When you care for yourself first, the world will also find you worthy of care.

Don’t judge people based on how they appear, as they may have difficulties that nobody can see.

People often think that their way of doing things is the right way. If they see something being done in a way that is not their own, they jump in to tell others they’re doing it wrong.But other people’s ways are not wrong, only unfamiliar to you.Try doing something in a way that is different from your way. A new world will open up to you

It's Not Wrong, Just Different

Don’t think you are lovable only when you succeed at what the world demands. You are already worthy of love.

Even products labeled “limited edition” are made on a production line with hundreds that are exactly the same. But there is only one you in the world. Please cherish the unique individual that is you.

It’s okay that you have flaws. How could our lives be as clean and white as a blank sheet of paper? Life naturally takes a toll on our bodies, our minds, and our relationships. Rather than choosing a life in which you do nothing for fear of making a mistake, choose a life that improves through failure and pain. And shout out loud to your struggling self, “I love you so much.”

In many things in life, the good is mixed with the bad. If you throw away the whole thing because you dislike the bad part, you’ll also throw away much that is good.

Even though it seems like the night will go on forever, at a certain point the days start getting longer. Even though it seems suffering will continue without end, at a certain point it will ease up, or we will learn to accept it. Meanwhile, we will learn a valuable lesson from that suffering.Nothing in this world lasts forever, not even our suffering.

Why should your life be destroyed by the easy criticism of those 
who do not know you or care about you?”

Your true nature is not something 
you can obtain by searching for it.
 It will reveal itself to you when the mind grows quiet.

Clinging to a particular negative thought
 can even lead to depression. Be careful not to get caught up in your thoughts.

“Things are so hard for you right now, but you will be okay no
 matter what.”

“If you hear a voice within you say, ‘You cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.”

Your life is difficult not because the past is holding you back, but because you keep thinking about the past and lingering there. Rather than haggling with your past, let it be, so that it can flow like a river. Your true self is not the river of memory but the one who stands beside the river, quietly observing its flow.

True freedom is being without anxiety about imperfection.

If you’re sad, it’s okay to acknowledge your sadness. If you have pain that leaves you at a loss, it’s okay to talk about your pain. The reason we have difficulties is that we are unable to accept the things that cannot be changed. Let them be and see what happens.

Acceptance

Emotions are like uninvited guests. They come whenever they want to, and leave once you acknowledge their presence. Although emotions are born inside of you, don’t assume that they belong to you. That is why they rarely listen to you.

“Even if someone I helped in the past, or I expected greatness from, causes me grave harm, may I consider him my greatest teacher.”

Do you often say to your loved one, “If you love me, can’t you change for me?”That is not love. Love’s true face is acceptance and freedom, not restriction and control.

The voice that criticizes and berates me is much louder than the one that cheers me on. When times are tough, that cheering voice can get drowned out. But keep listening. After your critics have moved on to criticize someone else, you will start to hear those who have stayed behind, steadily cheering you on.

Cheers Will Win Critics, A Day

Susan Cain, New York Times bestselling author of Quiet: "The world could surely use a little more love, a little more compassion, and a little more wisdom. In Love for Imperfect Things, Haemin Sunim shows us how to cultivate all three, and to find beauty in the most imperfect of things--including your very own self." A #1 internationally bestselling book of spiritual wisdom about learning to love ourselves, with all our imperfections, by the Buddhist author of The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down Hearing the words "be good to yourself first, then to others" was like being struck by lightning. Many of us respond to the pressures of life by turning inward and ignoring problems, sometimes resulting in anxiety or depression. Others react by working harder at the office, at school, or at home, hoping that this will make ourselves and the people we love happier. But what if being yourself is enough? Just as we are advised on airplanes to take our own oxygen first before helping others, we must first be at peace with ourselves before we can be at peace with the world around us. In this beautiful follow-up to his international bestseller The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down, Zen Buddhist monk Haemin Sunim turns his trademark wisdom to the art of self-care, arguing that only by accepting yourself--and the flaws that make you who you are--can you have compassionate and fulfilling relationships with your partner, your family, and your friends. With more than thirty-five full-color illustrations, Love for Imperfect Things will appeal to both your eyes and your heart, and help you learn to love yourself, your life, and everyone in it. When you care for yourself first, the world begins to find you worthy of care.

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Motivation & Inspiration

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Zen Buddhist teacher, bestselling author & founder of the School for Broken Hearts in Seoul.Born in South Korea and educated at Berkeley, Harvard, and Princeton, he received formal monastic training from Haein monastery, South Korea and taught Asian religions at Hampshire College in Massachusetts for seven years.He is one of the most influential Zen monks in the world, with over 1.5 million followers on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. His first book, The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down has been translated into more than 35 different languages and sold over four million copies.His second book, Love for Imperfect Things was the number one bestseller of the year 2016 in South Korea and became available in multiple languages in 2019.

—SEOK-CHEON HONG

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