.Sharon Salzberg / quote ↗
24c. 1952 ADForgiveness is a personal process that doesn’t depend on us having direct contact with the people who have hurt us.Sharon Salzberg / quote ↗
