The only reason we don’t open our hearts and minds to other people is that they trigger confusion in us that we don’t feel brave enough or sane enough to deal with. To the degree that we look clearly and compassionately at ourselves, we feel confident and fearless about looking into someone else’s eyes.

Pema Chödron

from the book When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times

Read a random quote or see all quotes by Pema Chödron.

Further quotes from the book When Things Fall Apart:

• Abandoning hope
• Becoming unstuck
• Moving closer to the truth
• Just being here again and again and again
• The courage to look at ourselves honestly and gently
• Opening our hearts and minds beyond limit
• Being with us
• Cultivating Peace
• It’s just like that
• The path of true awakening
• Undoing of old ways of seeing
• Awakening is essential
• Exposing ourselves to annihilation
• Negativity begets negativity
• Until we got it
• Fully alive
• Disappointment
• Become Familiar with Fear
• How are you
• Only in our own experience