01c. 1952 ADEveryone we interact with has the capacity to surprise us in an infinite number of ways. What can first open us up to each of our innate capacities for love is merely to recognize that.Sharon Salzberg / quote ↗
02c. 1952 ADWhen we identify the thoughts that keep us from seeing others as they truly are we prepare the ground for real love.Sharon Salzberg / quote ↗
03c. 1952 ADIt's tough to have an authentic relationship with awe in the age of awesome, a word that has become so overused as to be drained of its meaning.Sharon Salzberg / quote ↗
04c. 1952 ADSetting the intention to practice kindness toward one’s partner or family members or friends does not preclude getting angry or upset.Sharon Salzberg / quote ↗
05c. 1952 ADWe exercise kindness in any moment when we recognize our shared humanity—with all the hopes, dreams, joys, disappointments, vulnerability, and suffering that implies.Sharon Salzberg / quote ↗
08c. 1952 ADWith a clear intention and a willing spirit, sooner or later we experience the joy and freedom that arises when we recognize our common humanity with others and see that real love excludes no one.Sharon Salzberg / quote ↗
09c. 1952 ADWhat happens in our hearts is our field of freedom. As long as we carry old wounds and anger in our hearts, we continue to suffer. Forgiveness allows us to move on.Sharon Salzberg / quote ↗
10c. 1952 ADThough it may sound paradoxical, identifying our thoughts, emotions, and habitual patterns of behavior is the key to freedom & transformation.Sharon Salzberg / quote ↗
11c. 1952 ADNo matter what we think we should do, I don’t think you can coerce yourself into loving your neighbor—or your boss—when you can’t stand him. But if you try to understand your feelings of dislike with mindfulness and compassion, being sure not to forget self-compassion, you create the possibility for change.Sharon Salzberg / quote ↗
12c. 1952 ADAwareness levels the playing field. We are all humans doing the best we can.Sharon Salzberg / quote ↗
13c. 1952 ADIf we stretch ourselves to open our minds, to see our shared humanity with others, we allow ourselves to see the existence of community and generosity in unexpected places.Sharon Salzberg / quote ↗
14c. 1952 ADBy practicing meditation we establish love, compassion, sympathetic joy & equanimity as our home.Sharon Salzberg / quote ↗
15c. 1952 ADOnce we are honest about our feelings, we can invite ourselves to consider alternative modes of viewing our pain and can see that releasing our grip on anger and resentment can actually be an act of self-compassion.Sharon Salzberg / quote ↗
16c. 1952 ADThe mind thinks thoughts that we don't plan. It's not as if we say, 'At 9:10 I'm going to be filled with self-hatred.Sharon Salzberg / quote ↗
17c. 1952 ADWhen we open our hearts to the breadth of our experiences, we learn to tune into our needs, unique perceptions, thoughts & feelingsSharon Salzberg / quote ↗
18c. 1952 ADYou are a person worthy of love. You don’t have to do anything to prove that.Sharon Salzberg / quote ↗
19c. 1952 ADIn order to free ourselves from our assumptions about love, we must ask ourselves what long-held, often buried assumptions are and then face them, which takes courage, humility, and kindness.Sharon Salzberg / quote ↗
20c. 1952 ADIt takes a special courage to challenge the rigid confines of our accustomed story. It’s not easy to radically alter our views about where happiness comes from but it’s eminently possible.Sharon Salzberg / quote ↗
21c. 1952 ADTaking in another’s criticism, even when it’s offered out of love, requires courage.Sharon Salzberg / quote ↗
22c. 1952 ADAt times, reality is love’s great challenge. When our old stories and dreams are shattered, our first instinct may be to resist, deny, or cling to the way things were. But if we loosen our grip, often what fills the space is a tender forgiveness and the potential for a new and different kind of love.Sharon Salzberg / quote ↗
24c. 1952 ADThe good news is that opportunities for love enter our lives unpredictably, whether or not we’ve perfected self-compassion or befriended our inner critic.Sharon Salzberg / quote ↗
