Go to the truth beyond the mind. Love is the bridge.
Stephen LevineRead
Why do so many of us not give ourselves permission to be alive until we are absolutely assured that we will die? ...If we are not in [this present millisecond of life and conscious experience], we are not alive; we are merely thinking our lives. Yet we have seen so many die, looking back over their shoulders at their lives, shaking their heads and muttering in bewilderment, "What was that all about?"
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the importance of living fully in the present rather than waiting for validation or fearing death.
Stephen Levine suggests that many people spend their lives in a state of anticipation or regret, failing to truly embrace the experience of being alive. He points out that by not allowing ourselves to live consciously in the present moment, we risk looking back on our lives with confusion and dissatisfaction, realizing too late that we were merely existing rather than truly living.
Themes
PresentLifeExperienceConsciousnessLiving
In practice
Example use cases
During a motivational speech, to encourage audience members to appreciate their current lives.
More from Stephen Levine
All quotes →In Chinese, the word for heart and mind is the same -- Hsin. For when the heart is open and the mind is clear they are of one substance, of one essence.
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I have seen many die, surrounded by loved ones, and their last words were ‘I love you.’ There were some who could no longer speak yet with their eyes and soft smile left behind that same healing message. I have been in rooms where those who were dying made it feel like sacred ground. (26)
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Our suffering is caused by holding on to how things might have been, should have been, could have been.
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If there is a single definition of healing it is to enter with mercy and awareness those pains, mental and physical, from which we have withdrawn in judgment and dismay. (48)
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I have seem even those who have long since abjured God die in grace. . . . Atheists don't use their drying to bargain for a better seat at the table; indeed they may not even believe supper is being served. They are not storing up 'merit.'; They just smile because their heart is ripe. They are kind for no particular reason; they just love.
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