Inhabit this life completely

No yearning for an afterlife, no looking beyond, no belittling of death,
but only longing for what belongs to us
and serving earth, lest we remain unused.


Rainer Maria Rilke

Small acts

We are here to change the world

with small acts of thoughtfulness done daily

rather than with one great breakthrough

Harold S. Kushner

Sunday quote: self-talk

Talk to yourself like someone you love

Brene Brown

Strength

One of my favorite pins says, ‘Do not mistake my kindness for weakness.’ It encapsulates one of the misconceptions of kindness – that to be kind is to be weak.

Let’s get one thing straight: being kind is not about being nice. While being nice is not a bad thing in general, often being nice is an outward action that is more about not rocking the boat than about acknowledging the human dignity of others.

Kindness, and the commitment to see the other as deserving of human dignity, demands of us to protest, resist, and do all that we can to fight that which says otherwise.

Bruce Reyes‑Chow, In Defense of Kindness: Why It Matters, How It Changes Our Lives, and How It Can Save the World

A simple wish

Lovingkindness is a feeling that blesses others and oneself with the simple wish, “Be happy.”

The Japanese poet Issa [1763–1828] expresses this open-hearted feeling so well:

“In the cherry blossoms’ shade, there’s no such thing as a stranger.”

Joseph Goldstein, Triumph of the Heart

Being the moon

Everyone wants to be the sun

to brighten someone’s life,

but why not the moon,

to shine on someone’s darkest hour?

Don Jose Ruiz