Cloudscape

Whatever is best for your own growth will eventually also be best for others' growth, for the two are bound. Everything comes from within and therefore begins within, including the love of others: you can only love others by first loving yourself. In time, whatever grows within will also grow outside you.

Eventually, everything we feel will find some kind of expression if we let it, but if we feel nothing, then nothing can be expressed. We can but give what we have; we must give what we can to ourselves as well as others, not only for ourselves, but also so that we would still be strong enough to be able to to give to others.

A balance between caring for others and caring for oneself will bring most growth to both oneself and others. Do not give to others unless it is out of love, and do not accept from others what they would give unless it is out of love.

Anything you do that benefits others will also benefit yourself, as it allows you to grow through compassion; but so too, anything you do that benefits yourself will also benefit others, as compassion for others begins with compassion for oneself; there must be compassion inside you first so that you might then express it, and compassion can only grow through itself, so that you need to give yourself compassion in order for your compassion to grow.

Attention is as much a place in one's mind as one's location is a place in one's world. One must therefore remember to accept not only where one is in the world but also where one is in one's mind. Accept where your attention is as long as it is there where it is, as you should accept where your location is as long as you are there.

If your senses are focussed on sensations you experience as negative, learn to love them, and so too if your mind is focussed on emotions you experience as negative, accept them as well.

Whatever happens to you, it will have a positive as well as a negative influence. By being aware of its positive influence, one can make it stronger by thus opening oneself to it; by being aware of its negative influence, one may avoid it by closing oneself to it. It is important to be aware of both, but remain detached, remain objective.

Wonder and ask yourself with an open curiosity what will happen the next instant, both without you as within you in feelings, thoughts or actions, and experience the answer as it comes. Control it all the while, but only when you find yourself feeling or thinking that it is needed. In this way, observing yourself in every way as though you were someone else, you will become more aware.