- Above all, slow down and take the time to savor your thoughts. Remember, it isn’t the outside world that is a whirlwind; it is only your mind. The world has never complained about how busy it is…
- To get food unstuck from a frying pan, just pour water in the pan and wait. After a while the food loosens on its own. Don’t struggle to heal your wounds. Just pour time into your heart and wait. When your wounds are ready, they will heal on their own.
- When trust is shattered, when a hope is dashed, when a loved one leaves you, before doing anything, pause your life and rest. If you can, surround yourself with friends and share food and drink while slowly letting out the bottled-up stories of betrayal, disappointment and hurt.
- There is a famous Buddhist saying that everyone appears as Buddhas in the eyes of the Buddha and everyone appears as pigs in the eyes of a pig. It suggests the world is experienced according to the state of one’s mind. When your mind is joyful and compassionate, the world is, too. When your mind is filled with negative thoughts, the world appears negative, too.
- When you have to make an important decision, don’t lose sleep over it. Just take the special medicine called ‘time’ and wait. Your subconscious will search for the answer. Two days later, or three, the answer will dawn on you as you are waking up, taking a shower, or talking to a friend. Put faith in your subconscious mind and give yourself time.
- Trying to convince someone to adopt our views is largely the work of our ego. Even if we turn out to be right, our ego knows no satisfaction and seeks a new argument to engage in. Being right isn’t nearly as important as being happy together.
- If you shove others aside on the way to success, you will be pulled under once the tide changes.
- Many conflicts in our lives can be resolved if we put ourselves in the other person’s shoes. Try to look at things from their point of view. If you consider only your side, you are no different from a child.
- There are only those who know their shortcomings and those who do not. Nobody is perfect. If someone looks perfect, that is because you don’t know the person very well.
- To cook something delicious, you need time for the ingredients to marinate. To build a lasting relationship, you need time for trust to develop.
- Life is like a slice of pizza. It looks delicious in an advertisement, but when we actually have it, it is not as good as we imagined. If you envy someone’s life, remember the pizza in the ad. It always looks better than it is.
- There are many more ordinary hours in life than extraordinary ones. We wait in line at the supermarket. We spend hours commuting to work. We water our plants and feed our pets. Happiness means finding a moment of joy in those ordinary hours.
- Have you ever selected a cheaper dish from a menu than the one you really wanted, only to regret your choice when it arrives? Always go with your first choice if you can afford it. It is better than a life filled with regrets.
- Wherever you go, cultivate a sense of ownership. If you see litter in a church, library, or park, pick it up. As you take ownership, your life will have more purpose, and people will notice your good example.
- Wear confidence. It is the height of fashion.
- Not everyone has to like me. After all, I do not like everyone. Certainly for all of us, there are politicians, co-workers, clients, and family members we simply cannot stand. So why should everyone like me? There is no need to torment yourself because someone dislikes you. Accept it as a fact of life; you cannot control how others feel about you. This is a problem only if you let it bother you.
- Dream big but start small. A small adjustment can have a big effect on your life.
- Knowledge wants to talk. Wisdom wants to listen.
@Adapted from The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down by Haemin Sunim
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