David (Johnson) > David's Quotes

“We treat our life as if it is all about the destination and not about the journey. But life can be seen as a piece of music, where the goal is not to get to the end of the song but to savour and enjoy each beautiful moment. After all, life unfolds in moments, and the joys available in this life are experienced in this moment and not the next.”
― David Johnson, A Practical Guide to Mindful Living

“We often drag the fears of the past and future into the present, forgetting that in this moment right now, we are ok - nothing is going wrong, all is well, and we're safe. Don't lose this potential moment of quiet, joyful serenity.”
― David Johnson

“Our first step towards finding some sort of freedom from the ups and downs of daily life is to relinquish the control the external world has over us and our emotions. The key to doing this is learning to live mindfully.”
― David Johnson, A Practical Guide to Mindful Living

“Many people go through their entire life without any idea how busy their mind is. Without that discovery, they never come to understand the parallel between their turbulent mental state and their unsatisfying physical reality, nor do they feel motivated to do anything about it.”
― David Johnson, A Practical Guide to Mindful Living

“We expect people to behave in a particular way, and then get upset when they don’t. We then blame that unhappy feeling on them, when the actual cause was our own expectation.”
― David Johnson, A Practical Guide to Mindful Living

“People worry they’re failing at meditation if their mind isn’t blank. They say, ‘I can’t stop thinking—I must be doing this wrong.’ Actually, having thoughts is natural. The idea is simply to notice when you’re lost in them, then gently let them go—like exhaling them away—and bring your attention back to the breath or to your senses. If your mind wanders a hundred times, then you have a hundred opportunities to relax, release, and return. That’s the practice. It’s not forcing yourself to have no thoughts. It’s learning to manage them without frustration or judgement.”
― David Oromith (Johnson)

“No matter how confused, perturbed, and negative we may sometimes feel, our Buddha nature is always there. It can never be lost or damaged. This Buddha nature is the essential nature of our mind. It is primordially pure, replete with all the qualities of a Buddha.”
― David Oromith (Johnson)

“The worst thing you can do is just give up altogether. Because one day didn’t go well or because you got angry once doesn’t mean you should throw the whole thing away and stop watching your mind. There is no perfection required—only the willingness to continue, to keep going despite setbacks.”
― David Oromith (Johnson)

“We have to recognise impermanence on a gut level, not just as an abstract idea. Everything changes—things crack, people change, situations shift—and resisting that truth fuels endless fear, restlessness, and an unrealistic attitude towards life. By opening up to the truth of impermanence, you loosen the grip of ‘it must stay this way’ and in its absence, you make space for genuine peace and wellbeing.”
― David Oromith (Johnson)

“If your mind feels restless when you sit to meditate, good. You’re seeing clearly for the first time. Be ok with it. The chaos was always there—you were just too distracted to notice. The first step in training the mind is facing it as it is, without turning away.”
― David Oromith