“In fact, anyone who stands on the edge of the unknown, fully in the present without reference point, experiences groundlessness. That’s when our understanding goes deeper, when we find that the present moment is a pretty vulnerable place and that this can be completely unnerving and completely tender at the same time. So the next time you encounter fear, consider yourself lucky. This is where the courage comes in. The trick is to keep exploring and not bail out, even when we find out that something is not what we thought. That’s what we’re going to discover again and again and again. Nothing is what we thought. I can say that with great confidence. Emptiness is not what we thought. Neither is mindfulness or fear. Compassion- not what we though. Love. Courage. These are code words for things we don’t know in our minds, but any of us could experience them. There are words that point to what life really is when we let things fall apart and let ourselves be nailed to the present moment.”
– Pema Chodron, When Things Fall Apart
