Inspiration

Here are some very inspirational quotes by Don Miguel Ruiz, who is a ridiculously relatable writer. His books are quick reads and he's easy to understand. I added commentary to a few of which I had trouble comprehending at first. I definitely suggest reading his books, they are truly uplifting.

Have a fun and happy holiday weekend, and be safe!

“Your happiness is up to you, and it depends on how you use the word. If you get angry and use the word to send emotional poison to someone else, it appears that you’re using the word against that person, but you’re really using the word against yourself.”

For example, say you're standing in line for a concert, and you've been waiting for hours. You see a few people up from you that someone cuts into the line, who had only just walked up to the line. You however, have been standing there for hours, so immediately you start complaining, and ultimately it turns into an altercation. You both share nasty words and you think what you're doing by saying hateful things is putting this rude and ignorant person in their place. For the next hour or so, you're still standing in line and still thinking about the situation and are still dwelling on it. So what appeared to be you putting someone in their place, really was you using the word against yourself, because you're still upset and thinking about it. Meanwhile, that person found some popcorn and is munching away in their seat because they got to the front of the line.

"In a relationship, there are two dreamers with two different dreams. You need to accept the differences that exist between two dreamers; you need to respect each other's dream."

We are all soul mates-- some of us are just more compatible than others. And although someone you believe you are meant to be with isn't exactly the way you would like them to be, understand that by knowing them physically and intellectually, doesn't mean you know them as well as they know themselves; they still have a dream in their head that they had been living years before they met you- and respect that. When the respect for one another's dream is gone, then it is time to move on.

"Your power is so strong that whatever you believe comes true. You are the way you are because that is what you believe about yourself. Your whole reality, everything you believe, is your creation."

I believe this entirely. We don't realize it, but we are much more biased than we think. We are living a completely different dream than the person sitting next to us. Although on their surface they may seem very relatable, they view, smell, touch, see, everything differently than you. Your life, views, senses, etc. are your creation and your reality.

“From now on, you will live your life with gratitude, and it is easy to understand why. Gratitude is one of the most beautiful expressions of love. Just saying thank you will open all the doors to an abundance of life’s blessings from all directions, but especially an abundance of love.”

Like I've said before, giving thanks just feels good. And being grateful for everything, even the little things, really makes you perceive life in a whole new way.

“When you have faith in yourself, you follow every instinct that you were born with. You have no doubt about what you are, and you return to common sense. You have all the power of your authenticity; you trust yourself, you trust life.”

Stop being complicated. Stop analyzing your thoughts. Stop telling yourself it should be this way and not that way. Think about how an infant lives life, they know no words, and can't distinguish their emotions or know why they're feeling the way they are, they just know. They follow their instincts and live carelessly. If they fall down, they cry, get over it, and are laughing immediately after. Trust yourself in that you have internal instincts that will guide you, not punish you.

“The way to express our gratitude for life is by being truly alive, not hiding from our life in a corner, or watching life pass us by. The biggest fear we have is not the fear of dying, but the fear to be alive, to be ourselves, to say what we feel, to ask for what we want, to say yes when we want to say yes, and no when we want to say no."

This is one of my biggest challenges. It seems so easy, but it's one of the most difficult things I face in life. There have been many times in my life were I've wanted to say yes, but didn't for fear of what would happen. Alternatively, there have been many times where I've wanted to say no, but couldn't for fear of hurting someone or something.

“How many times do we make our spouse, our children, or our parents pay for the same mistake? Every time we remember the mistake, we blame them again and send them all the emotional poison we feel at the injustice, and then we make them pay again for the same mistake. Is that justice?”

This was one of my favorite passages from his book. He elaborated and explained it so clearly, and much better than I ever could.

As humans, we are prone to making mistakes. We're already hard on ourselves, but it makes it much worse when we hear it over and over again from others.

“If there is anything in your life that takes away your happiness, you have all the power you need to change it. You don’t have to live with anger, or sadness, or jealousy. You don’t have to judge yourself, make yourself guilty, and punish yourself."

I love and try to live by this quote as much as possible.