Quotes About Growth

The spiritual journey is a marathon of seasons. Sometimes you can hold your own. Sometimes your side aches, you're hot and you can't get your breath. Spiritual disciplines are intentional ways to keep moving through the seasons. They aren't magical means to an effortless race. The disciplines simply provide us with exercises that keep us open to God and aware of the limits of our endurance.

It's a bittersweet road we parents travel. We start with total commitment to a small, helpless human being. Over the years we worry, plan, comfort, and try to understand. We give our love, our labor, our knowledge, and our experience—so that one day he or she will have the inner strength and confidence to leave

Not till the bad feelings come out can the good ones come in.

Living with real children can be humbling. Every morning I would tell myself, "Today is going to be different

All we are given is possibilities— to make ourselves one thing or another. JOSÉ ORTEGA Y GASSET  

I have the feeling Heather is going to be "expressing herself" a lot more in the future, and I'm sure I won't like everything I hear; but in the long run, I still think it's more important for her to be real than to have to continue being "mother's joy.

Ése es el gran desafío," dije, "cambiar nuestro pensamiento de 'cómo arreglo las cosas yo' a 'cómo capacito a mis hijos para arreglar las cosas por sí mismos.

We too worried about being permissive. But gradually we began to realize that this approach was permissive only in the sense that all feelings were permitted.

treating our children, not as they are, but as we hoped they would become.

There is no such thing as a calm, conflict-free life with young children

Every time a parent says to himself, "I wish I hadn't said that. Why didn't I think to say . . . ," he automatically gets another chance. Life with children is open-ended.

All we are given is possibilities— to make ourselves one thing or another.

We give our love, our labor, our knowledge, and our experience—so that one day he or she will have the inner strength and confidence to leave us.

The danger here is that this kind of praise puts relationships on thin ice. Might the big brother feel threatened when his little brother learns to tie his shoes? Will his accomplishment be diminished? And how will big sister feel when the "baby" starts learning to read? And will the brothers be likely to work together and help each other out with cleanups when one's achievement depends on the other's failure?

Living with real children can be humbling.

A shared history is valuable but maybe those two weren't right for each other and they know it

The past is for learning from and letting go. You can't revisit it. It vanishes.

I'm beginning to grow into who I thought I might be.

Individuals who continually play it safe in life, taking the path of least resistance and risk, deny themselves rich opportunities for personal growth. Some

You have your whole life ahead of you. Be smart. Study hard and be independent. I'm afraid the chances of your getting a dowry are slim. You must rely on yourself. No matter what else people may steal from you, they will never be able to take away your knowledge. The world is changing. You must make your own life outside this home.

keep in mind that whenever you are in a crisis, you are in the midst of danger as well as oportunity.

Keep in mind that whenever you are in a crisis, you are in the midst of danger as well as opportunity.

We are indeed much more than what we eat, but what we eat can nevertheless help us to be much more than what we are.

We are indeed much more than what we eat, but what we eat can nevertheless help us to become much more than what we are.