The path to enlightenment is not a path at all, it's actually a metaphor for the time it takes for you to allow yourself to be happy with who you already are, where you already are, and what you already have… no matter what.

Just do it,

The Universe

"Know your own mind just as it is" ~ Ryokan

"sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy" -- thich nhat hanh

nelson mandela: "thinking too well of people often allows them to behave better than they otherwise would"

Writer James Baldwin on hate as a defense mechanism: "I imagine one of the reasons people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with pain."

At the heart of Nhat Hanh’s teachings is the idea that “understanding is love’s other name” — that to love another means to fully understand his or her suffering. (“Suffering” sounds rather dramatic, but in Buddhism it refers to any source of profound dissatisfaction — be it physical or psychoemotional or spiritual.)

When we feed and support our own

Poet Mary Oliver on allowing yourself to be happy and full: "If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy, don’t hesitate. Give in to it. ...whatever it is, don’t be afraid of its plenty. Joy is not made to be a crumb."

"Repetition unlocks value. The value of your first workout increases the more you exercise. The value of your first article increases the more you write. The value of your first conversation increases the longer you stay in the relationship. Day One continues to compound."

James Clear

"nobody can be wise alone" -- ursula k le guin