Only to the extent that we expose ourselves over and over to annihilation can that which is indestructible in us be found.

Like all explorers, we are drawn to discover what's out there without knowing yet if we have the courage to face it.

How do we cultivate the conditions for joy to expand? We train in staying present.

When we protect ourselves so we won't feel pain, that protection becomes like armor, like armor that imprisons the softness of of the heart.

You build inner strength through embracing the totality of your experience, both the delightful parts and the difficult parts.

We are like children building a sand castle. We embellish it with beautiful shells, bits of driftwood, and pieces of colored glass. The castle is ours, off limits to others. We’re willing to attack if others threaten to hurt it. Yet despite all our attachment, we know that the tide will inevitably come in and sweep the sand castle away. The trick is to enjoy it fully but without clinging, and when the time comes, let it dissolve back into the sea.

Someone needs to encourage us not to brush aside what we feel. Not to be ashamed of the love and grief that it arouses in us. Not to be afraid of pain. Someone needs to encourage us: that this soft spot in us could be awakened, and that to do this would change our lives.