Gudjon Bergmann Quotes & Sayings

Be this as it may, an increasing number of us find that something is missing . . . something vague . . . something - dare I say - spiritual. Even those of us who scoff at religious and spiritual institutions have to admit that there is something there - purpose, meaning, internal calm, a like-minded society, and a chance to serve our fellow man - all of which are admirable. We are attracted and repulsed at the same time, primarily because there seems to be a steep price to pay when we enter the so-called spiritual arena. — Gudjon Bergmann

An author who rewrites his own work must essentially be two people. One is the free flowing uncritical writer who creates the bulk of the material - the other is the extremely critical editor whose aim it is to make the book as good as it can become. — Gudjon Bergmann

I have vivid memories of going to Pizza Hut and enjoying a thin crust pizza and a jug of Pepsi, and, getting high stacks of buttermilk pancakes with syrup. — Gudjon Bergmann

The most powerful word in time management is NO. — Gudjon Bergmann

Success is not attained when the goal is reached; success is attained from the time when the first step is taken towards that goal. — Gudjon Bergmann

Walk into any mosque, temple, church, or synagogue and you will find differing examples, different ways of interpreting God. The One True God is hard to find when a mishmash of human traits is constantly being projected. — Gudjon Bergmann

Imagine willpower as a closed fist and longing as an open hand. Try closing your fist. How long do you think you can hold that pose? A closed fist requires a lot of attention and energy, and so does willpower. Longing is effortless; it's just there, like an open hand. — Gudjon Bergmann

Regretful and negative thoughts about the past can effectively induce the same kind of fight or flight response that external threats stimulate. — Gudjon Bergmann

Concentration is the key to success in anything in life. You need concentration to carry on a conversation, to raise children, to stay positive, to be able to communicate effectively, to succeed academically, to meditate, to succeed in business, to become good at sports, to achieve the goals you set for yourself, and the list can go on and on. — Gudjon Bergmann

Self-confidence is not a fixed way of being. People are not born with certain levels of self-confidence, it can be acquired, and it can be lost. — Gudjon Bergmann

Being a good parent is not an obligation, it is a choice. Plenty of people fall short in the parent category and quite a few refuse to accept it. You will do a much better job if you understand that taking care of your children is a choice not an obligation. — Gudjon Bergmann

Such public shaming is rampant and sometimes appropriate, but unfortunately, in recent years, shaming has morphed into coordinated reputation murders, and anyone who is slightly insensitive or not PC enough can be led to a public character lynching without due process. — Gudjon Bergmann

Whether one is remaining alert (mindfulness), focusing on a single thought or phrase (mantra), or mentally exploring ones inner world (visualization), all are one form of concentration or another. — Gudjon Bergmann

Love is the most complex of all human phenomena. It exists on a spectrum from tolerance and kindness to romantic love and self-sacrifice, reaching its pinnacle in altruism, a love that needs nothing in return. — Gudjon Bergmann

Walk into any church, and you will see people swimming in a sea of emotions (everything from shame and guilt to love and ecstasy). That may be the reason some people think that the more emotional they are, the more spiritual they are. But, as we will explore later in the book, undiluted spirituality has little to do with emotions, and what little it does have has more to do with emotional growth than feelings of elation. — Gudjon Bergmann

On the surface, we are all different. We ascribe to a variety of belief systems, attain our identity from various stories, get our customs from diverse cultures, and so on. And, rightly or wrongly, we generally define ourselves by these differences - there is no denying that. However, when we look beneath the surface, we discover certain universal elements. — Gudjon Bergmann

Of course, our roles within the family are radically different. Generational stereotypes of moms and dads have disintegrated A-bomb style. We are making it up as we go along, pioneering a new era of equality. — Gudjon Bergmann

When studying the world's religions, there appear to be two primary paths available to those who want to practice their faith. One path is internal and contemplative in nature. The other is emotional, external, and actionable in nature. I have identified these as the paths of oneness and goodness. — Gudjon Bergmann

Forgiveness is probably the most important self-esteem building process anyone can undertake. Forgiveness is an internal response to the fact that we cannot, under any circumstances, change the past. The only things we can change are our thoughts about the past. Forgiveness happens when we stop wishing for a better past and understand that we are carrying hatred, anger and resentment within us. — Gudjon Bergmann

The pre-rational view of spirituality is irrational because it is based on pre-rational worldviews, such as the magical, the belief that individual thoughts and actions directly influence the outside world ("If I dance, it will rain"); and the mythical, which is belief in unverified dogma, a worldview that usually includes a belief in an external power that can be asked to change outcomes ("If I pray to Jesus, he will intervene in my life"). — Gudjon Bergmann

