Whatever terrible things may have happened to you, only one thing allows them to damage your core self, and that is continued belief in them.
Martha BeckRead
To complete your daily mental hygiene, observe any part of you that is upset or anxious, and offer that part of yourself the following simple wishes: 'May you be well. May you be happy. May you be free from suffering.' Repeat this until you actually mean it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the importance of addressing our emotional struggles with kindness and compassion.
Martha Beck highlights a practice of self-reflection and emotional healing through mindfulness and compassion. By recognizing feelings of anxiety or upset within ourselves and consciously wishing for our well-being, happiness, and freedom from suffering, we can cultivate a healthier mental state. This process not only aids in personal growth but also fosters a deeper connection with oneself, emphasizing the necessity of treating our inner selves with care.
Themes
Mental HygieneSelf-CompassionWell-BeingMindfulnessEmotional Healing
In practice
Example use cases
In a wellness workshop focused on mental health, this quote could be shared to encourage participants to practice self-kindness.
More from Martha Beck
All quotes →Instead of fretting about getting everything done, why not simply accept that being alive means having things to do? Then drop into full engagement with whatever you're doing, and let the worry go.
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When fear makes your choices for you, no security measures on earth will keep the things you dread from finding you. But if you can avoid avoidance - if you can choose to embrace experiences out of passion, enthusiasm, and a readiness to feel whatever arises - then nothing, nothing in all this dangerous world, can keep you from being safe.
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Something in the human psyche confuses beauty with the right to be loved. The briefest glance at human folly reveals that good looks and worthiness operate independently. Yet countless socializing forces, from Aunt Clara to the latest perfume ad, reinforce beliefs like 'If I were pretty enough, I would be loved.'
Martha BeckRead
Since our society equates happiness with youth, we often assume that sorrow, quiet desperation, and hopelessness go hand in hand with getting older. They don't. Emotional pain or numbness are symptoms of living the wrong life, not a long life.
Martha BeckRead
To live a life that is wrong for you is a form of dying. There are people who have lives that look perfect. They try to be happy, they believe they should be happy, they are trying to like it, but if it's off course from their north star, they aren't satisfied.
Martha BeckRead
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