Sunday Reflections — 10 life learnings that resonated the most in 2022
This week, Sunday Reflections brings you 10 life learnings that resonated the most in 2022:
1. “Be kind and gentle on yourself. In this fast-paced world, we are so hard on ourselves and impatient with healing. Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do to speed up the process. Sure, you can numb the pain or distract yourself, but if you don’t allow yourself to process the emotion in a healthy way, the pain and darkness just gets buried deep inside you, and eventually comes up in your future. Stop blaming yourself, and instead try to look for the lesson and the growth opportunity.” ~ Amy Chan
2. “If you want to reach a state of bliss, then go beyond your ego and the internal dialogue. Make a decision to relinquish the need to control, the need to be approved, and the need to judge. Those are the three things the ego is doing all the time. It’s very important to be aware of them every time they come up.” ~ Deepak Chopra
3. “You know, control is an illusion… we’re able to trick ourselves into believing that we’re in control of any of this. But we’re not, and the paradox, for me, of surrender is how relaxing it is. Nobody ever wants to surrender, because nobody wants to lose control, but if you recognize that you never had control, all you ever had was anxiety, and then you let go of the myth of control. Surrender means letting go of something you never even had. So there’s an awakening that’s happening right now, where what’s happening is not that you’re losing control. What’s happening is that, for the first time, you’re noticing that you never had it.” ~ Elizabeth Gilbert
4. “Once we see that everything is impermanent and ungraspable and that we create a huge amount of suffering if we are attached to things staying the same, we realize that relaxing and letting go is a wiser way to live. Letting go does not mean not caring about things. It means caring about them in a flexible and wise way.” ~ Jack Kornfield
5. “Once in a while throughout the day…let go into full acceptance of the present moment, including how you are feeling and what you perceive to be happening… Give yourself permission to allow this moment to be exactly as it is, and allow yourself to be exactly as you are. Then, when you’re ready, move in the direction your heart tells you to go, mindfully and with resolution.” ~ Jon Kabat-Zinn
6. “Whatever happens in your life, no matter how troubling things might seem, do not enter the neighbourhood of despair. Even when all doors remained closed, universe will open up a new path only for you. Be thankful! It is easy to be thankful when all is well. A Sufi is thankful not only for what he has been given but also for all that he has been denied.” ~ Shams Tabrizi
7. “Healing is the journey. The destination is yourself. The full recognition of all the different aspects of yourself — your joy, your sorrow, your pain, your pleasure — all lead you to the source of who you are. Only by having intimate contact with this source can you experience the fullness of your life. Only by fearlessly looking within can you embrace the landscape of your life and open yourself completely to all the love and compassion that lives inside you.” ~ Philip Berk
8. “When you align with love, fear dissolves, and things naturally come into balance. In this way, love liberates you. It sets you free from the confines of your fear and expands you toward harmonic resonance with your true nature. You always have the choice to embrace love, even when it’s easier to sink into fear. There are opportunities to exercise love in every moment. Seek them out today, and with practice you’ll find harmony. Are you ready to begin?” ~ Panache Desai
9. “Did I offer peace today? Did I bring a smile to someone’s face? Did I say words of healing? Did I let go of my anger and resentment? Did I forgive? Did I love?’ These are the real questions. I must trust that the little bit of love that I sow now will be many fruits, here in this world and the life to come.” ~ Henri Nouwen
10. “Nothing has to be changed, because all is beautiful — that is enlightenment. All is as it should be, everything is perfect. This is the most perfect world, this moment lacks nothing — the experience of this is what enlightenment is.” ~ Rajneesh
This selection is from online publications/websites in the public domain.
