As you let people get closer to you, they’ll trigger wounds you’ve yet to heal. Deeper intimacy always offers us a chance to heal on a deeper level. Be grateful for the closeness and unashamed of the wounds.… More

When we’re open to resolution, to a win-win, it’s not difficult to find one. It’s when we want to make somebody else lose that we have a fight — and blood — on our hands. It’s when we are afraid to lose (the argument or whatever it is we’re clutching) that we can’t dismiss the anger. We WANT something to be angry about, somebody to blame for something.
When we choose love, it displaces anger and fear. And when we choose love, we also choose peace. … More

The following quote from Calvin Coolidge, the 30th president of the United States, has always been one of my favorites:
Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘Press On’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.
I have found comfort over the years in knowing that I didn’t have to be the most talented or the most educated person to get the job done. It is progressively clear to me, though, that persistence develops talent and spurs learning. It uncovers the genius in each of us.
Persistence is more than determination and resolve. It is work. It is the effort that must be rewarded. It is the practice that makes perfect.
Persistence is not merely hanging in there long enough. It is learning what creates the desired result — often after learning what does not. It is honing your skill and refining your love. It is believing that you can make a difference. It is trusting the outcome.… More