There are many wonderful teachers available to us through books, video and seminars.

For years I’ve been reading and watching Pema Chodron, Eckhart Tolle, Ram Dass, Byron Katie, Wayne Dyer, Abraham Hicks and a number of others.

I’ve incorporated their wisdom into my life in eclectic ways. And I keep learning these things over and over again:

1. I can notice my thoughts and feelings without getting caught up in them.
2. Paying attention to my senses–like deliberately noticing my fingers and toes, feeling the breeze touch my face, listening to an insect chirping–helps me tap into the unlimited now. And it relaxes tension, fear and other negative emotions.
3. I can’t save the world, but small things matter, like buying a stranger a sandwich or watching a friend’s dog for a day.
4. No experience is wasted. I grow from it all.
5. Laughter cannot be overrated.
6. The void is fertile.
7. Appreciation works magic.
8. In a marriage–and in life–letting go is 95% of the work.
9. I don’t have to partake in booze/drugs/rich foods to have fun. I can party with the best of them without these substances.
10. Saying no to one thing (such as a drink) is saying yes to something else (feeling great the next day).
11. I can choose to focus on lack or abundance.
12. Saying “I don’t know” softens me–and opens up new doors.
13. Suffering can burn away the hard shell.
14. And yet, most suffering is unnecessary. It’s a story we tell. Once we let go of the story, we can feel relief.
15. If someone wants to go, let them go.
16. When someone pushes my buttons, it’s time to look at myself.
17. Things usually aren’t personal. You never know where someone is really coming from.
18. The future doesn’t exist, but it’s fun to play in the field of possibilities.
19. The body has a wisdom of its own.
20. We are so much more than we (usually) know. Infinite intelligence flows through us; we are connected to everything.
21. Dying is perfectly safe. As Ram Dass says, it’s like taking off a too-tight shoe.

~

Author: Kate Evans

Editor: Erin Lawson

Images: Flickr/Benjamine Balazs