Wayne Mellinger > Wayne's Quotes

“Each of us has things we must do before we die. A meaningful life is one in which you deeply connect to your purpose. A person living life with purpose is a hero who gets up every day with a clear sense of who they are and what they are doing in the world.”
― Wayne Mellinger, "How to Achieve the Good Life"

“To bear witness to injustice is to tell a story about our world based upon firsthand observation of real-life circumstance, fueled by moral outrage, concerned for the common good and promoting social change.”
― Wayne Mellinger, "Bearing Witness As a Spiritual Practice"

“When humans undergo a process of transformation, whether it is a career change, a romantic relationship or a stage of life, we polarize ourselves into hero and demon. The hero is that part of us that says “Yes to life!” that wants to grow and contribute, even if that means descending into hell. Our demon seeks to hold us back and creates the hell we must navigate. As these different aspects of ourselves are reconciled, we move into a new level of consciousness. We receive the reward of the transformation and return to life with a new, more authentic sense of self.”
― Wayne Mellinger, "The Hero's Journey as a Guide to Life"

“To bear witness to injustice is to tell a story about our world based upon firsthand observation of real-life circumstance, fueled by moral outrage, concerned for the common good and promoting social change.

When our stories provide a sense of history, social responsibility and concern for the common good, they can foster a democracy rooted in the public interest and promote a society that embraces an inclusive social contract.

We must make hope possible. The goal is to change things, to remove a bit of the unnecessary suffering of our world, to create what Martin Luther King referred to as “the Beloved Community.”

We must believe that we can make a difference. To change the “system” necessitates a change of will in which we acknowledge our complicity with the status quo and decide to no longer silently go along with the way things are.

Instead, we decide to live our values, speak our truth and do what must be done.”
― Wayne Mellinger, "Bearing Witness As a Spiritual Practice"

“[T]o develop a deep ecological consciousness we can change the way we see the world.

First, we need to see that humans are a part of nature, embedded within the interdependent web of existence. Second, we need to eliminate the anthropocentrism, or human-centered thinking, so prevalent in modernity. It is not all about us humans.

And finally, the re-sacralization of Nature could be an important change in our modern worldview, reaffirming the importance of the natural world, increasing our ecological consciousness, and promoting an ethic of care in which we treat Nature with reverence and respect.

Through appreciative attention to the concrete particularities of our local environments we can foster experiences of the sacred in nature.

As we awaken to our connections to the world in which we live, and come to see that world as filled with spiritual significance, this can amount to a radical paradigm shift in which a deep ecological consciousness transforms our everyday actions and our relationship to the natural world”
― Wayne Mellinger, "How to Achieve the Good Life"How You See the World Can Help You Develop Ecological

“Being poor does not make people homeless, but being very poor where housing is unaffordable does. By expanding the amount of affordable housing in our community we address a central root cause of homelessness.

Only when our community has the amount of affordable housing we need will we come close to ending homelessness.”
― Wayne Mellinger, "A Marshall Plan to Build Affordable Housing in Santa Barbara County"

“Each of us has things we must do before we die. A meaningful life is one in which you deeply connect to your purpose. A person living life with purpose is a hero who gets up every day with a clear sense of who they are and what they are doing in the world.

A clear sense of your own true purpose is one of the most important qualities you can have. Consider creating a statement of life purpose.”
― Wayne Mellinger, "How to Achieve the Good Life"

“The good life is not a 24/7 joy ride and it is not an exclusive focus on being happy. Any intelligent and creative person pursuing a rich and meaningful life is going to have periods of anxiety, disappointment, frustration and depression.

If you accept this, you can better overcome these states. Learn coping strategies and have a healthy support network. Suffering is a part of the process of transformation. Attempt to focus on how you are now in the solution.”
― Wayne Mellinger, "How to Achieve the Good Life"

“Develop healthy intimacy that is not clingy or detached. Find people to love who can also love you. Collect supportive friends who are kind, will listen to you and who you can trust. These are rare items indeed. Develop a diverse network of people at all stages and levels of society. These others expand your universe and may have knowledge you need for the good life.”
― Wayne Mellinger, "How to Achieve the Good Life"

“By placing ourselves in the myth of the hero's journey, we contextualize these transformational moments within the broader contours of our lives, cultivate attitudes in which we reframe our problems as “tests” and learning opportunities, and more easily locate the meaning in our suffering. My goal in this essay is to explore how the myth of the hero's journey can be a resource for self-discovery and a guide through the turbulent waters of life.”
― Wayne Mellinger, "The Hero's Journey as a Guide To Life"

“Every individual can potentially follow the impulse to seek something greater. We often yearn for further evolution. We wonder if there could be more to life than what we are currently experiencing. Life transformations may lead to changes in identity, often accompanied by the pangs of existential angst. These are turning points in which our whole sense of self is altered. Triggering events may include marriage or divorce, death of a loved one, entering a new phase of life, or the introduction to a new group of intimates and peer group.”
― Wayne Mellinger, "The Hero's Journey as a Guide to Life"

“Anyone seeking to achieve personal self-actualization and lead a creative life filled with insight enacts the archetypal pattern of myth of the hero's journey. Especially those who must rebel against traditions and authorities, those who are seduced by the mystery and magic of spiritual life, and those who are displaced, marginalized and silenced by oppressive powers. By facing life's challenges as the hero proceeds on his or her journey, we enable deep psychological transformation. Moreover, we bring forth the courage and conviction to live life to its fullest with unique creative potentiality.”
― Wayne Mellinger, "The Hero's Journey as a Guide to Life"