I will not like everyone, not everyone will like me, and that is OK. — Gudjon Bergmann

The upside of approaching spiritual practices like an experiment is that there can be no failure, only different outcomes. Whatever happens, you will learn about yourself and your relationship with the divine along the way. — Gudjon Bergmann

What is it about spirituality that doesn't resonate with our core value of being rational? What makes it so difficult for us to maintain our level-headed (and slightly jaded) mindset while being spiritual at the same time? — Gudjon Bergmann

By thinking mostly about everything that has gone wrong, is going wrong, and can possibly go wrong, the thinker is bound to end up in a lousy mental and emotional state. — Gudjon Bergmann

Western spiritual seekers began picking and choosing from Eastern philosophies based on their preferences. Wanting to get away from myth and dogma, they mixed and matched, shook and stirred, mashed and meshed, blended and juiced . . . and in the process, well, they lost their way. They created a number of philosophical inconsistencies. — Gudjon Bergmann

The first men to set foot on the moon were sent to Iceland for acclimation - that's how unlike to anything else the Icelandic landscape is. — Gudjon Bergmann

It is not lack of ability, but lack of motivation, lack of focus, and lack of self-confidence that prevents most aspiring authors from finishing what they started. — Gudjon Bergmann

Writing is a psychological process. It is the process of taking what is in your mind and sharing it with others. — Gudjon Bergmann

A trans-rational definition of spirituality therefore encompasses these two elements. First, uncovering our peaceful internal center, and then, allowing that peace to guide our actions in the world. — Gudjon Bergmann

Fear and anger, the two emotions that most people came to him to reduce - emotions that he'd worked so hard to overcome in his own life - were fuel for politicians. Maybe candidates and congressmen thought that sowing discord among countrymen, even family members, was an unfortunate type of collateral damage. Maybe they didn't think about it at all. — Gudjon Bergmann

At the end of the day, developing goodness comes down to a simple question: Will this emotion, thought or action, increase or decrease my capacity for goodness? — Gudjon Bergmann

Get to the point. Don't waste the reader's time. — Gudjon Bergmann

Clear, direct and vibrant instructions will inject energy into the class, and create a feeling of safety for the students. — Gudjon Bergmann

The masses are not happy enough to want more out of life and not unhappy enough to reject their way of living or want a better life. — Gudjon Bergmann

Tobacco is the enemy, disguised as a friend, and if you are to win the war you must get to know your enemy. — Gudjon Bergmann

My rule in relation to time management and teaching is simple: "If you're on time, you're late!" That means that if you arrive just on time to teach, you have no flexibility. In essence nothing can go wrong, and in addition to that, your mind probably won't settle until halfway through the class. — Gudjon Bergmann

It is imperative that your work habits from school do not make their way into your book writing process. I am talking about the practice of typing the last words just before the deadline every time you would hand in an assignment, a paper, or even a thesis. Your book needs time to mature, and you must allow yourself the luxury of rewriting and editing until you are satisfied. — Gudjon Bergmann

The term trans-rational is emblematic of a worldview within which rationality is included and transcended, not repressed or dismissed. — Gudjon Bergmann

Do your best to maintain an authentic style of writing. If you are a serious person, be serious. If you are a comic, be funny. Do not choose a style or a tone that is different from the person you really are. — Gudjon Bergmann

These superhero and mythical stories have, in many cases, replaced Biblical stories as vehicles for communal myths, but they are hardly any better than ancient magical adventures tinged with mythical archetypes and the decidedly unnuanced black-and-white struggle between good and evil. — Gudjon Bergmann

You can tend to a garden every day for 20, 30 or 40 years. But if one day you stop giving it loving attention and care it will rapidly deteriorate. Weeds will start to grow, and in a relatively short period of time the garden will become a jungle. On the other hand, it is much easier to turn things around and start cultivating the garden again if it has flourished in the past. The same is true with the human mind and respectively the actions we take every day. If we cultivate our life with dedication, positive thinking, and consistent actions, it will be much easier to turn away from destructive behavior, however far we stray away from our original course. — Gudjon Bergmann

We can learn from the ad agencies and start forming our own personal and internal marketing campaigns in the first person singular with strong emotional components, thusly promoting the new ideas and habits that we want to incorporate. — Gudjon Bergmann

