Fear and pain should be treated as signals not to close our eyes but to open them wider. Nathaniel Branden More Quotes by Nathaniel Branden More Quotes From Nathaniel Branden A well-developed sense of self is a necessary if not sufficient condition of your well-being. Its presence does not guarantee fulfillment, but its absence guarantees some measure of anxiety, frustration, or despair. Nathaniel Branden anxiety frustration self To live consciously means to seek to be aware of everything that bears on our actions, purposes, values, and goals—to the best of our ability, whatever that ability may be—and to behave in accordance with that which we see and know. Nathaniel Branden purpose goal mean Suffering is just about the easiest of all human activities; being happy is just about the hardest. And happiness requires, not surrender to guilt, but emancipation from guilt. Nathaniel Branden surrender guilt suffering The feeling that "I am enough" does not mean that I have nothing to learn, nothing further to achieve, and nowhere to grow to. It means that I accept myself, that I am not on trial in my own eyes, that I value and respect myself. This is not an act of indulgence but of courage. Nathaniel Branden eye self mean To preserve an unclouded capacity for the enjoyment of life is an unusual moral and psychological achievement. Contrary to popular belief, it is not the prerogative of mindlessness, but the exact opposite: It is the reward of self-esteem. Nathaniel Branden self-esteem opposites life Living consciously is seeking to be aware of everything that bears on our interests, actions, values, purposes, and goals. It is the willingness to confront facts, pleasant or unpleasant. It is the desire to discover our mistakes and correct them . . . it is the quest to keep expanding our awareness and understanding, both of the world external to self and the world within. Nathaniel Branden goal self mistake For "I" to become "we" and yet remain "I," is one of the great challenges of marriage. Nathaniel Branden marriage challenges In any culture, subculture, or family in which belief is valued above thought, and self-surrender is valued above self-expression, and conformity is valued above integrity, those who preserve their self-esteem are likely to be heroic exceptions. Nathaniel Branden self-esteem expression integrity It is a curious paradox of human history that a doctrine that tells human beings to regard themselves as sacrificial animals has been accepted as a doctrine representing benevolence and love for mankind. Nathaniel Branden atheism and-love animal In a world in which the total of human knowledge is doubling about every ten years, our security can rest only on our ability to learn Nathaniel Branden learning world years I believe that earning your living doing something you enjoy is one of the very best ways to nourish yourself. But even if you are employed at something that is not your ideal work, it is important to find ways to take as much pleasure in it as possible. Living in the present moment can make ordinary activities more interesting and joyful; you may be surprised, if you only look, at what you will find. If you try to stay connected with why you are doing what you are doing, for example, then even the parts of your life that aren't especially interesting can become more meaningful. Nathaniel Branden work meaningful believe Be careful what you say to your children. They may agree with you. Nathaniel Branden be-careful may children There is only one reality - the reality knowable to reason. And if man does not choose to perceive it, there is nothing else for him to perceive; if it is not of this world that he is conscious, then he is not conscious at all Nathaniel Branden doe men reality If you have high self-esteem, you might still know times of emotional suffering, but less often and with faster recovery-your resilience is greater. Nathaniel Branden recovery emotional self-esteem When you are frightened, you typically pull energy in to your center, seeing less, hearing less-shrinking consciousness precisely when you need to expand it. Nathaniel Branden energy fear needs Suppose you feel you cannot accept some fact about yourself. Then own your refusal to accept. Own the block. Embrace it fully. And watch it begin to disappear. The principal is this: Begin where you are-accept that. Then change and growth become possible. Nathaniel Branden block growth acceptance It is painful to face the self we know we have never had the integrity to honor and assert. Nathaniel Branden honor self integrity What is guilt? It is moral self-reproach-I did wrong when it was possible to have done otherwise. Nathaniel Branden guilt done self Moved by a passion they do not understand for a goal they seldom reach, men and women are haunted by the vision of a distant possibility that refuses to be extinguished. Nathaniel Branden passion love men The first love affair you must consummate is the love affair with yourself. Only then are you ready for a romantic relationship. Nathaniel Branden love-relationship love-yourself first-love