Nine Quotes I'm Meditating On

"To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work"

Hi Friends,

Welcome, beautiful July. As we begin another summer on planet Earth, here I share with you a few brief passages and quotes I’m meditating on. They come from poets, writers, philosophers, meditators, and spiritual leaders. But rather than see these humans through their job titles, I view them as observers, thinkers, and feelers moving through the world just like you and me.

Feel free to reply to this email or drop a comment below if any resonate with you. Each quote below resides in my journals for revisiting in times of joy, and when I’m stressed or in a funk. The passages aren’t much about “fixing” our lives or problems — often, it’s not “fixing” that we need. Rather, the quotes might help us to heal, discover, or renew our souls. Maybe, above all, they’ll help us to notice.

Wherever this finds you, I hope the messages encourage you to pause, reflect, and savor the gift of life.

Mary Oliver:

It is a serious thing just to be alive on this fresh morning in this broken world…to pay attention, this is our endless and proper work…

Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?

Tim Denning:

We’ve got nothing to lose. We’re born with nothing and we die with nothing. Everything in between is a blank canvas we get to make art on.

Jules Renard:

If I had my life to live over again, I would ask that not a thing be changed, but that my eyes be opened wider.

Ann Voskamp:

No amount of regret changes the past. No amount of anxiety changes the future. Any amount of gratitude changes the present.

James Clear:

You can be relaxed and dedicated. Just because you worry more doesn't mean you care more.

Sri Swami Satchidananda:

Death can come at any minute, in any way. We do not know what is in store tomorrow, or, whether there is tomorrow, or even a tonight! But still, we have the golden present. Now we are alive and kicking. What should we do now? Love all, serve all.

Susan Vreeland:

No matter where life takes you, the place that you stand at any moment is holy ground. Love hard, and love wide, and love long and you will find the goodness in it.

John O’Donohue

It is a strange and wonderful fact to be here, walking around in a body, to have a whole world within you and a world at your fingertips outside you.

Warren Zevon:

Enjoy every sandwich.

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Parting question: Who in your life has taught you resilience in the face of difficulty?

Celebrate your gifts,

Matthew

P.S. — Thank you for reading and trusting me with these words, a privilege I don’t take lightly. If Inner Peace has helped you in some way, please consider forwarding this email to someone you care about.