If you are able to show goodness to yourself, your family, friends, and maybe to some in your community, you are doing better than most. In fact, it can be harder to show goodness to those who stand close to you than to those who are in faraway places. If more people tended to their own gardens, all of society would flourish as a result. — Gudjon Bergmann

Would you ever buy chocolate with DDT? How about Cheerios with arsenic? Not very likely! — Gudjon Bergmann

Positive affirmations are powerful, but they can be overrun by complaining and negativity if you allow your mind to focus in that direction. As soon as you start complaining about how difficult this process is, you have begun using negative affirmations, and that will in turn give power to your prior longing to smoke (as if that needs empowerment). — Gudjon Bergmann

Stop hoping for the weather to change, this is where you chose to live, either accept it or move. — Gudjon Bergmann

We have made a conscious effort to blend in with U.S. society and have done our best to develop good English skills. Today, both Johanna and I communicate in English with ease, and our children speak English at native fluency levels, but we continue to speak Icelandic at home. — Gudjon Bergmann

Many people say that time heals all wounds, but that simply is not true. People can become more bitter, arrogant and spiteful with age. — Gudjon Bergmann

The worst possible approach to a problem is waiting until it becomes overwhelming or irreversible, and that is exactly what many people do. They put dealing with stress on the backburner until they start to experience all the worst symptoms of stress, and by then, it may be too late! — Gudjon Bergmann

Some events in life are so overwhelming that people will experience stress no matter how good they are at controlling their minds in normal circumstances. — Gudjon Bergmann

Short term goals are often based on dissatisfaction, and actions based on dissatisfaction will eventually lead to a life of unhappiness. — Gudjon Bergmann

The spiritual-but-nonreligious movement is largely driven by charismatic authors and speakers who attract like-minded people to their workshops and intensives. — Gudjon Bergmann

Saying, "I don't agree with you," or going so far as to say, "I think your belief structure is childish," does not amount to persecution. Insensitivity is not the same as harassment or oppression. — Gudjon Bergmann

Firemen, police officers, professional athletes and military service personnel are all trained with this in mind, they are taught to direct their energy, to use stress constructively. — Gudjon Bergmann

There is not a single person I have met in my lifetime who is comfortable talking about death. It's the biggest downside to our youth-centric culture. Death is a bummer, so let's not talk about it. Let's hide it away and hope it never strikes close to home. — Gudjon Bergmann

In our youth, we may have ridiculed the cost-of-living-index family, with their house, two cars, and two kids, but today we are pro-family. We have seen the damage done by the previous generation and have doubled our efforts when it comes to caring for our families. Our children come first. — Gudjon Bergmann

This notion of shared experience is important. A hiker, for example, has much more in common with other hikers who have walked paths foreign to him than with sedentary people who have never hiked anywhere but have read books about the hiker's favorite path. If someone has hiked several mountains in Switzerland, for instance, he or she is likely to have more in common with those who have hiked in the Rocky Mountains than with those who have never hiked at all. The terrain may be different, but the act of hiking is similar. The same is true about spirituality. The acts of praying, meditating, fasting, contemplating deeply, and having other direct forms of experience, all influence practitioners differently than mere reading or listening. Moreover, because we all have the same tools to work with - body, mind, and spirit - practitioners from different faiths will have more in common than they realize. — Gudjon Bergmann

Only direct experience of the peaceful internal state will remove doubt and provide enlightenment - not in a spooky, out-of-this-world kind of way, but in a rational, let's-turn-on-the-lights sort of way. — Gudjon Bergmann

... both spiritual teachers and preachers fall into the trap of using imprecise, emotional mumbo jumbo - if you can't define it or explain it, then it's mumbo jumbo - to connect with an audience. The audience reads into it what they want, and it makes for good theater. — Gudjon Bergmann

During World War II, Iceland was a poor country with a total population of about 120,000 people. In contrast, the occupying U.S. force consisted of roughly 40,000 men - which meant that U.S. soldiers outnumbered adult Icelandic men - at least during the height of the occupation. — Gudjon Bergmann

Obviously, not everyone in Texas attends church for purely social or nostalgic reasons. There are still plenty of people here who feel the need to advertise their allegiance to God by telling me that they are good Christians, by continuously posting prayer pictures of Jesus on Facebook, or by telling me that no matter how ethically I live, I will surely go to Hell if I don't accept Jesus Christ into my heart. — Gudjon Bergmann

This tendency to defend a belief structure is true in all cases, even the rational. Never underestimate our ability to convince ourselves of what we wish to be true, especially if we have invested time and money in our beliefs. — Gudjon Bergmann

