And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.
Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.
We do not grow absolutely, chronologically. We grow sometimes in one dimension, and not in another; unevenly. We grow partially. We are relative. We are mature in one realm, childish in another. The past, present, and future mingle and pull us backward, forward, or fix us in the present. We are made up of layers, cells, constellations.
Life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we have to go through. Where people fail is that they wish to elect a state and remain in it. This is a kind of death.
We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.
A leaf fluttered in through the window this morning, as if supported by the rays of the sun, a bird settled on the fire escape, joy in the task of coffee, joy accompanied me as I walked.
It is the function of art to renew our perception. What we are familiar with we cease to see. The writer shakes up the familiar scene, and, as if by magic, we see a new meaning in it.
We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospection.
I postpone death by living, by suffering, by error, by risking, by giving, by losing.
Music melts all the separate parts of our bodies together.
OMG how DELICIOUS are these!!! Thanks for posting, Bethie. I particularly like:
“We do not grow absolutely, chronologically. We grow sometimes in one dimension, and not in another; unevenly. We grow partially. We are relative. We are mature in one realm, childish in another. The past, present, and future mingle and pull us backward, forward, or fix us in the present. We are made up of layers, cells, constellations.”
“Life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we have to go through.”
And this…
“joy in the task of coffee, joy accompanied me as I walked.”
And this…
“We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospection.”
Oh, heck, I love them all!:)
They are wonderful aren’t they…I melted when I read: music melts all the separate parts of our bodies together. I also adore the acceptance of it all in the postpone death quote. Ok, I love them all, too, cuz I handpicked each one to showcase here. Thanks for flowing appreciation Laurie! xoBeth
I adore these too, Beth!! I’m feeling them in my bones. Thanks so much for sharing them!
Thank you Mary – nice to have you here – thanks for stopping by!
Great collection to ponder, as I sit down to do some writing! Thank you Bethie!
These are beautiful Bethie…thanks for bringing them all together. I’m a big fan of Anais, I’ve read many of her diaries…but there were some quotes here I’d never heard.
I too really like “music melts all the separate parts of our bodies together.” I think it would make the perfect T-shirt for a dead show :-)
Many thanks.
Definitely one of my fav quotes!
Lovely blog you have here.
Thank you Slices of Beauty, your blog is beautiful as well.
Anais Nin can weave a spell with her words! I love them all as you can tell from my emails.
Beautiful post :)
Thank you Maryellen!
This is an FYI–the poem is beautiful and worthy of a tattoo, but Anais Nin did not write it. To see more about this, visit http://anaisninblog.skybluepress.com and do a search for “risk.” Elizabeth Appell is the actual author.
Music melts quote is lovely. I’ve always felt a special connection there. In the communicating we all become whole. Through art especially. Thank you so much for sharing your beauty and the beauty you find in the world. I reccomend checking out Ram Dass and his blog. Written from a deep and wonderous place. He speaks of
“fierce grace” and the need for cosmic humor, especially with regard to our on predicament. :-) bushels of love, Jim