– Ralph Waldo Emerson
Someday, I hope I am able to get past my endlessly judging mind and, like a jolly, laughing Buddha, peacefully smile upon all transgressors, bless those who curse me, and laugh in the face of danger. Maybe I will be able to love all of myself – my cellulite, my know-it-all tendencies, and my endless hunger for more – and maybe I won’t. I do know that when I stop trying so hard and simply look for the beauty in everything and everyone, when I am kind to myself and everyone else for not being ‘perfect enough,’ the whole world softens. I then remember that walking a spiritual path may not be easy, but it is ultimately simple: it’s just a matter of choosing love in each moment, of choosing love again and again and again.