John O'Donohue

Each one of us was sent here for a special destiny.

— John O'Donohue

It is human longing that makes us holy.

— John O'Donohue

Inspiration is always a surprising visitor.

— John O'Donohue

“Let the flame of anger free you of all falsity.”

— John O'Donohue

The world rests in the night.

— John O'Donohue

Light is incredibly generous, but also gentle.

— John O'Donohue

Beauty is the illumination of your soul.

— John O'Donohue

Art is the essence of awareness.

— John O'Donohue

When you steal a people's language, you leave their soul bewildered.

— John O'Donohue

Often regret is very false and displaced, and imagines the past to be totally other than it was.

— John O'Donohue

One of the most beautiful gifts in the world is the gift of encouragement.

— John O'Donohue

A person's beauty is sophisticated and sacred and is far beyond image, appearance or personality.

— John O'Donohue

To have true integrity, poise, and courage is to be attuned to the silent and invisible nature within you.

— John O'Donohue

To be holy is to be home, to be able to rest in the house of belonging that we call the soul.

— John O'Donohue

We do not need to operate according to the idea of a predetermined program for our lives.

— John O'Donohue

“I would love to live like a river flows, carried by the surprise of its own unfolding.”

— John O'Donohue

Thought is an amazing thing: it can be a mirror, a lens, a bridge, a wall, a window, a ladder or a…

— John O'Donohue

...the only difference between a young person at the height of their exuberance and a very old person who is frail and…

— John O'Donohue

Negativity is an addiction to the bleak shadow that lingers around every human form ... you can transfigure negativity by turning it…

— John O'Donohue

At death, this physical separation is broken. The soul is released from its particular and exclusive location in this body. The soul…

— John O'Donohue

Most people are enduring a marginalized isolation. One of the great obstacles to modern friendships is the 'religion of rush.' People are…

— John O'Donohue

In contrast to how a child belongs in the world, adult belonging is never as natural, innocent, or playful. Adult belonging has…

— John O'Donohue

May I live this day... Compassionate of heart, / Gentle in word, / Gracious in awareness / Courageous in thought, / Generous in love / Eternal Echoes

— John O'Donohue

Functionalism is lethal when it is not balanced by a sense of reverence. Without reverence, there is no sense of presence or…

— John O'Donohue

Though the human body is born complete in one moment, the birth of the human heart is an ongoing process. It is…

— John O'Donohue

The world rests in the night. Trees, mountains, fields, and faces are released from the prison of shape and the burden of…

— John O'Donohue

In turning away from beauty, we turn away from all that is wholesome and true, and deliver ourselves into an exile where…

— John O'Donohue

Transience is the force of time that makes a ghost of every experience. There was never a dawn, regardless how beautiful or…

— John O'Donohue

The idea [of therapy] isn't to give people answers, or lead their bark of longing into a safe, dull, protected harbor, but…

— John O'Donohue

Part of understanding the notion of Justice is to recognize the disproportions among which we live...it takes an awful lot of living…

— John O'Donohue

“Though beauty is autonomous, there seem to be occasions when human presence can become congruent with her will. In creative work no…

— John O'Donohue

On its outer surface time is vulnerable to transience. Regardless of its sadness or beauty, each day empties and vanishes. In its…

— John O'Donohue

There is a quiet light that shines in every heart. It draws no attention to itself though it is always secretly there.…

— John O'Donohue

“A Blessing; May the light of your soul guide you; May the light of your soul bless the work you do with…

— John O'Donohue

“For Someone Awakening To The Trauma of His or Her Past: For everything under the sun there is a time. This is…

— John O'Donohue

“One of the most amazing recognitions of the human mind is that time passes. Everything that we experience somehow passes into a…

— John O'Donohue

Each morning we awaken to the light and the invitation to a new day in the world of time; each night we…

— John O'Donohue

When you learn to embrace your self with a sense of appreciation and affection, you begin to glimpse the goodness and light…

— John O'Donohue

What you encounter, recognize or discover depends to a large degree on the quality of your approach. Many of the ancient cultures…

— John O'Donohue

“For Equilibrium, a Blessing: Like the joy of the sea coming home to shore, May the relief of laughter rinse through your…

— John O'Donohue