When I look at my life I realise that the mistakes I have made, the things I really regret, were not errors of judgement but failures of feeling.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes that true regrets stem from emotional failures rather than poor decisions.
Jeanette Winterson reflects on her life, suggesting that the deepest regrets arise not from bad judgment or decisions, but rather from moments where she failed to connect with her feelings. This implies that emotional intelligence and awareness are crucial for leading a fulfilling life, highlighting the importance of understanding our emotions in making choices.
In practice
During a motivational speech about resilience and emotional awareness.
What is remembered is not a deed in stone but a metaphor. Meta = above. Pheren = to carry. That which is carried above the literalness of life. A way of thinking that avoids the problems of gravity. The word won't let me down. The single word that can release me from all that unuttered weight.
Reading things that are relevant to the facts of your life is of limited value. The facts are, after all, only the facts, and the yearning passionate part of you will not be met there. That is why reading ourselves as a fiction as well as fact is so liberating. The wider we read the freer we become.
I have a list of titles that I leave at the [library] desk, because they are bound to be written some day, and it's best to be ahead of the queue.
Woolf wanted to say dangerous things in Orlando but she did not want to say them in the missionary position.
In that house, you will find my heart. You must break in, Henri, and get it back for me.' Was she mad? We had been talking figuratively. Her heart was in her body like mine. I tried to explain this to her, but she took my hand and put it against her chest. Feel for yourself.
History is a string full of knots, the best you can do is admire it, and maybe tie it up a bit more. History is a hammock for swinging and a game for playing.
Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.
If we could choose, we'd always want to be in flow and thriving, but that's not realistic. Growth has levels, and learning how to navigate them is important.
A teacher of fear can't bring peace on earth. We have been trying to do it that way for thousands of years. The person who turns inner violence around, the person who finds peace inside and lives it, is the one who teaches what true peace is. We are waiting for just one teacher. You're the one.
Why is the sea king of a hundred streams? Because it lies below them... If the sage would guide the people, he must serve with humility. If he would lead them, he must follow behind. In this way when the sage rules, the people will not feel oppressed.
If we should be blessed by some great reward, such as fame or fortune, it's the fruit of a seed planted by us in the past.
I was destined to work with dying patients. I had no choice when I encountered my first AIDS patient. I felt called to travel some 250,000 miles each year to hold workshops that helped people cope with the most painful aspects of life, death and the transition between the two.
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