The universe is gratis. It cannot be earned, nor need it be earned.

By looking up, by raising our eyes above our limited horizon, we are more likely to perceive the blessings hidden in affliction.

Only gratefulness, in the form of limitless openness for surprise, lays hold of the fullness of life in hope.

...our happiness hinges not on good luck; it hinges on peace of heart.

The antidote to exhaustion may not be rest. It may be wholeheartedness. You are so exhausted because all of the things you are doing are just busyness. There's a central core of wholeheartedness totally missing from what you're doing.

Gratefulness is the gallantry of a heart ready to rise to the opportunity a given moment offers.

Among the many things that profoundly impress me about the Dalai Lama, quite high up on the list is his ability to say "I don't know". I've often wished that other people in prominent positions wouldn't feel the compulsion to have an answer for everything and would feel equally free to say "I don't know." It's a sign of wisdom to know that you don't know and a sign of stupidity to think that you know everything. I admire it enormously in him, and wonder why so few people in leading positions reach that stage.