Underneath the stress is fear, and the biggest is our own personal fear of failure.

In the collective psyche it is being understood... that we can cultivate wisdom and compassion.

Suffering is our call to attention, our call to investigate the truth of our beliefs.

Our greatest longing is to be intimate.

The intimacy that arises in listening and speaking truth is only possible if we can open to the vulnerability of our own hearts. Breathing in, contacting the life that is right here, is our first step. Once we have held ourselves with kindness, we can touch others in a vital and healing way.

Learning to pause is the first step in the practice of Radical Acceptance. A pause is a suspension of activity, a time of temporary disengagement when we are no longer moving toward any goal ... The pause can occur in the midst of almost any activity and can last for an instant, for hours or for seasons of our life ... You might try it now: Stop reading and sit there, doing 'no thing,' and simply notice what you are experiencing.

Whatever you encounter, may that be part of the path.