Fear and conflict are misdirections that create mental turmoil within so many of us. They are ways of not focusing, of not being whole. They keep the mind in a state of vulnerability that in turn makes the terrain of our life very hard and quite frightening. There are times when we don't even know what we are afraid of. We aviod something we are not even sure is there. Stillness dispels fear and conflict by restoring our willingness to look beyond the mere surface of individuals and events . . . True gratitude is not based on the perception that others have less or suffer more. It is the recognition that love rather than apprehension holds lasting value, and that there is no end to the embrace of love. Because love does exist, you and I can be free.
— Hugh Prather, Shining Through