When things fall apart and we can’t get the pieces back together, when we lose something dear to us, when the whole thing is just not working and we don’t know what to do, this is the time when the natural warmth of tenderness, the warmth of empathy and kindness, are just waiting to be uncovered, just waiting to be embraced. This is our chance to come out of our self-protecting bubble and to realize that we are never alone. This is our chance to finally understand that wherever we go, everyone we meet is essentially just like us. Our own suffering, if we turn toward it, can open us to a loving relationship with the world.

Pema Chödron

from the book Taking the Leap: Freeing Ourselves from Old Habits and Fears

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Further quotes from the book Taking the Leap:

• The path of pausing
• Unshakable tenderness
• Admiting all experiences
• Unconditional openness
• Getting unstuck
• Learning to accept the present moment
• Here, Now, Always
• Lean In
• Openness is like the wind
• Letting natural openness come to us
• A reservoir of courage