A shaman is someone who has a wound that will not heal. He sits by the side of the road with his open wound exposed.

My sense is that you can never teach anybody anything, or change anybody in ways that they don't already have in mind.

Sooner or later we will come to the edge of all that we can control and find life, waiting there for us.

Being safe is about being seen and heard and allowed to be who you are and to speak your truth.

Most people have come to prefer certain of lifes experiences and deny and reject others, unaware of the value of the hidden things that may come wrapped in plain and even ugly paper. In avoiding all pain and seeking comfort at all costs, we may be left without intimacy or compassion; in rejecting change and risk we often cheat ourselves of the quest; in denying our suffering we may never know our strength or our greatness

This simple thing has not been that easy to learn. it certainly went against everything I had been taught since I was very young. I thought people listened only because they were too timid to speak or did not know the answer. A loving silence often has far more power to heal and to connect than the most well intentioned words.

From a good teacher you may learn the secret of listening. You will never learn the secret of life. You will have to listen for yourself