“Extend an act of kindness each day. No one has to know. It can be a smile, reassuring words, a small favor – without expecting something in return.”

Mindfulness is a pause – the space between stimulus and response: that’s where choice lies.

Through the sacred art of pausing, we develop the capacity to stop hiding, to stop running away from our experience. We begin to trust in our natural intelligence, in our naturally wise heart, in our capacity to open to whatever arises.

Nothing is wrong – whatever is happening is just “real life.”

Sometimes the easiest way to appreciate ourselves is by looking through the eyes of someone who loves us.

Awakening self-compassion is often the greatest challenge people face on the spiritual path.

There are some things we can’t choose, but in being present we can choose how we want to relate to them.

Paying attention is the most basic and profound expression of love.

Feeling compassion for ourselves in no way releases us from responsibility for our actions. Rather, it releases us from the self-hatred that prevents us from responding to our life with clarity and balance.

Relaxation is the doorway to both wisdom and compassion.

The two wings of mindfulness and kindness will begin to open the heart to more connection with our world.

When we put down ideas of what life should be like, we are free to wholeheartedly say yes to our life as it is.

As we free ourselves from the suffering of ‘something is wrong with me, ‘we trust and express the fullness of who we are.’

Pain is not wrong. Reacting to pain as wrong initiates the trance of unworthiness. The moment we believe something is wrong, our world shrinks and we lose ourselves in the effort to combat the pain.

Stopping the endless pursuit of getting somewhere else is the perhaps most beautiful offering we can make to our spirit.

Where desire ends up causing suffering is when it fixates.

The muscles used to make a smile actually send a biochemical message to our nervous system that it is safe to relax the flight of freeze response.

Don’t just expect people to respect you and sit back. Stand as you demand it.

The safest way of not being very miserable is not to expect to be very happy.

The world was expecting her to be a beautiful flower. Society behaved in such a way that turned her into a fierce sword.

Do good without the expectation that your favour will be returned.

You can’t hurt a person and expect them to fake happiness so that it doesn’t hurt your ego.

Accept the darkness before you expect the sun to shine.

You can’t keep hurting a person and expect them to keep loving you.

They expect me to feel like spring but my heart is full of April showers.