Through your eyes I saw the goodness in a man’s heart, and the beauty of life that had eluded me for so long. Through your friendship I felt safe and knew it was okay to trust someone. Through your heart I felt the warmth and tenderness I thought I had lost.

I know you can’t take away my pain, for it is mine to bear. I know you can’t give me back my self-esteem, for it is mine to restore. And I know you can’t solve my problems, for they are mine to sort out.

Give what you would love to receive. Give of your time, your energy, your talents, and the resources at your disposal. But do so out of love, because of what’s close to your heart, not to rid yourself of guilt or serve only your interests. Giving isn’t an obligation, but a privilege you’re granted. A gift, a connection with others that can stay inside them forever, for them to pass on.

I don’t ask you to hold my pain, I just need you to hold me when I’m hurt. I don’t ask you to tell me what to do, I just need you to listen to what troubles me. And I don’t ask you to fix me, I just need you to hold space, so my heart can heal.

Loneliness is not determined by the number of people you are with, but by the amount of treasures you keep within. When the soul hears music but you refrain from singing, or when the heart burns with passion but you’re too afraid to act on it, that is loneliness.

As long as you don’t feel at home within yourself, in your heart, nothing feels like home. You can be in the most beautiful place, and yet all the comfort and convenience won’t bring you a sense of belonging, of purpose. I don’t think anything in this world is truly ours. We’ve only been given the opportunity to use and enjoy all of this as long as it takes. I consider it a loan life has given us. Only this one doesn’t need to be paid back.

If you can be with me in my lonely hours, listen to what deeply moves me, and hold me in my silent pain. That’s when love awakens and the bird’s song in heaven can be heard in our hearts.

We need to take care of each other, because when others hurt, we hurt. And when we blossom, others blossom. We cannot only think about ourselves, shut our eyes, and believe the world will be fine. It won’t. We are the world!

When the stomach is empty, only one problem, food. But when the stomach is full, oh … now many problems. Ha! You know how many people I’ve known who could buy anything they wanted, whose pockets were so full they could feed a whole village for the remainder of their days? Outwardly successful people, living in palatial homes and driving fancy cars, but inside restless, unhappy, searching for an elusive … something?

The root of all the struggle and conflict between people is the false idea that we are separated from one another. We are all expressions of the One life, the One ocean, created by it, supported by it, and powerful because of it. If we would all realize this, we could never hurt one another.

In your heart there’s a silent voice no one else but you can hear. Jesus said so beautifully: “The Father and I are one. He who has seen me, has seen the Father.” The One has expressed Himself in the many, and the many know they are all one. This is the ultimate realization. You are still in the waves, but the ocean’s depth is only one dive away. Love is one heartbeat away. 

I count my blessings, not my tears; my opportunities, not my challenges. I am grateful for all life has given me, but also withheld from me. I always have the opportunity to smile and be happy And I have chosen to do exactly that. I have hope and faith, because I feel a sense of  purpose in my heart. I know deep within I am perfect in spite of all my imperfections. All is well, I am well, for I am beloved by My Father. And I hope one day I can see myself as He sees me.