We can’t save ourselves from fear by seeking safety, because safety always means there’s something to be safe from-in other words, something to fear. The way out of fear isn’t safety. It’s freedom.
As any good Buddhist will tell you, the only way to find permanent joy is by embracing the fact that nothing is permanent.
In the pursuit of Knowledge, every day something is added. In the practice of the Way, every day something is dropped. Less and less do you need to force things, until finally you arrive at non-action. When nothing is done, nothing is left undone.
The end goal of all of this striving is to live joyfully, and that there are often more direct ways of achieving this than conforming to rigid standards set by social custom.
The way out of fear isn’t safety. It’s freedom.
The way we do anything is the way we do everything.
Having fun is not a diversion from a successful life; it is the pathway to it.
The only way to the Place beyond Fear is to do the thing you fear most. This is how to surrender to your best destiny.
What should you do now? Find a new way. A better way. Your way. The unknown, uncharted path through this wild new world that allows you---yourself, in your uniqueness--to reclaim the full measure of your true nature.
There are several ways to mess up your life by fighting to make your calendar age match your felt age. I live in the Southwest, a part of the country with more than its share of fair skies, material wealth, and people who are trying not to be as old as they are.
To really boost your sense of self-efficacy, think of ways you could modify your usual tasks to suit your personal style.
The way that other people judge me is none of my business.