You might notice there are only three quotes this month rather than the usual five. A couple of them are a little longer so I thought three would suffice.
While the second and third quotes are a bit lengthier than usual, I want you to take time to read and savor them because this month the theme is about that very thing – savoring life. It’s so easy to get caught up in the hoopla of the holiday season. My hope for you is that these thoughts will help you to bounce away from stress and toward more meaning and joy.
Dig in!
1. Richard Wagner
Joy is not in things; it is in us.
2. Alan Watts
No one imagines that a symphony is supposed to improve the quality as it goes along, or that the whole object of playing it is to reach the finale. The point of music is discovered in every moment of playing and listening to it.
It is the same, I feel, with the greater part of our lives, and if we are unduly absorbed in improving them we may forget altogether to live them.
3. James Carroll
We spend most of our time and energy in a kind of horizontal thinking. We move along the surface of things going from one quick base to another, often with a frenzy that wears us out. We collect data, things, people, ideas, “profound experiences,” never penetrating any of them…
But there are other times. These are times when we stop. We sit still. We los
e ourselves in a pile of leaves or its memory. We listen and breezes from a whole other world begin to whisper. Then we begin our “going down.”
Takeaway points: We experience more of life and true joy when we become still for a moment and direct our attention within.
What do you think Carroll means by “going down?”
Need help finding meaning and joy within? I practice therapy in Los Altos, Ca. and am glad to guide you on your path of inner exploration. Give me a call at 650-529-9059 or email me for a free 30-minute consultation or therapy appointment.
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