Life is also a mixture of unsolved problems, ambiguous victories and vague defeats-with very few moments of clear peace. Hugh Prather More Quotes by Hugh Prather More Quotes From Hugh Prather For communication to have meaning it must have a life. It must transcend "you and me" and become "us." If I truly communicate, I see in you a life that is not me and partake of it. And you see and partake of me. In a small way we then grow out of our old selves and become something new. To have this kind of sharing I cannot enter into a conversation clutching myself. I must enter into it with loose boundaries. I must give myself to the relationship, and be willing to be what grows out of it. Hugh Prather communication self giving I sometimes react to making a mistake as if I have betrayed myself. My fear of making a mistake seems to be based on the hidden assumption that I am potentially perfect and that if I can just be very careful I will not fall from heaven. But a 'mistake' is a declaration of the way I am, a jolt to the way I intend, a reminder I am not dealing with the facts. When I have listened to my mistakes I have grown. Hugh Prather betrayal fear mistake Being myself includes taking risks with myself, taking risks on new behavior, trying new ways of 'being myself', so that I can see who it is I want to be. Hugh Prather risk want trying It's not that we fear the place of darkness, but that we don't think we are worth the effort to find the place of light. Hugh Prather light fear thinking If my attention is wandering, there is somewhere it wants to go, so obviously it does not want to be where I am holding it in the name of some self-styled obligation. Hugh Prather self names doe Stands must be taken. If I am to respect myself I have to search myself for what I believe is right and take a stand on what I find. Otherwise, I have not gathered together what I have been given; I have not embraced what I have learned; I lack my own conviction. Hugh Prather taken together believe Don't fight a fact, deal with it. Hugh Prather live-by fighting facts We are all saying the same thing in different words. Hugh Prather creativity different Very seldom will a person give up on himself. He continues to have hope because he knows he has the potential for change. He tries again - not just to exist, but to bring about those changes in himself that will make life worth living. Yet people are very quick to give up on friends, and especially on their spouses, to declare them hopeless, and to either walk away or do nothing more than resign themselves to a bad situation. Hugh Prather giving-up change people Problems assault us to the degree they preoccupy us. The key to release, rest, and inner freedom is not the elimination of all external difficulties. It is letting go of our pattern of reactions to those difficulties. Hugh Prather patterns keys letting-go There were seventy-five people in the lobby and only a seven-year-old girl was finding out what it felt like to sit on the Marble Floor Hugh Prather girl people years Just when I think I have learned the way to live, life changes. Hugh Prather live-life life-changing change A whole mind cannot create chaos. A conflicted mind can create nothing else. Hugh Prather chaos whole mind Support your friends - even in their mistakes. But be clear, however, that it is the friend and not the mistake you are supporting. Hugh Prather support mistake friendship Almost any difficulty will move in the face of honesty. When I am honest I never feel stupid. And when I am honest I am automatically humble. Hugh Prather honesty stupid moving But it's morning. Within my hands is another day. Another day to listen and love and walk and glory. I am here for another day. Hugh Prather and-love morning hands By approaching my problems with "What might make things a little better?" rather than "What is the solution?" I avoid setting myself up for certain frustration. My experience has shown me that I am not going to solve anything in one stroke; at best I am only going to chip away at it. Hugh Prather frustration littles might Some people will like me and some won't. So I might as well be myself, and then at least I'll know that the people who like me, like me. Hugh Prather creativity might people Peace, or freedom from conflict, is the absolute core of happiness. It is in learning to watch our sense of peace that we avoid unhappiness. All forms of misery are heralded by a frame of mind that must become immediately recognizable if we are ever to gain mastery in happiness...Take the time to look in your heart and be clear. Walk through life being clear. Practice doing each thing in peace. Hugh Prather heart happiness peace If your reaction to your partner's fear-or any other form of distress- is disdain or irritation, you do not want oneness or even friendship with your partner at that moment. Hugh Prather irritation oneness letting-go
