Quotes by Joan Borysenko

“The Dark Night of the Soul-between no longer and not yet”

“Some tension is necessary for the soul to grow, and we can put that tension to good use. We can look for every opportunity to give and receive love, to appreciate nature, to heal our wounds and the wounds of others, to forgive, and to serve.”

“The question is not whether we will die, but how we will live.”

“Because gratification of a desire leads to the temporary stilling of the mind and the experience of the peaceful, joyful Self its no wonder that we get hooked on thinking that happiness comes from the satisfaction of desires. This is the meaning of the old adage, Joy is not in things, it is in us.”

“Sincere forgiveness isnt colored with expectations that the other person apologize or change. Dont worry whether or not they finally understand you. Love them and release them. Life feeds back truth to people in its own way and time.”

“Holding on to anger, resentment and hurt only gives you tense muscles, a headache and a sore jaw from clenching your teeth. Forgiveness gives you back the laughter and the lightness in your life.”

“Every one says forgiveness is a lovely idea, until they have something to forgive.”

“Forgiveness is the act of admitting we are like other people.”

“Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart.”

Perhaps the hardest lesson to learn is not to be attached to the results of your actions.

There is a nearly unerring, unconscious radar that zeros in on relationships that repeat our childhood experiences.

We emerge into the light not by denying our pain, but by walking through it.

You are at my side, dear friends, and God is everywhere. Yet ultimately we are alone, making our way home by the candle of the heart. The light is steady and sure but extends only far enough to see the next step.Many times the light seems to go out. But another light, one held by a stranger or friend, a book or a song, a blackbird or a wild flower, comes close enough so that we can see our path by its light. And in time we realize that the light we have borrowed was always our own.