You’re so hard on yourself. 

Take a moment. 

Sit back.

 Marvel at your life: 

at the grief that softened you,

 at the heartache that made you wiser, 

at the suffering that strengthened you. 

 Despite everything you still grow. 

Be proud of this.

- Unknown -

 

We often talk of saving the planet,

 but the truth is

 that we must do these things 

to save ourselves.

- David Attenborough - 

NITCH

 

 

Eén vallende boom maakt meer lawaai 

dan een heel bos dat groeit. 

 

 Vergeet niet 

dat het kwade schreeuwt

 en het goede fluistert.

 

 

 

 

 In partnerrelaties 

zijn beide mensen

 een deel van het probleem

 en een deel van de oplossing.

 

 

 

Het voordeel van boeken is dat je in korte tijd met honderden levens kunt meeleven.

Je ontwikkeling gaat sneller dan wanneer je niet leest. 

Je komt in allerlei culturen terecht, in verschillende tijdperken en zelfs in het andere geslacht. 

Goede verhalen nestelen zich in je geheugen en gaan tot je eigen geschiedenis behoren. 

- GUUS KUIJER -

 

  

 

 

STILNESS DOES NOT COME 

FROM BEING FREE OF YOUR TROUBLES

 

IT COMES 

FROM BEING ONE WITH THEM.

 

findingawareness

Our daily life is marked with internal conflict. Thoughts, emotions or habits we want to be free of or imbibe in ourselves. This conflict is the reason why we can’t be still. We never want to face who we are.
⠀⠀
It is generally associated with trying to feel a certain way, trying to have a clear mind, trying to not remember someone, trying to stop repeating an addictive pattern or trying to be free of fear.
⠀⠀
This ‘trying’ is always a movement away from ‘what is’. It’s a form of self-denial. We don’t want internal conflict yet we create it by moving away from who we are now. We create conflict by denying our present reality because it is painful.
⠀⠀
The deeper truth is that this inward travail is actually the result of our outward reaching. If we embrace what is, as it is, we can move with that which we want to be free of. We can become fear. We can become our addictions. We can become our pain.
⠀⠀
We are one with it. We are it. Then the question of being free of something begins to slowly disappear. There is no thought of trying to change what is, for everything is you. The shadow self is also the real self. In some sense it’s more real than our imagination of who we want to be!
⠀⠀
This is what stillness is. We imagine stillness to be a result of being free of our troubles, but it’s the opposite of it. It’s a result of being profoundly one with them. Which means being non-resistant from moment to moment. Which means living a life of acceptance and surrender as much as possible.

Then we can be still, for nothing is moving or in conflict with who we are. We are everything. When we have this stillness, we are already free. We have already come out of the other end. We have undergone a radical and permanent transformation.

 

 

 

 - Francis Bacon - 

 

Als je jong bent, denk je dat er normale mensen bestaan, maar dat jij de pech hebt ze niet te kennen.

Later kom je erachter dat dat onzin is, dat er geen normale mensen bestaan. 

Er bestaan alleen patiënten.

Sommige patiënten weten zich staande te houden ten koste van andere patiënten en die noemen we daarom geen patiënten. 

Die noemen we geslaagd. 

- ARNON GRUNBERG, Het aapje dat geluk pakt - 

 

 

 

Pema Chodon - Relaxing with impermanence

 

Je gaat je weg alleen 

en op het eind is er geen champagne

- De inzichten van Caroline Pauwels - 

 

 

 

WHAT ARE YOU 

MOST GRATEFUL FOR?

 

 

Valériane LeBlond

 

7 ways to quiet your mind so you can hear your soul

Are you like me? Looking for answers, for direction, for what will give you meaning, success and happiness in your life? Do you turn to a trusted mentor, follow a podcast, read self-help books or articles online, always searching outside yourself. But what if you already knew what to do? What if the answers were inside you all along?

Harnessing your soul power

The soul within us is all-knowing. Judaism teaches that it is literally a “piece” of God, the loving, intelligent, creative force creating and directing the universe at every moment. We need to nurture our connection to the soul and let it guide us and energize us. The tricky part is tuning into its frequency to hear what it has to say. Because a lot gets in the way – life, the noise within our minds, the ego pulling us away from our essence. 

The good news is that with a little practice, you can start to listen, and to notice what that still small voice within sounds like so that you  can harness its enormous power.

#1 Switch off autopilot mode 

Listening to the soul starts with awareness, with consciousness, with knowing what you are doing while you are doing it. You can kick start this process with a regular meditation practice. It all begins with sitting in a quiet space, with your eyes closed and gently bringing our attention to your breathing. You will start to hear the stream of thoughts that is always active in your mind. If there are any disruptions, treat it as just like another way to gently bring your attention back to feeling your feet on the ground, your back against the chair.

#2 Stop judging everything

The foundation of meditation is to observe what comes up without judgement. Whatever thought, feeling or image arises, see it without assigning a label or a value judgement. Allow yourself to ‘be’. People are terrified of feelings, but they’re just e-motion…energy in motion –  think of it as energy moving through you that needs to get out. Often we’re like, “Oh, no, no, I can’t feel that, it’s bad and somehow means this, somehow means that. I’m going to be a wreck and I’m so weak” and whatever other judgment. The more you bring a gentle awareness to all of you without any judgment, the more you allow a safe space of presence. Judgments are so constricting. Practice just being. Accepting that whoever you are for this moment is fine, that whatever’s going on, it does not matter, it’s totally okay. This in itself is completely transformative and completely healing. 

#3 Cultivate patience 

Whatever is happening, look at it with patience. Whatever happens, happens, whatever is… simply is. There’s no rush to get anywhere or experience anything. This approach is radical. 

#4 Embrace curiosity

Reclaim the essence of childhood – the ‘Beginner’s Mind’. Think of any adorable little kid that you’re close to and imagine their face when you’re showing them something. That’s the approach you take to yourself. So rather than, “Oh my gosh, I’ve done this before, this is so boring, I didn’t get anything out of it.” Take the approach of Beginner’s Mind. Say to yourself “I have no idea what’s about to happen, I’m just curious. Oh, wow, isn’t that interesting?” If you’re like me, you’re not used to treating yourself that way!

#5 Stop striving

Start accepting. Accept whatever is happening, no right and wrong. Sometimes you’ll have a mind-blowing meditation and sometimes it will be totally distracting and so annoying. But it’s not annoying, because you’re patient, right? That’s the goal.

#6 Let go

Be in the moment. Try to not worry about everything and stop holding on to things. “What am I doing next? I’ve got so much going on tomorrow. Did I mess up today? Did I say that? I shouldn’t have said that to that person.” All that type of holding onto your day… just let it go, for now. You can pick it all up afterwards. You can  carry it all out with you afterwards – but for now, try putting it down on the floor next to you. 

#7 Trust yourself

This is huge. Most people say, “I don’t know why I was feeling that way, I don’t know what it was about, let me analyze it.” This part is about accessing your own deeper wisdom and trusting that whatever came up, came up, and that’s fine. You don’t have to second guess. Many people don’t trust themselves, and they give their power away to the wrong people. But even if it’s the right people, no one else can know you better than you.

- Jackie Glaser - 

 

Fall in love with the process.

There is no endgame here. 

 

Leef het Volle Leven

 

 

Curses are real!

They are called 

complaining,

worrying,

doubting,

and limiting yourself.

- Shaman Durek -