My point is that focusing on the past, present or future can have both positive and negative effects. Excessive worry about the future can be bad, while hopes and dreams can be good. Regret because of the past can be destructive, but learning lessons from previous events and having good memories can be great. Focusing intently on the present is usually stress-relieving and liberating, but sometimes the present moment is too sad or horrible to dwell on. — Gudjon Bergmann

You see, meditation is not a fabricated state. It is natural. It is accessible to all. And in the same way that a person who learns how to run, can run any time they want to, or, a person who knows how to play an instrument can play music at will, once you learn how to meditate, you can create your moments of peace at will. — Gudjon Bergmann

Habits equal autopilot. Take brushing your teeth for example. Once that becomes a habit, you don't have to write positive affirmations or remind yourself constantly to brush your teeth. It is simply a habitual part of what you do every day. That is why I emphasize the five habits of stress management, not the five rules or the five goals. If you make these five habits an essential part of your life, then you will be able to manage stress effectively. — Gudjon Bergmann

No one can quit smoking for you, or make you want to change your life. No one can make you do anything that you don't want to do. — Gudjon Bergmann

I believe that if you truly understand the importance of relaxation, you will make time for it in your schedule. — Gudjon Bergmann

The trans-rational spiritual approach is a simple concept with wide-ranging practical implications. There are three major components involved: (1) not denying rationality, (2) pursuing the experience of a peaceful internal state, and (3) allowing that inner peace to guide behavior. — Gudjon Bergmann

It must be said that "winning" the green card is a misnomer. We had simply won the right to formally apply and have our application processed. We still had to pay for all the processing. — Gudjon Bergmann

Gandhi is an example of a man who grew from being self-centered as he was learning to become a lawyer in England, to becoming more family- and social oriented in South-Africa, where he led a reformation of Indian rights, to becoming determined in helping his nation recover from British rule at which he succeeded in the end with the help of a great many people. At the end of his life Gandhi was increasingly focused on a larger picture, encasing the whole world in his vision of a peaceful future. — Gudjon Bergmann

Concentration is the doorway through which the meditative state becomes available. — Gudjon Bergmann

The irony of having had such a secular upbringing is that I now live in Texas. Oh, the irony. Here in Texas, it is not only acceptable to go to church and have the mythic belief structure of an eleven-year-old - no, we are considered the odd ones out because we don't go to church... at least that was how it seemed to us in the beginning. — Gudjon Bergmann

For years I tried to help people with simple things, such as tension relief through breathing and relaxation, but all they wanted were the drugs. They wanted to numb themselves. They did not want to face their fears or feel better through their own efforts - and they certainly did not want to be illuminated. — Gudjon Bergmann

What then are the benefits of being mentally flexible? Imagine a storm brewing. Intense winds are blowing hard. Stiff trees are breaking under the pressure while softer more flexible trees are bending and will rise again when the strong winds subside. Now turn this image onto human beings. People who are narrow minded, opinionated, stubborn and bullheaded are more likely to crack under pressure than people who take up a more flexible attitude towards life. It is the difference between bending and breaking under pressure. — Gudjon Bergmann

You are wrong about that, you know, Dr. Andersen replied calmly. This, right here - us talking, sitting in this overlit room, a bunch of shrinks watching us through the tinted windows - this is the dream. The peace you felt before, that is reality. It is the I. The only part of existence that does not change, that cannot change, that will not change. You may not be ready to understand this quite yet, but if you continue meditating, you will. — Gudjon Bergmann

Being positive all the time is such a catchy idea, and it's easy to preach. I guess that's why it is popular. But life reveals itself in successions of up's and down's and if you plan to be positive all the time you will definitely fail. — Gudjon Bergmann

If you have ever procrastinated and then found yourself energized to complete a task at the last minute, then you have used the beneficial aspect of the fight or flight response (not the procrastinating part, but the energizing part). You see, with all its negative long term effects, the fight or flight response still gives us energy, and if we know how to use that energy, then stress is potentially good, at least in the short term. — Gudjon Bergmann

The only thing that seems to differ between the major schools of meditation is the point of concentration. Some traditions use mantras, others follow the breath, some have their eyes open, others have their eyes closed, some use simple words, others use prayers and the list can go on. Despite extravagant claims to the contrary, modern research has found no significant difference between the points of concentration at the beginning stages of meditation, which means it doesn't really matter which mantra, word or phrase you choose to begin with. The main thing is to practice whatever meditation method that you have chosen; sit still and let the mind settle. — Gudjon Bergmann

