Created for Laughter
We were created to have joy. We were created to enjoy laughter and share it with one another.
— Debbie Macomber, Knit Together, p. 160
The Key to Intimate Relationships
Here’s the hot and hard truth: Only your own loving behavior can make you feel worthy of love. It’s not rocket science. The only way to feel lovable is to be loving and compassionate.
Compassion is the most important emotion for forging intimate relationships. It contributes far more to happiness than love does. Relationships can be happy with low levels of love and high levels of compassion, but not the other way around.
— Steven Stosny, You Don’t Have to Take It Anymore, p. 207
Nobler than Suffering
Integrity and honesty are noble. Suffering is not required. In fact, when you suffer, it’s easy to forget about the rest of the world. Personal suffering tends to obscure our vision beyond our own pain and to cut us off from community….
When people rewrite and heal their limiting belief about suffering, they begin to look outward, not inward. There would be more focus in the world on helping others and being of service rather than on one’s own wounds or suffering. People’s attention would not be on keeping a good reputation (as one who suffers and is therefore noble), but connecting with the person next door who could use some assistance.
— Christel Nani, Sacred Choices, p. 208
Up to You
Just like the level of resentment you carry, the amount of suffering you endure is entirely up to you. Change your limiting beliefs about suffering and the subtle ways you cause yourself to suffer, and I guarantee at least 50 percent of your suffering will disappear. (And how many martyrs does it take to change that lightbulb? Absolutely none, because they all just sit in the dark — by their own choice — and quietly suffer.)
— Christel Nani, Sacred Choices, p. 207
Judgment
Judgment sticks labels on people. Forgiveness peels them off. God doesn’t label; God sees.
— Hugh Prather, Spiritual Notes to Myself, p. 19
Victor or Victim
Loss of love is always devastating, but it can also be a time for airing out stuffy inner rooms, reassessing values, starting anew. Relationships may become stagnant or wither and die, but life and love continue.
— Leo Buscaglia, Born for Love, p. 204
To-don’t Lists
We need to rid our to-do lists of things that don’t matter, don’t create value, don’t make a difference. We need to restructure our lives and take more time to do things that bring us joy. Women need to carve out time for the activities that will create meaningful lives and discard the things that won’t.
— This Is Not the Life I Ordered, by Deborah Collins Stephens, Jackie Speier, Michealene Cristini Risley, and Jan Yanehiro
Apology Energy
Apology energy will not only drain you, it will teach others that you are open to criticism and judgment. Apology energy will reinforce that you don’t deserve to be happy, wealthy, healthy, or successful but that you have to earn your way to make it acceptable to others….
You can eliminate apology energy by rewriting limiting beliefs that create conflict because you are happy, successful, or have ease in life….
To eliminate victim energy, be honest about the need to blame others for your lot in life because it’s easier than making different choices; this honesty will start you on the road to reclaiming your power….
Please avoid, at all costs, the tragedy of your apology energy colliding with victim energy. Your apology will simply justify a victim’s belief that life isn’t fair, and the person’s powerlessness will intensify your need to apologize….
— Christel Nani, Sacred Choices, p. 204-206
Not Self-improvement
Sure, you may want to change some of the ways you think, feel, eat, breathe, value, choose, or move. That’s fine. The point is to make these changes not to make yourself “better” or “different.” The point is to make such changes because they enhance and nourish, amplify and magnify, illuminate and celebrate who you already are.
— Lisa Sarasohn, The Woman’s Belly Book, p. 5
True Fulfillment
How gracious God is; how gentle with His earth-bound children! Despite my reluctance to follow, little by little He led me deeper into His truth. How could I know that in committing myself to God’s sovereignty I was embracing the richest love, the purest joys, the truest source of fulfillment the human heart can know?
— Margaret Clarkson, So You’re Single, p. 35