judge
Shared Wisdom: Accumulated Quotations
One thing that never stops, whether I am in a writing hiatus or not, is the continuous collection of words of wisdom spoken and written by others. I seem to have a mountain of them on my desk or collected in my computer. I have noticed that there is one modern day spiritual writer who seems to speak much to my heart. His name is Paul Ferrini and he has been involved in spiritual work for more than 35 years. He is a prolific writer with many books to his name and one day I hope to attend one of his retreats. You can learn more about Paul at his web site www.paulferrini.com. In the meantime here are just a few of his spiritual insights.
“When you don’t want to do something, say "no" clearly.
A simple "no" said clearly from the heart can prevent the drama of self-abuse.
When we no longer betray ourselves by saying "yes" when we want to say "no", we will no longer attract people into our life who will disrespect our boundaries.”
“Some people complain about the boat.
Others try to escape it. Neither choice is helpful.
Until you accept the boat for what it is, it cannot take you to the other side.”
“You are the judge and the savior
No one else can condemn you for your mistake or release you from your guilt.
You must come to terms with what you have done.
You must acknowledge your error and atone for it.
The forgiveness of others is nice to have, but it means nothing if you cannot forgive yourself.”
“Compassion
Your compassion arises
when your ability to love
no longer depends
on how others treat you.”
“Authentic Spirituality
God doesn’t ask you to pretend to be someone or something you are not.
God wants you to be who you are with all your contradictions and dichotomies.
If you have to deny any aspect of who you are to be spiritual, then you are creating an inauthentic spirituality.
True spirituality should be an instrument of revelation, not a tool for denial.”
I hope I have peaked your interest enough that you will go running to Paul’s website. I find him to be a magnetic yet gentle spirit even before I have met him in person. Blessings on your journey.
Shared Wisdom: A Rush of Words–Part 2
As promised in my posting on September 10th, here are some more “words of wisdom” from others. They are almost all simple one-liners – but they are not in the least bit simplistic!
“Your present circumstances don’t determine where you can go; they merely determine where you start.” (Anonymous)
“Even the rich are hungry for love, for being cared for, for being wanted, for having someone to call their own.” (Mother Teresa)
“I have long since come to believe that people never mean half of what they say, and that it is best to disregard their talk and judge only their actions.”
(Dorothy Day)
“If there is any secret to this life I live, this is it: the sound of what cannot be seen sings within everything that can, and there is nothing more to it than that.”
(Brian Andreas)
“I always treat people as if they have already reached the goal I have for them.” (Thomas Merton)
“If I am not for myself, who will be? And if I am for myself alone, then what am I? And if not now, when?” (Rabbi Hillel)
“Whether you think you can or think you can’t – you are right.” (Henry Ford)
“One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it’s worth watching.” (Anonymous)
“Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced.” (Soren Kierkegaard)
“God always gives His best to those who leave the choice with Him.” (Jim Elliot)
So take these words of wisdom into your day today and spend some time pondering their meaning in your heart. Carry them deep into your soul and see how and if they apply to the “reality you are experiencing”!!