Quotes about Growth

There is much evidence on several levels that there are at least two major tasks to human life. The first task is to build a strong "container" or identity; the second is to find the contents that the container was meant to hold. The first task we take for granted as the very purpose of life, which does not mean we do it well. The second task, I am told, is more encountered than sought; few arrive at it with much preplanning, purpose, or passion.

There is a good and needed "narcissism," if you want to call it that. You have to first have an ego structure to then let go of it and move beyond it.

The wounds to our ego are our teachers and must be welcomed. They must be paid attention to, not litigated.

To those who cling to Anselm's understanding, I would say, as J. B. Phillips wrote many years ago, "Your God is too small.

the Greek word meta-noia, which literally means to move "beyond the mind," is usually translated "repentance" and no longer points to its much deeper meaning.

Human life is about more than building boundaries, protecting identities, creating tribes, and teaching impulse control.

Your heart needs to be broken—and broken open—at least once to discover what your heart means and to have a heart for others.

Anne Wilson Schaef

The second insight about steps and stages is that from your own level of development, you can only stretch yourself to comprehend people just a bit beyond yourself.

If change and growth are not programmed into your spirituality, if there are not serious warnings about the blinding nature of fear and fanaticism, your religion will always end up worshiping the status quo and protecting your present ego position and personal advantage—as if it were God!

One of the few generalizations we can make in the field of universal spirituality is this: No one else is your problem.

Self-emptiness prepares us for spiritual fullness.