“Lopez counseled, “If you are afraid of what might happen in the future, find a person you respect who does not act out of fear.” If you feel overwhelmed, read the biography of Sojourner Truth or Cesar Chavez. If you think being kind, respectful, and polite is ineffective, listen to Jane Goodall and Robin Wall Kimmerer. If”
― Carbon: The Book of Life
― Carbon: The Book of Life
“threefold purity—no big deal about the doer, no big deal about the action, no big deal about the result. This joyful exertion is rooted in no expectation, no ambition, no hope of fruition.”
― The Places That Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times
― The Places That Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times
“Dualistic thinking is a sickness. Religion is a distortion. Materialism is cruel. Blind spirituality is unreal. Chanting is no more holy than listening to the murmur of a stream, counting prayer beads no more sacred than simply breathing, religious robes no more spiritual than work clothes. If you wish to attain oneness with the Tao, don't get caught up in spiritual superficialities. Instead, live a quiet and simple life, free of ideas and concepts. Find contentment in the practice of undiscriminating virtue, the only true power. Giving to others selflessly and anonymously, radiating light throughout the world and illuminating your own darknesses, your virtue becomes a sanctuary for yourself and all beings. This is what is meant by embodying the Tao.”
― Hua Hu Ching
― Hua Hu Ching
“Even a wounded world is feeding us. Even a wounded world holds us, giving us moments of wonder and joy. I choose joy over despair. Not because I have my head in the sand, but because joy is what the earth gives me daily and I must return the gift.”
― Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants
― Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants
“The emotionally intelligent person knows that love is a skill, not a feeling, and will require trust, vulnerability, generosity, humour, sexual understanding and selective resignation.”
― The School of Life: An Emotional Education
― The School of Life: An Emotional Education
The Emerald
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— last activity Mar 07, 2026 01:51PM
Books referenced in The Emerald podcast by Josh Schrei
Justin’s 2025 Year in Books
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