See if you can give yourself gifts that may be true blessings, such as self-acceptance , or some time each day with no purpose. Practice feeling deserving enough to accept these gifts without obligation - to simply receive from yourself, and from the universe.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the importance of self-acceptance and acknowledging ourselves as deserving of blessings without guilt or obligation.
In this quote, Jon Kabat-Zinn encourages individuals to recognize the value of self-gifts, such as self-acceptance and intentional time spent without purpose. He highlights that these gifts are not only beneficial but also essential for personal well-being. The act of accepting such gifts without obligation allows us to cultivate a deeper connection with ourselves and the universe, fostering a mindset of abundance and self-worth.
In practice
In a motivational speech about self-care in a wellness workshop.
Once you have established yourself as a center of love and kindness radiating throughout your being, which amounts to a cradling of yourself in loving kindness and acceptance, you can dwell here indefinitely, drinking at this fount, bathing it in, renewing yourself, nourishing yourself, enlivening yourself. This can be a profoundly healing practice for body and soul.
One way to look at meditation is as a kind of intrapsychic technology that's been developed over thousands of years by traditions that know a lot about the mind/body connection.
Meditation means learning how to get out of this current, sit by its bank and listen to it, learn from it, and then use its energies to guide us.
Practice sharing the fullness of your being, your best self, your enthusiasm, your vitality, your spirit, your trust, your openness, above all, your presence. Share it with yourself, with your family, with the world.
The best way to capture moments is to pay attention. This is how we cultivate mindfulness. Mindfulness means being awake. It means knowing what you are doing.
In Asian languages, the word for mind and the word for heart are same. So if you’re not hearing mindfulness in some deep way as heartfulness, you’re not really understanding it. Compassion and kindness towards oneself are intrinsically woven into it. You could think of mindfulness as wise and affectionate attention.
I worked for Harper’s Bazaar. They fired me. I recommend that you all get fired; it’s a great learning experience.
Men of genius are often dull and inert in society; as the blazing meteor, when it descends to earth, is only a stone.
There are too many ideas and things and people. Too many directions to go. I was starting to believe the reason it matters to care passionately about something, is that it whittles the world down to a more manageable size.
The conqueror is regarded with awe; the wise man commands our respect; but it is only the benevolent man that wins our affection.
The writing of the wise are the only riches our posterity cannot squander.
I always tell young girls, surround yourself with goodness. I learned early on how to get the haters out of my life.
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