When you learn to take responsibility for yourselves, then you will start taking responsibility for the planet. The planet is being destroyed by your abandonment of responsibility. You assume that you own the planet. And ownership confers upon you the right to do as you like. You do not own this beautiful planet. You are simply a guest here.

You cannot be present in an abstract way. Presence is not about disappearing into nothingness. You can only be present with something that is actually here.

As you transition from the past and future world of the mind to the awakened world of now, you will begin to experience yourself in an entirely new way. A way that is free of the pain and limitations of the past, and free of anxiety about the future. And you will begin to experience the abundance that is ever present in each moment.

Waking up is not serious. It is a gentle remembering and an honoring of the present moment as the truth of life.

The underlying motivation that drives all addiction is our insistence on avoiding pain. However, the pain you are avoiding is based in the past, and has nothing to do with the present moment.

Each new moment presents an opportunity for conscious choice. We can choose to let go of the past. We can choose to be here now. We can choose to accept responsibility for ourselves. . . . We can choose to awaken. Or we can choose to remain asleep and unconscious.

If you have a powerful enlightenment experience, do not try to hold on to it, for to do so will take you out of the present moment. You will be caught in the past. You will close the door that gave rise to the experience in the first place.