Quotes on Anger and Hate

Our anger and annoyance are more detrimental to us than the things themselves which anger or annoy us.
~ Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, translated by Maxwell Staniforth (1964)

Forgo your anger for a moment and save yourself a hundred days of trouble.
~ Chinese Proverb

Hate is not conquered by hate: hate is conquered by love. This is a law eternal.
~ Buddha, The Dhammapada, translated by Juan Mascaro (1973)

Five enemies of peace inhabit with us--avarice, ambition, envy, anger, and pride; if these were to be banished, we should infallibly enjoy perpetual peace.
~ Petrarch

Inner Simplicity

"Inner simplicity means getting rid of the extraneous things--such as worry and anger and judgment--that get in the way of having peace and tranquility in our lives."
~ Elaine St. James, Inner Simplicity: 100 Ways to Regain Peace and Nourish Your Soul

This is only one part of Elaine St. James' "definition" on inner simplicity, but it stands out to me today in particular. Often we spend so much of our time and energy on worrying and being angry about what already happened and can't be changed or hasn't and may not even happen, and judging ourselves and others.

On one hand, we should certainly learn lessons and be prepared for the things that come our way. But worry rarely constitutes learning or preparation. Similarly, anger may serve us temporarily to recognize we do not like something, but in the long run it only consumes us. Judgment is part of a cycle of repeatedly punishing ourselves and others, often when we've already been punished quite enough. All three suck the vital energy from us, giving us nothing but stress in return. Consider how much time and energy we can enjoy by releasing worry, anger and judgment!

Are you willing to release worry, anger and judgment? Are you willing to experience greater inner simplicity? Only when we are willing to change will we actually find ourselves able to do the work necessary to make it happen.

If you are willing to change, over the next week really notice when you start to worry, when you are angry, or when you are judging yourself or others. Ask yourself these questions:

How much time and energy do you spend on these activities?
What are you getting out of being worried, angry or judgmental?
How does it serve you?
What does it cost to let go of worry, anger or judgment?
What do you gain by releasing worry, anger or judgment?
What might you do or feel instead?
What if you chose not to worry and to just trust that everything would be perfect?
What if you forgave yourself or the other people involved?
What if everything that happens has a lesson in it?
What would that lesson be?
What does it cost to let go of worry, anger or judgment?
What do you gain by releasing worry, anger or judgment?

thank you for being

i am so inspired today!

i love it when i can wake up naturally, when my body and mind say "its time" and i just ease myself out of bed. it feels fantastic to just do what feels right and enjoy a slower pace of life. no rushing about to get here or there.

i found myself sitting quietly on the bus, eyes closed, meditating on the great beauty and abundance of love in the air. the next thing i knew, i was thanking everyone everywhere for everything! "thank you" to the bus driver, "thank you" to the store clerk who accidentally overcharged me and the corrected the mistake, "thank you" to my wonderful friends for existing and for appreciating my artwork. i am so grateful. i love feeling grateful and appreciative. i feel good when i appreciate others, even their mistakes and corrections and in there existence.

thank you, everyone!

opening ourselves up to see possibilities

The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend.
~Henri Bergson

If we believe we are undeserving of love and joy, we will only be able to see difficulties and misery in everything. If we believe we are deserving, which we are, we will see the magnificence and perfection around us.

Each day we have a choice about what to believe. We can begin changing our beliefs and creating self-love right now by speaking the truth to ourselves and stating "I am deserving. I am beautiful. I am talented." Whatever it is we need to change, we must first begin here, with our beliefs about ourselves. When we truly believe we are good and loved and deserving, we will be prepared to see the good and love and wonder around us.