The tighter you squeeze, the less you have.
Interpretation
Attempting to control or hold onto something too tightly can lead to losing it entirely.
This quote by Thomas Merton highlights the paradox that comes with trying to control or possess things too aggressively. It suggests that when we are overly constrictive and forceful in our pursuits, whether it be in relationships, goals, or material possessions, we may actually end up causing the very thing we desire to slip away from us. It serves as a reminder to approach life with a sense of openness and flexibility, rather than rigid control.
In practice
During a team meeting, you might say, 'Remember, the tighter you squeeze, the less you have' when discussing project management.
The devil is no fool. He can get people feeling about heaven the way they ought to feel about hell. He can make them fear the means of grace the way they do not fear sin. And he does so, not by light but by obscurity, not by realities but by shadows; not by clarity and substance, but by dreams and the creatures of psychosis. And men are so poor in intellect that a few cold chills down their spine will be enough to keep them from ever finding out the truth about anything.
Our vocation is not simply to be, but to work together with God in the creation of our own life, our own identity, our own destiny....To work out our identity in God.
Conscience is the light by which we interpret the will of God in our own lives.
You are made in the image of what you desire.
But if you want to identify me, ask me not where I live, or what I like to eat, or how I comb my hair, but ask me what I think I am living for.
I have the immense joy of being man, a member of a race in which God Himself became incarnate. As if the sorrows and stupidities of the human condition could overwhelm me, now that I realize what we all are. And if only everybody could realize this! But it cannot be explained. There is no way of telling people that they are all walking around shining like the sun.
We are our choices. Build yourself a great story.
The easiest thing to do in the world is to neglect the important and give in to the urgent.
Today I'm out wandering, turning my skull into a cup for others to drink wine from. In this town somewhere there sits a calm, intelligent man, who doesn't know what he's about to do!
There are times when the utmost daring is the height of wisdom.
Ninety-nine percent of the people in the world are fools and the rest of us are in great danger of contagion.
Creativity is neither the product of neurosis nor simple talent, but an intense courageous encounter with the Gods.
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