Guiding Phrases

I’m striving to live intentionally, guided by compassion, love, and authenticity. As I do, I am increasingly experiencing more contentment, peach, joy, love, kindness, & generosity. Before we can give others our appreciation, compassion, love, kindness, we must first give these to ourselves. One cannot draw water from an empty well. Some guiding phrases I’ve used throughout the past several years include the following.

“Savor this moment”

Whatever this moment is, I’m striving to savor it because life is a collection of moments and this one will never come again. Whether this moment is wonderful, difficult, painful, it is what life is offering me know and I want to fully experience it.

“Relate with compassionate curiosity”

Whoever I am talking to, I’m striving to be compassionate with myself and the person before me. I know how much energy it takes for me to keep my composure given the many tragedies, losses, traumas I have experienced. In the past I have reacted poorly, even aggressively, impulsively because of the difficulties I was experiencing. We cannot know the stress another person is dealing with at a given moment. Compassion is possible when I am able to gratefully remember remember the mercy and grace I receive. Then I am better able to respond to offensive or aggressive behavior with compassion.

“Love extravagantly”

When I was self-critical, and self-punishing, and harsh toward myself I realized this was the result of bullying and abuse I had experienced. Learning that I was loved extravagantly, and infinitely valuable and experiencing these were life changing, healing. However, it is something I need to remember daily. We must practice loving both ourselves and others because this alone can change our world.

“Be authentic”

I strive to be authentic or have integrity by gently sharing my feelings and preferences with others. I believe that many of the interpersonal difficulties, and unhealthy habits I have struggled with derive from hiding difficult feelings out of fear I would not be understood or worse condemned and rejected. I’m growing to love my story with all of it’s tragedies, triumphs, losses and gains. I’m learning that neither I nor others determine my value or worthiness of love and belonging. This holds true for us all. What we need more of is for us all as a human family to do what makes us come alive.