Resistance to unwanted circumstances has the power to keep those circumstances alive and well for a very long time.
Pema ChodronRemember that this is not something we do just once or twice. Interrupting our destructive habits and awakening our heart is the work of a lifetime.
Pema ChodronWhen we touch the center of sorrow, when we sit with discomfort without trying to fix it, when we stay present to the pain of disapproval or betrayal and let it soften us, these are times that we connect with bohdichitta.
Pema ChodronThe difference between theism and nontheism is not whether one does or does not believe in God. . . Theism is a deep-seated conviction that there's some hand to hold: if we just do the right things, someone will appreciate us and take care of us. . . Nontheism is relaxing with the ambiguity and uncertainty of the present moment without reaching for anything to protect ourselves.
Pema Chodron