i really value this insightful *quote, from spiritual friend and teacher, Susan Piver. i think it contains some really needed wisdom.
so often, we meet our feelings and emotional states with judgement and criticism. we feel that somehow we aren’t living up to the saintly standards we’ve set for ourselves, but we aren’t saints. we are human beings – messy and beautiful, experiencing this mystery, learning and growing.
instead of greeting our emotions with harshness, we can meet our emotions with gentleness, with love, with an open heart. we can make friends with them. when we meet what we feel with gentleness, with love, with an open heart, we allow for spaciousness to arise. in that spaciousness, we have the opportunity to see clearly, to learn, to grow, to care, to be compassionate to ourselves, and then to others as well.
when we begin by judging ourselves, by criticizing ourselves, we narrow, we close up, and we can get stuck. when we are closed, we are not able to see in a wider view or with clarity. we are likely unable to fully learn or grow. how is this beneficial?
meeting our emotions as friends, with an open heart and love, can be a path and practice we choose from moment to moment. the path and practice of an open heart.
befriend yourself. allow the space to hold yourself and all you are feeling with grace and gentleness. allow space for nonaction and then mindful, compassionate action when and where appropriate. this is a practice. ~j
⭕️♥️🙏🏻
Posted @withregram • @sharonsalzberg
We need to honor the dignity of every feeling that arises within us. This doesn’t mean we necessarily act on every feeling, but we knowledge them, without suppressing or repressing them.
[Image Description: white background with bold black text that read, “We need to honor the dignity of every feeling that arises within us. – Sharon Salzberg”]
eventually, if we want to suffer less, we have to come to the realization that life doesn’t bend to our comfort level.
instead, it provides the opportunity to grow in our capacity to open to life as it is in this moment, to open our heart, and act from awareness and compassion for ourselves and others.
in so many ways we have been taught that being brave is being tough and to be tough means to harden ourselves up. but this isn’t true. when we harden and close up, we aren’t living out of bravery; we are living out of fear.
instead, we can open our hearts, allow ourselves to be vulnerable, raw, receptive, open, present to life. this is true bravery, this is love, and fear has no hold on love. living love is how we are set free.