A jar full of wisdom

sacred snippets to support you on your journey

We work on ourselves in order to help others, but also we help others in order to work on ourselves ~ Pema Chodron

Isn’t it a great comfort and somewhat inspiring to know that ‘the work’ we do on ourselves helps others…and that the help we give in turn helps us become the best of who we are.

Big thanks and love to my beautiful niece Caitlin, for bringing this quote to my attention.

The first time was about 12 years ago when she gifted me a cute little jar of reminders she’d carefully curated and called Anti-Writers Block (I must’ve been in another tricky writing patch!).

The second time it impacted me was when I was tidying my office the other day and curiously opened the jar to revisit the sacred snippets.

Could anything she had shared back then help me at this critical point I am navigating in my career and life now..?

Yes. Yes! Yesss!!

Every hand-cut paper quote was a precious reminder to keep going and to keep believing - in myself and my dream to write and reach into peoples hearts.

But this particular quote pierced through the self-doubt and fear, highlighting why I do what I do and making me appreciate even more deeply the journey I have been on with Seeker & Sage and the next leg I feel drawn to take.

There were plenty of other quotes she had typed out and cut to fit into this precious vessel of encouragement.

Another one that really hit me was a quote from my own writing that she’d plucked from my original blog:

Don’t do it for them, says the Sage, do it for you. And let the words touch whoever needs them.

I remember when those words came through - I was in a dilemma - I’d gone back to Uni to get my Masters in Creative Writing and I was feeling extremely stuck. My ego desperately wanted that certification to prove I had what it took to be a writer. But my heart and soul were crying out for the opportunity to write with a voice that pleased them - not academia.

Eight years later I still get caught up in writing to please others rather than writing from the wisdom within and my sensitive compassionate heart.

But the tide is changing. And these timely reminders have supported that change.

Another that I loved re-reading was this by the world’s favourite social researcher Brene Brown:

Vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like courage. truth and courage aren’t always comfortable, but they’re never weakness.

Sigh.

And this from the wonderful Dr Wayne Dyer:

Nothing is formed. Nothing dies. Everything is simply in transition.

Words to live by.

I’m going to leave you with this very special quote written by the jar maker and giver herself. It’s the one below mine in the next photo : )

And it’s wisdom that applies to us all, that I want you to take with you on your journey. Because even though I may not personally know you dear reader, I know that you are facing challenges just as I am and working on yourself to help others and helping others to keep up the valuable work on yourself.

…when you feel like you’re in a time of limitation take a step back, make a cup of tea and be truly proud of who you are… because I am.