Quotes from JOAN BORYSENKO

The tendency to judge people in an either/or way—enlightened or not, saint or sinner—makes it difficult to learn from the people we meet, whether or not we consider them "teachers." If we broaden our point of view to consider every person a potential teacher, every encounter will prompt the question "What can I learn from this person?

An old adage states that less is more.

The old adage "Charity begins at home" means that we need to have a loving, growing image of ourselves.

Today we celebrate both outer freedom and inner freedom.

Divine Beloved, thank you for the flowering of the Godseed within me that acknowledges and encourages other people and myself. Guide me in maintaining the basic disciplines of a healthy mind and body without falling prey to the rigidity and fanaticism of the ego and its constant efforts to prove itself worthy by being "right.

May you be at peace, May your heart remain open, May you awaken to the light of your own true nature, May you be healed, May you be a source of healing for all beings.

We can only love others to the degree that we have opened our hearts to ourselves. It is not selfish to bless ourselves first, because if our heart remains closed we have nothing to give.

Today is one of the four cardinal points of the year, Summer Solstice, the day of greatest light.

When the heart is open, good humor flows and the ego's rigidity melts like snow in the sun.

Carl Jung: "If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you.

Kindling the Light Within December is the month in which all the forces of nature are aligned to help us give birth to the Light within.

As you go about your day, remember to notice something that you've never thought of being grateful for.

The great festivals of Light— Solstice, Hannukah and Christmas— Beckon us to gather round and witness the birth of love within one another.

When you catch yourself thinking uncharitable thoughts, mentally resolve to stop and send out more kind, encouraging thoughts.

We are entering the season of darkness during which we partake in the most ancient of miracles, giving birth to the Light.

Fear gives way to courage. We are asked to fast from the ego's fearful thinking and fill ourselves instead with faith. The Muslims mark this change with Ramadan, the Jews with Purim, the Catholics with Lent.

Life is not always as it seems, but we can trust that a good intention will always carry us through even if the immediate results are not what we had in mind.

Great Mystery, I awaken this morning with deep gratitude for the gift of life. May the renewal of faith in this season be the ground from which perfect peace will grow.

It's important to recognize that the opportunity for such mean-ingful work didn't appear out of thin air. It was the result of a clear intention to follow guidance, a willingness to wait until the way revealed itself, and a strong desire to match my work in the world with my inner journey to God.

The only thing that we can know is that we know nothing, and that is the highest flight of human wisdom.

The days are growing ever longer in June, and the Medicine Wheel of the seasons will open fully to the South on the summer solstice, June 21.

September is the culmination of the harvest and the storing of earth's abundance.

Don Juan says that we fail to see the world as it is because our energy field gets locked in by our sense of self-importance, what some philosophies refer to as our ego.

Lammas, or Teltane, is a cross-quarter day midway between summer solstice and fall equinox.