We cultivate love when we allow
our most vulnerable selves to be seen and known.
Love is not something that we give or get;
it is something that we nurture and grow.
Withholding of affection,
disrespect, betrayal and blame
damage the roots from which love grows
and hurt the place from which it came.
Love can only survive these injuries
if they’re acknowledged, healed, and rare.
So put down your ego, put in the work,
and let love know you’re there.
In an argument, even if we are right and the other person is dead wrong, we only destroy ego by causing another to lose face. We have no right to say or do anything that diminishes a man in his own eyes. After all, what matters most is not what we think of him, but what he thinks of himself. Therefore, always preserve the dignity of others. In an argument, always let the other person save face.
The good thing about pain is that it breaks down the walls of your ego, tones back relentless ambitions, and forces you into the present – enhancing your awareness of and appreciation for all of the people in your life. As it is through and with these people, that you can once again experience moments of joy.
As opposed to the Ego which can be called our False Self. Our True Self is our soul. Once discovered, our True Self can serve as an incredible reference point that is both within us and beyond us.
Our True Self knows that there is nowhere to go or get to, we are already at home. It doesn’t strive or reach, cling or grasp, it simply is.
If only we can find and embrace our soul, our True Self, we will stumble upon the utter freedom that has been around us and within us all along.
When faced with a choice, for example to stay or to go, listen to yourself. You can usually distinguish a spiritually inspired idea from a will-driven or ego-driven idea by how quiet your head is whenever you think about it. The spirit’s voice is quiet yet strong.
Too often artists begin to perceive their work as a product of their own intellect; forgetting that the mind is the great deceiver and that creativity is in fact a gift entrusted to the artist. Suddenly and inevitably, the work becomes more about the ego and less about the art itself, changing the person from an artist to an egomaniac. In my opinion, this is the most common danger faced by the artist of today and also the greatest tragedy of art.
Vehicle of Wisdom 