The wise person does not grieve for the things which they do not have,
but rejoices in those which they do have.
Epictetus, died 135 AD, Greek Stoic philosopher
Sunday Quote: Wisdom
Tag: Be fully present
It’s our choice
Do we relate to our circumstances with bitterness or with openness?
This is our choice in every moment
Pema Chodron
Living simply
I taught myself to live simply and wisely,
to look at the sky and pray to God,
and to wander long before evening to tire my superfluous worries.
Anna Akhmatova, 1889 – 1966 I Taught Myself to Live Simply
When you complain
When you complain you make yourself a victim
Leave the situation,
change the situation ,
or accept it.
All else is madness
Eckhart Tolle
The light is greater
La festa di Santa Lucia. Today is the feastday of Saint Lucia of Syracuse (283–304) a martyr revered for her courage in secretly bringing food to those who were hiding from persecution in the catacombs under Rome. Legend tells us that she wore a crown of candles to light her way so that her hands were free to carry the food.
Before the calendar was changed, her feast fell on the shortest day of the year, the Winter Solstice. It is still a big celebration in Nordic countries, marking the turn in winter and the return of light
All night my heart makes its way
however it can over the rough ground
of uncertainties, but only until night
meets and then is overwhelmed by
morning, the light deepening, the
wind easing and just waiting, as I
too wait (and when have I ever been
disappointed?) for redbird to sing.
Mary Oliver, A Thousand Mornings
let your preference go
I clearly remember deciding that from now on,
if life was unfolding in a certain way,
and the only reason I was resisting it was of a personal preference,
I would let go of the preference
and let life be in charge.
Michael A. Singer
Mindfulbalance 