“I invite you to take an approach to living life that assumes you are on a sacred journey, charting a direction for your life, whether you are aware of this or not. You are the hero of your own story. If you become conscious of your path, you can live each day more fully. If you see yourself as a hero, you can be of greater service to the world. You must come to regard your problems and setbacks as tests of your resolve and as opportunities to use strength, wisdom and other gifts that you might not know you have. To feel the rapture of being alive, you must follow your bliss and take the heroic path.”
― Wayne Mellinger, "The Hero's Journey as a Guide to Life"

“The myth of the hero's journey can be used as a map of self-discovery and a guide for personal growth. Each of us must undertake the journey of descent into the underworld if we are to reach our potential. Our life journey is centrally about finding fulfillment through bringing our gifts to the world. The hero's journey pattern allows us to find meaning in our suffering and to envision blessings emerging from our pain. It helps us to cultivate an approach to life in which we face the unknown with courage and conviction, focus on our particular purpose in life and discern what is truly of value.”
― Wayne Mellinger, "The Hero's Journey as a Guide to Life"

“I have learned that recovery happens in relationships. We do not do it alone and when we are in our darkest moments we must develop the humility to reach out and ask for help. If we are lucky we will connect with another wounded healer who has been there and can aid us in our journey. It is in the darkness of our suffering that we locate the glimmers of light that will guide us on our journey of healing.”
― Wayne Mellinger, "The Gift of Our Wounds"

“Our journeys through the darkness of suffering can lead us to find glimmers of light that can not only end our suffering but bring healing to the world. Every wound presents its gifts.

A “wounded healer” is an individual who is able to draw upon their own experiences with suffering as a resource for helping others through the process of healing. A wounded healer has discovered the gifts of their own wounds.”
― Wayne Mellinger, "The Gift of Our Wounds"

“For any faith to do justice it must be active out in the world, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked and healing the bruised world. The “breaking of the bread” performed by Jesus, for example, shows us how we are to offer our lives to others, especially those most in need, in forming true communion and solidarity with the world. Authentic spiritualities embrace the suffering of the world, and upon deep contemplation, respond to the call to heal and care by taking action.”
― Wayne Mellinger, "Serving the Poor Heeds the Call of a Higher Power"

“I never woke up one day and said, “Hey I want to lead a tragic life.” My journey with mental health challenges and addiction have led me to lose everything in my life more than a couple of times — my jobs, my housing, my books and files, and my self-respect.”
― Wayne Mellinger, "Triple Challenged Can’t Grapple with Their Demons Alone'

“A spirituality of justice includes solidarity with those who are poor and a willingness to accompany people living at the margins, bearing witness to their suffering. Many of us who serve the poor and marginalized take time to truly listen to their stories, allowing ourselves to be moved and disturbed by the widespread and systematic disregard for life in these times. For any faith to do justice it must be active out in the world, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked and healing the bruised world. The “breaking of the bread” performed by Jesus, for example, shows us how we are to offer our lives to others, especially those most in need, in forming true communion and solidarity with the world. Authentic spiritualities embrace the suffering of the world, and upon deep contemplation, respond to the call to heal and care by taking action.”
― Wayne Mellinger, "Serving the Poor Heeds the Call of a Higher Power"

“Evil does not stop by doing evil in return; for it is only by doing acts of loving kindness that evil comes to an end. Winning a contest can lead to animosity, for those who lose often fester in sorrow and resent those who win. If we release any desire for victory, we can create peace. Let us be peacemakers, overcoming violence by gentleness, overcoming evil by kindness.”
― Wayne Mellinger, "Let Us Be Peacemakers

“Recovery is a “turning point,” a social process in which an individual undergoes a massive transformation in identity accompanied by the introduction to new significant others (their new “tribe”) and new ways of defining the events of their life. By defining ourselves as “wounded healers,” addicts take on a time-honored role for the tribal shaman. Wounded healers serve a vital purpose for their tribe — using their own insight into the dark journey of the soul to bring light to others who still suffer.”
― Wayne Mellinger, "The Amethyst Path" Noozhawk

“The active engagement of the citizenry in lawmaking is essential to good government. The more the full populace, including formerly excluded groups, such as those marginalized, displaced and silenced by years of historical oppression, engages in deliberation and decision-making, the more robust and thoughtful the laws and policies will be. Ideally, the intermediary role of representatives should be minimalized to consultation and critique, for all citizens have what it takes to make political choices ion the legislation that affects their lives. For radical democracy to flourish, the systemic factors that reproduce inequality must cease to exist.”
― Wayne Mellinger, "Democracy — the Worst Form of Government Except for All the Rest" Noozhawk

“Being “radical” means not just having a critical analysis based on understanding the power structure of our country, but means embracing the role of disruption in bringing forth social change. When people collectively refuse to cooperate in the institutional relationship that constitutes society, they can create a mass protest movement that can alter or abolish the institutions that organize power.”
― Wayne Mellinger, "Becoming Deep Green — Steps Toward Radical Environmentalism" Noozhawk

“Existence consecrates itself in ecstasy. Out of the primordial singularity we call the Big Bang a sacred life force pushes forward celebrating its own transformation. Everything that is, both animate and inanimate, emerges from this sacred common origin, whose very purpose is to multiply forms of sacredness. Every entity has it place and its purpose in our cosmos and finds it origin in this great flaring of energy. This makes us kin with all that exists. A deep sense of belonging provides us with ample reasons to protect our planet. The road from hydrogen to human that constitutes cosmic evolution has been a long one. Through us the Universe is finally becoming capable of reflecting upon its own journey. What an amazing story!!!”
― Wayne Martin Mellinger