Our habitual patterns are, of course, well established, seductive, and comforting. Just wishing for them to be ventilated isn’t enough. Mindfulness and awareness are key. Do we see the stories that we’re telling ourselves and question their validity? When we are distracted by a strong emotion, do we remember that it is part of our path? Can we feel the emotion and breathe it into our hearts for ourselves and everyone else? If we can remember to experiment like this even occasionally, we are training as a warrior. And when we can’t practice when distracted but know that we can’t, we are still training well. Never underestimate the power of compassionately recognizing what’s going on.

Pema Chödron

from the book Comfortable with Uncertainty: 108 Teachings on Cultivating Fearlessness and Compassion

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Further quotes from the book Comfortable with Uncertainty:

• Pain and pleasure go together
• The possibility of being able to expand
• Learning to leap into open space
• The healing power of bodhicitta
• Complete acceptance of ourselves as we are
• Remaining stuck in the repetitious habit of escalating our dissatisfaction
• Cultivating Compassion
• Recognizing our shared humanity
• Beyond punishment and reward
• Humor and openness
• Abandon any hope of fruition