Sharon Salzberg

When we constantly hear that we should be smarter, better connected, more productive, wealthier__t takes real courage to claim the time and space to follow the currents of our talents, our aspirations, and our hearts, which may lead in a very different direction.

To truly love ourselves, we must challenge our beliefs that we need to be different or better.

With our close friends, family members, and lovers, we hope to create a special world, one in which we can expect to be treated fairly, with care, tenderness, and compassion.

The paradigm for our relationships is formed from our earliest experiences and is actually hardwired into our neurological and emotional network.

When we don__ tell those we love about what__ really going on or listen carefully to what they have to say, we tend to fill in the blanks with stories.

Forgiveness can be bittersweet. It contains the sweetness of the release of a story that has caused us pain, but also the poignant reminder that even our dearest relationships change over the course of a lifetime.

We cannot simply forgive and forget, nor should we.

We nurture our sense of connection with the larger whole, noticing that the whole is only as healthy as its smallest part.

Ultimately, we forgive others in order to free ourselves.

Often in close relationships, the subject being discussed is not the subject at all.

You don't have to love yourself unconditionally before you can give or receive real love.

Real forgiveness in close relationships is never easy. It can__ be rushed or engineered.

To forgive, we may need to open our minds to a fuller exploration of the context in which the events occurred, and feel compassion for the circumstances and everyone involved, starting with ourselves.

When we respond to our pain and suffering with love, understanding, and acceptance__or ourselves, as well as others_ over time, we can let go of our anger, even when we__e been hurt to the core. But that doesn__ mean we ever forget.

When we develop our ability to love in one realm, we simultaneously nourish our ability in others, as long as we remain open to the flow of insight and compassion.

As we explore new ways of thinking, we need to be willing to investigate, experiment, take some risks with our attention, and stretch.

We need the courage to learn from our past and not live in it.

The wholesome pursuit of excellence feels quite different from perfectionism.