Sometimes when I generalize, I am saying, 'Let's pretend I am God,' and of course the other person argues that point endlessly. But I notice that if the other person takes a stand for himself and states his thoughts as his thoughts, I pay more attention to what he is saying and look deeper in myself.

Hugh Prather

Categorized in : Looks Attention Pay

When we recognize that nothing has to go right for us to be happy, that people do not have to behave for us to love them, our walk home can be surprisingly simple. We have enormous power not to manipulate the world, but to be happy and to know peace.

Hugh Prather

simple home happiness

Love, the magician, knows this little trick whereby two people walk in different directions yet always remain side by side.

Hugh Prather

love-you two people

perfectionism is a slow death. if everything were to turn out just like i would want it to, just like i would plan for it to, then i would never experience anything new; my life would be an endless repetition of stale successes. when i make a mistake i experience something unexpected.... when i have listened to my mistakes i have grown.

Hugh Prather

would-be mistake life

There are only three things you need to let go of judging, controlling, and being right. Release these three and you will have the whole mind and twinkly heart of a child.

Hugh Prather

letting-go heart children

Letting go is freedom. When you find yourself in a useless battle, you merely walk off the battlefield.

Hugh Prather

finding-yourself battle letting-go

Happiness is a present attitude and not a future condition.

Hugh Prather

future attitude happiness

Live as if everything you do will eventually be known.

Hugh Prather

positivity kindness life

I am responsible for what I see. I can elect to change all thoughts that hurt. I could see peace instead of THIS. The past is over it can touch me not. This instant is the only time there is. Today I will judge nothing that occurs. I am not the victim of the world I see. I can escape from the world I see by giving up attack thoughts. I am determined to see things differently. I am never upset for the reason I think. Forgiveness is the key to happiness. All that I give I give to myself.

Hugh Prather

giving-up hurt letting-go

The fatal mistake is waiting for life's circumstances to be right before we begin. Simply begin with your heart, look deeply into it and trust what you feel. Practice knowing and you will know.

Hugh Prather

practice mistake heart

I can not 'make my mark' for all time - those concepts are mutually exclusive. 'Lasting effect' is a self-contradictory term. Meaning does not exist in the future and neither do I. Nothing will have meaning 'ultimately.' Nothing will even mean tomorrow what it did today. Meaning changes with the context. My meaningfulness is here. It is enough that I am of value to someone today. It is enough that I make a difference now.

Hugh Prather

future time mean

True humor is fun - it does not put down, kid, or mock. It makes people feel wonderful, not separate, different, and cut off. True humor has beneath it the understanding that we are all in this together.

Hugh Prather

humorous fun kids

You're wrong means that I don't understand you, I'm not seeing what you're seeing- and I'm not seeing all of you there is to see. But there is nothing wrong with you. You are what you need to be, doing what you need to be doing, and although I may take steps to protect myself of others, I do not know all and therefore am literally inadequate to judge.

Hugh Prather

judging steps mean

An argument is always about what has been made more important than the relationship.

Hugh Prather

argument important relationship

It's this simple: If I never try anything, I never learn anything. If I never take a risk, I stay where I am.

Hugh Prather

risk simple trying

The components of happiness are quite simple. Happiness is gentleness, peace, concentration, simplicity, forgiveness, humor, fearlessness, trust, and now. In its true form each quality includes all the rest, for happiness is whole, and one feels whole when genuinely happy.

Hugh Prather

simplicity quality simple

It is your right to be happy. This is what you were made for. And if you will not resist, happiness will find a way to pour from your heart and fill your days.

Hugh Prather

made heart way

A messy mortal is my friend. Come walk with me in the mud.

Hugh Prather

walk-with-me messy mud

There is a time to let things happen and a time to make things happen.

Hugh Prather

make-things-happen action happens

I can't be found in myself; I discover myself in others. That much is clear. And I suspect that I also love and care for myself in others.

Hugh Prather

volunteer care found

It is enough that I am of value to somebody today.

Hugh Prather

acceptance appreciation inspirational