To cling not to the horrible (“Ach, my suffering, it’s so terrible… Have I told you about it this week?”)
To cling not to the beautiful (“Damn! That takes my breath away!”)
To light my own fire and not wait for someone else to do it
To go further on the most dangerous, exotic, and risky journey—the interior one
To turn down the volume of all those judgmental, bickering, derisive, know-it-all voices inside my head
To seek first the kingdom of minute particulars
To befriend all those lonely, down-and-out, vile, and ugly parts of myself
To consider for two minutes the contrary views of a person I occasionally find myself detesting
To fall in love daily with my one and only human life
To square off nonviolently with my pride and insecuridad
To praise myself with serene detachment
To rebuke myself with serene detachment
