I'd known that I had the capacity to love, that I enjoyed seeing other people be happy, that I had a real awe and wonder about the beauty of this world.

Most of us grow up with a sense of "I'm not intelligent enough." It's such a sad thing that in the West we worship a certain kind of left-brain intelligence.

Meditation helps us to get out of our thoughts about the future and really be in the present moment.

True refuge is that which allows us to be at home, at peace, to discover true happiness. The only thing that can give us true refuge is the awareness and love that is intrinsic to who we are. Ultimately, its our own true nature.

But this revolutionary act of treating ourselves tenderly can begin to undo the aversive messages of a lifetime.

If our hearts are ready for anything, we are touched by the beauty and poetry and mystery that fill our world.

Imperfection is not our personal problem - it is a natural part of existing.