Instead of using therapy to try and reduce their fear and anger, people now celebrated these destructive emotions, labeling themselves as politically active rather than emotionally dysfunctional. — Gudjon Bergmann

The worst part is when cells feel so threatened by their chemically marinated surroundings, that they decide to mutate as a defensive mechanism, and start to reproduce without taking their immediate surroundings into account. This mutation is called cancer. — Gudjon Bergmann

You can't take it personally when something you have written sucks. Just delete it and write something else. — Gudjon Bergmann

When a person has developed an ongoing relationship with the peaceful internal state, then he or she will likely begin to display certain characteristics such as empathy, forgiveness, magnanimity, altruism, compassion, and benevolence. And when someone displays any of the above, we generally start speaking about that person as spiritual, even though he or she may not represent a religion of any kind. — Gudjon Bergmann

The yogic scriptures paint a picture of perfection, and perfection can be your aim, but I can tell you sad stories about myself and others who have entered into a state of premature holiness with unpleasant consequences. — Gudjon Bergmann

Today, religious fanatics and scientific rejectionists flourish under the protective wing of postmodernism, claiming that theirs is just one more valid viewpoint - a form of mental aikido (using the opponent's strength against him). — Gudjon Bergmann

Self-confidence can be defined in two sentences. (1) I trust myself to face life's challenges and (2) I trust myself to follow my dreams and goals. — Gudjon Bergmann

Simplicity is everywhere in nature, and meditation is a natural state. Meditation is a state of peaceful equilibrium, the fourth state of consciousness, and is always available to every single human being. — Gudjon Bergmann

Stop wishing that the traffic wasn't so heavy, you live here, this is rush hour, deal with it. — Gudjon Bergmann

We were the neoromantic dance freaks of the eighties, proudly displaying our blow-dried mullets. Among us, you also found the stud-bracelet-wearing punk rockers with sky-high Mohawks. Pastel-colored, shoulder-padded fashion met ripped-jeans-and-leather-jacket anti-fashion. — Gudjon Bergmann

Life is not only measured by what happens to us. It is measured by the way in which we interpret what happens to us. — Gudjon Bergmann

The word constructive means 'carefully constructed, meant to be helpful'. Constructive thinking is therefore the process of carefully thinking or responding in a helpful and solution oriented manner. — Gudjon Bergmann

That's the problem, isn't it? Our youth enamored society hides death from us, makes us believe that we will live forever," Jack asserted, rather forcefully. "We don't want to see death. We even hide old people so that we don't have to be reminded of our own mortality. In other cultures, old age is celebrated, embraced even. Death is a part of life. — Gudjon Bergmann

Prior to postmodernism, it was all but impossible to claim that one was a cultural Christian, Jew, or Muslim. There was no such thing. Now, being culturally religious is a widely accepted stance. — Gudjon Bergmann

If you decide to focus on one thing at a time, instead of trying to solve everything at once, and just do that one thing, then you will feel a sudden decrease in stress. — Gudjon Bergmann

With experience as their guiding light, Christian monks and nuns could, for example, come together with Sufis and Yogis to pray and meditate, then discuss their experiences by talking about how silence and inner peace have changed their lives, instead of talking about the content of their prayers or focusing on theology. Hindus, Christians, and Muslims, who tread the path of goodness, could come together and do good works. Doing good side by side would show them that they are not as different as previously thought and that their various beliefs can lead to similar outcomes. — Gudjon Bergmann

We all want results and we want them fast. But, when practicing meditation, impatience is a hindrance. — Gudjon Bergmann

If knowing about the dangers of smoking were enough, almost no one would smoke. — Gudjon Bergmann

You must make a clear distinction between your creative mode and your critical mode. The two are like water and oil, they do not mix. — Gudjon Bergmann

... we are all guilty of oversimplification at one point or another. It's an enticing idea. It fulfills our need for instant gratification. We find one thing and scream, "Eureka!" We found IT - the one thing that explains it all. The only trouble is that it never works. We are more likely to squeeze gold from our coffee grinder than we are to meet with success when adopting an idea that has been simplified beyond recognition. — Gudjon Bergmann

It is almost impossible to get anyone with a postmodern slant to say "I think" and stand by what follows, without making sure that the person listening understands, "Of course, there are other things to consider. — Gudjon Bergmann

Letting go of the past does not mean that we should try to forget everything that has happened to us and not learn anything from our previous thinking patterns and actions. Letting go simply means that we do not allow the past to control our current thoughts and actions. — Gudjon Bergmann