#jstgquotes

What if you saw your future? How would that change the way you live your life now? Where do you see yourself in five years? I’m also fascinated by the idea that perhaps our present doesn’t determine our future, but our present is being brought forth by a future that has already transpired.

If you're determined to see what happened as some sort of universal justice, consider that the lesson here might not be to retreat into cynicism, even if that's where you feel most comfortable. Maybe the lesson is, rise up.

Japanese tradition tells of ichi-go ichi-e, a concept fortified over centuries of practice that says we only have one meeting, at one time—our experiences with one another stand alone. Every encounter we have—a dinner, a shared bottle of wine, a late evening of conversation on an old red couch—will happen once, and then will never happen again. The circumstances surrounding an encounter, the people involved and their exact dispositions and history make each event unique. We may interact with the same people, within similar circumstances, but ichi-go ichi-e says that each interaction is an experience all unto itself, never to be re-created perfectly.

In this world, there are things you can only do alone, and things you can do with somebody else. It's important to combine the two in just the right amount.

True self, when violated, will always resist us, sometimes at great cost, holding our lives in check until we honor its truth. …I must listen to my life and try to understand what it is truly about – quite apart from what I would like it to be about – or my life will never represent anything real in the world, no matter how earnest my intentions.

In love, nothing is eternal but drinking your wine, There is no reason for bringing my life to you, other than losing it. I said, "I just want to know you and then disappear." She said, "Knowing me does not mean dying."

I call perfectionism the twenty-ton shield. We carry it around thinking it's going to protect us from being hurt. But it protects us from being seen.

Perfectionism is not about striving for excellence, or healthy striving, which I'm for. It's a cognitive behavioral process, a way of thinking and feeling, that says this: 'If I look perfect, do it perfect, work perfect and live perfect, I can avoid or minimize shame, blame, and judgment.'