Why couldn't Jesus command us to obsess over everything, to try to control and manipulate people, to try not to breathe at all, or to pay attention, stomp away to brood when people annoy us, and then eat a big bag of Hershey's Kisses in bed? Anne Lamott More Quotes by Anne Lamott More Quotes From Anne Lamott There is ecstasy in paying attention. You can get into a kind of Wordsworthian openness to the world, where you see in everything the essence of holiness. Anne Lamott holiness essence inspirational When we did art with the kids, the demons would lie down. Anne Lamott kids lying art Think of a fine painter attempting to capture an inner vision, beginning with one corner of the canvas, painting what she thinks should be there, not quite pulling it off, covering it over with white paint, and trying again, each time finding out what her painting isn't, until she finally finds out what it is. And when you finally do find out what one corner of your vision is; you're off and running. Anne Lamott white running thinking Jealousy has always been my cross, the weakness and woundedness in me that has most often caused me to feel ugly and unlovable, like the Bad Seed. Anne Lamott ugly jealousy weakness I woke up full of hate and fear the day before the most recent peace march in San Francisco. This was disappointing: I'd hoped to wake up feeling somewhere between Virginia Woolf and Wavy Gravy. Anne Lamott san-francisco virginia hate Looking back on the God my friend believed in, he seems a little erratic, not entirely unlike her father - God as borderline personality. Anne Lamott personality god father if you want to know how God feels about money, look at whom she gives it to. Anne Lamott money god giving If your wife locks you out of the house, you don't have a problem with your door. Anne Lamott wife house doors Having a baby is like suddenly getting the world's worst roommate. Anne Lamott roommate baby world I realized I was going to get through this disappointing service, and anyway, you have to be somewhere: better here, where I have heard truth spoken so often, than, say, at the DMV, or home alone, orbiting my own mind. And it's good to be out where others can see you, so you can't be your ghastly spoiled self. It forces you to act slightly more elegantly, and this improves your thoughts, and thereby the world. Anne Lamott self mind home only grieving can heal grief; the passage of time will lessen the acuteness, but time alone, without the direct experience of grief, will not heal it. Anne Lamott alone-time grief grieving Write as if your parents are dead. Anne Lamott parent ifs writing One line of dialogue that rings true reveals character in a way that pages of description can't. Anne Lamott lines pages character The truth is that progress is usually small and sneaky. Anne Lamott sneaky truth-is progress I could become like that dyslexic agnostic in the old joke - the one who lies in bed and tries to figure out if his dog exists. Anne Lamott god dog lying Laughter is the key that grace has arrived. Anne Lamott laughter keys grace The evidence is in, and you are the verdict. Anne Lamott verdict evidence I was raised by my parents to believe that you had a moral obligation to try and save the world. You sent money to the Red Cross, you registered people to vote, you marched in rallies, stood in vigils, picked up litter. Anne Lamott parent believe people If you are writing the clearest, truest words you can find and doing the best you can to understand and communicate, this will shine on paper like its own little lighthouse. Lighthouses dont go running all over an island looking for boats to save; they just stand there shining. Anne Lamott shine-on writing running The solution is always spiritual, and it almost never has anything to do with the problem ... laughter is carbonated holiness. Anne Lamott holiness laughter spiritual
