Reading, to me, is like travelling to unexplored places, getting inspiration along the way and being a bit more aware, a bit more knowledgeable and a lot wiser at the end of it. I am especially intrigued by the correlation between the mind and the universe as I read and learn about it from them, the power of the mind, connecting deeper within to derive greater awareness of ourselves, of every moment of our life, our inner growth and expansion and of creating and embracing our own reality to live this precious life in our joyful best and highest mode.

Here, I am sharing select quotes/ writings from some books that are always near my bedside, even long after I have finished reading them. Being reminded of these quotes on a daily basis is like brushing one’s teeth – need to do it every day, twice a day – to keep the mind’s cavities clean from getting affected by our hazy perception of the day’s reality.

1. “Everything in your life is a mirror of who you are. If you look at the people in your life, they are all mirroring some belief you have about yourself. The traits that bother you about some people, are actually mirroring a belief that you have about yourself.”
Similarly, the positivity that you get from some people is also a mirror of your inner beliefs about your own self.

Mirror Work - Louise Hay

2. “Anxiety, stress, worry – all forms of fear, are caused by too much future, and not enough presence. Guilt, regret, bitterness, non-forgiveness are caused by too much past, and not enough presence. When you are present, you can allow the mind to be as it is without getting entangled in it. Your degree of presence determines the quality of your consciousness and the quality of your consciousness determines the future. So, the only place where true change can occur is the Now.
Make the NOW the primary focus of your life. Have your dwelling place in the Now and pay brief visits to past and future when required to deal with the practical aspects of your life situation.”

The power of Now – Eckhart Tolle

3. “Live life as though everything is rigged in your favour.”

Rumi

4. “It is not your job to make something happen – Universal forces are in place for all of that. Your work is to simply determine what you want. If you have the ability to imagine it, to even think about it, this Universe has the ability and the resources to deliver it fully unto you. When you really really want something and you are thinking about your desire and feeling pleasure from the thought, your thought vibration is in alignment with your desire and the current from your Source is flowing through you toward your intended desire without any resistance. When emotions feel good, you are allowing the fulfilment of your desire. When emotions feel bad, you are disallowing the fulfilment of your desire by focussing on the opposite of your desire. Pay attention to the way you feel, deliberately choose thoughts – about everything – that feel good to you when you think them.”

Ask and it is given – Esther and Jerry Hicks

5. The 'Red light moment of the day' - "Taking one minute out a few times a day to stop and look at what I am doing is like driving across town and stopping at the stop signs. The stop signs help me get safely where I want to go. I stop, look and see that I have a choice: to proceed ahead, or change direction, or do whatever I see is the best for me. And I am less likely to run into and hurt other people who are at the intersection with me. It helps me take care of myself and others."

One minute for yourself – Spencer Johnson

6. When in pain – physical or mental – “Focus on the feeling inside you. Know that it is the pain-body. Accept that it is there. Don’t think about it – don’t let the feeling turn into thinking. Don’t judge or analyze. Don’t make an identity for yourself out of it. Stay present and continue being the observer, the silent watcher, of what is happening inside you. This is the power of the Now, the power of your own conscious presence.”

The power of Now – Eckhart Tolle

7. “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So, you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.”

Steve Jobs

8. “May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.”

Nelson Mandela

9. “The Present is Right Now! When you are fully engaged in what you are doing, your mind doesn’t wander. You enjoy life. You are happier and more effective. You are intent only on what is happening at that moment. And that focus and concentration leads you to your success.”

The Present – Spencer Johnson

10. “Whenever you focus on a thought, you activate the vibration of that thought within you. Every thought that you give your attention to expands and becomes a bigger part of your vibrational mix. Whether it is a thought of something you want or a thought of something you do not want – your attention to it invites it into your experience. So, when you see something you would like to experience and focus upon it, shouting YES to it, you include it into your experience. But when you see something you do not want to experience, and you focus on it by shouting NO at it, you also include it in your experience.”

Ask and it is given – Esther and Jerry Hicks

11. “If I don’t like the face I see in the mirror, the only thing I can do is smile.”

The Return of the Young prince – A.G.Roemmers

12. While making difficult decisions – “The secret is to not act on fear. Ask yourself – ‘What would I do if I were not afraid?’ And then do whatever that is.”

Yes or No – Spencer Johnson

Lastly, of course, the universal favourite (no pun intended!) :
13. “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”

The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho