To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon
is to be back in Eden,
where doing nothing was not boring – it was peace.
Milan Kundera
Tag: heart
Knowing us better than we ourselves do
There is a twilight zone in our hearts that we ourselves cannot see. Even when we know quite a lot about ourselves – our gifts and weaknesses, our ambitions and aspirations, our motives and our drives – large parts of ourselves remain in the shadow of consciousness. This is a very good thing. We will always remain partially hidden to ourselves. Other people, especially those who love us, can often see our twilight zones better than we ourselves can. The way we are seen and understood by others is different from the way we see and understand ourselves. We will never fully know the significance of our presence in the lives of our friends. That’s a grace, a grace that calls us not only to humility, but to a deep trust in those who love us. It is the twilight zones of our hearts where true friendships are born.
Henri Nouwen
Being kind
Appreciative words are the most powerful force for good on the earth. George W. Crane
Most of us would not consider ourselves to be deliberately unkind. However, it is probably true that we miss many occasions each day to be more kind. We ourselves can probably remember occasions when we were hurt by others not doing something – not listening, not noticing when we did something, not being there when we needed them. Being kind does not always mean having to give beyond our strength. The Buddha spoke of making “offerings that cost nothing“, such as a compassionate eye, a smiling face, and loving words. So let us do the simple things, such as being present, or acknowledging what was done or saying words that are within our capacity to say, knowing that our heartfelt words can make such a difference in peoples lives.
Kindness in words creates confidence,
Kindness in thinking creates profoundness
Kindness in giving creates love.
Lao Tzu
We are asked to love
On not being half hearted
Today is the Feast of All Saints. The easiest way to understand a saint – in the different world religions – is to see them as people who gave allowed themselves be surprised and consumed by love. They gave with their whole hearts, often not counting the cost.
Gamble everything for love, if you are a true human being.
If not, leave this gathering.
Half-heartedness doesn’t reach into majesty.
You set out to find God,
but then you keep stopping for long periods at meanspitited roadhouses.
Don’t wait any longer…
Rumi
Sunday Quote: Dragons
Perhaps all the dragons of our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us once beautiful and brave.
Rilke
