Pema Chodron Quotes

Fear comes from uncertainty; we can eliminate the fear within us when we know ourselves better.

It is not only useless, it is harmful, to believe in oneself until one truly knows oneself. And to know oneself means to accept our moments of insanity, of eccentricity, of childishness and blindness.

I'm really not vocal and expressive, but I'm starting to get more comfortable to open up.

Learn to master yourself-to understand both your fears and your desires. That's the key to magic. Then, no one shall have any hold over you. Remember... the magic (sic)... is a living thing, joined to whomever it touches and changed by them as well... You must come to know everything-even your darkest corners. Especially those...Everything has its price.

I have realized that you can close yourself off to life if you put walls up, but it's a difficult thing ... You can't see over, people can't see in, and you also can't see out. So I've gotten quite comfortable with just being unafraid. I keep saying the same thing: it's not about being fearless but really just embracing the fears and using them.

I really do feel like I know myself, and I'm so happy to be by myself and I'm so happy to be with other people; I just know myself really, really well, and I think that is an amazing thing. I think a lot of people don't know themselves that well.

Being alone & actually sitting with our own thoughts can lead to such growth and realizations that are rare in our everyday busy lives.

We repress the things we're scared of, but if we just look at and embrace the things we're scared of, it's a much fuller, richer life that's also not as scary.

Self-awareness is not self-centeredness, and spirituality is not narcissism. 'Know thyself' is not a narcissistic pursuit.

I used to dislike it, but now I like it more and more, feeling small. I like feeling like a little speck.

I really had to come to the conclusion, the sort of humbling conclusion that, guess what, I'm no different than anybody else: I've got to sort of ask for help - not something I ever did, ever. And then part two of that is, like, accept it when it comes, and, you know, believe what people tell me.

I think that being open, in general, is really important. If you're not, you close yourself off to experiences.

There are moments when the inner life actually 'pays,' when years of self-scrutiny, conducted for no ulterior motive, are suddenly of practical use.

The self-explorer, whether he wants to or not, becomes the explorer of everything else.

Love yourself. KNOW thyself. And be mindful of your thoughts.

It's been one of the most important tools for me in personal growth for understanding myself, how I am, and what effect I do have on other people.

A person's strength is to know their weaknesses.

Self-knowledge is the great power by which we comprehend and control our lives

To know one's Self is to be blissful always.

I stopped hating and started just being. My whole life, I had been the most defensive person you'd meet, unable to tolerate any criticism. But now I started listening and being.

Opening to oneself fully is opening to the world.

The most dangerous thing you can do is know who you are.

Insight enables you to know your own heart. Clarity enables you to accept without illusion.

There is no knowledge so hard to acquire as the knowledge of how to live this life well and naturally.

I’m trying to accept where I’m at, not run from it.