These two statements of yours resonated with me:

“… give ourselves plenty of moments to pause and think.”
“Knowing the world as an enemy removes responsibility for oneself.”

Previously, I saw many enemy’s~ my keys would be taken, items moved around or broken, malicious gossip spread…when I looked for my responsibility in this repetitive cycle I realised that I did not use language/body language the way that most others did. Especially, I was not “fast” or “edgy”…at least intentionally…
And that by not taking the time to learn how many use language/body language I was creating my own world of victimisation. I accepted that the message I was sending was “I don’t care about you”, “I think that I am better than you” and have begun to relearn English…
…the dance now (mine’s a slow one mostly) is to use their words for my purpose~ harmony, balance, unity, boundaries, reminderer of our strengths and potential, of the incredible lightness of being…
….perhaps this is what is meant to be in the world yet not of it …

“We are always getting ready to live, but never living”

That’s another great one, and it really describes the last few weeks for me. I’ve been trying to get things in order so that I can finally live again. I’ve been ‘making other plans’ while life has continued to unfold.

It is always good to be reminded of this amazing man, who is virtually unknown here in UK (He had a profound influence upon writers such as Oscar Wilde though the latter often appears as E’s ‘evil twin’ in his subversive satirical comedies of manners). ‘Self Reliance’ is a MUST for any seeker. I initially read it years ago in an ancient little edition of his Essays, in the tiniest print imaginable. I guess he was a kind of sublime self help writer in his time!

There is a book of Emerson Meditations, one for each day of the year which is excellent. ‘A Dream too Wild’ edited by Barry Andrews.

“We are always getting ready to live, but never living” (Emerson)

“The supreme vice is shallowness” (Oscar Wilde)
jeff´s last blog ..Presence

Jess — That’s a beautiful passage. I don’t know if I’ve read it before, but if I have, it never affected me like it did just now. Very profound, thank you.

Hilda — I had seen so many Emerson quote before I actually read the pieces they came from. Many of them seem to mean something different when read in context.

Roger — Mark Twain is definitely another one to cover. Oscar Wilde too.