For one day (or one day a week), refrain from something you habitually do to run away, to escape. Pick something concrete, such as overeating or excessive sleeping or overworking or spending too much time texting or checking e-mails. Make a commitment to yourself to gently and compassionately work with refraining from this habit for this one day. Really commit to it. Do this with the intention that it will put you in touch with the underlying anxiety or uncertainty that you’ve been avoiding. Do it and see what you discover.
Pema Chödron
from the book Living Beautifully with Uncertainty and Change
Read a random quote or see all quotes by Pema Chödron.
Further quotes from the book Living Beautifully with Uncertainty and Change:
- We Have a Choice
- Difficult relationships
- Groundlessness
- Holding a diversity party in our living room
- Building Inner Strength
- A Wall of Truth
- Unfettered mind
- Stepping-stones for awakening our compassion
- What are you doing when you are unhappy
- The real cause of our suffering
- Beyond our comfort zone
- The mandala of our life
- Just our personal viewpoint
- Forever in flux
- Everything and everyone is in process
- Embracing the groundlessness of our situation
- The knack of refraining
- The detox period
- Practicing with Strong Emotions