--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If we're not open to losing, we're not…" description: "\"If we're not open to losing, we're not open to loving.\" — Tara Brach" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7e/tara-brach-1898_ifs_if-we-re-not-open-to-losing-we-re-not-op_2436686.png" --- # If we're not open to losing, we're not open to loving. ![“If we're not open to losing, we're not open to loving.” quote by Tara Brach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7e/tara-brach-1898_ifs_if-we-re-not-open-to-losing-we-re-not-op_2436686.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7e/tara-brach-1898_ifs_if-we-re-not-open-to-losing-we-re-not-op_2436686.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7e/tara-brach-1898_ifs_if-we-re-not-open-to-losing-we-re-not-op_2436686.png) > “If we're not open to losing, we're not open to loving.” [Tara Brach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-brach/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Embracing vulnerability and possible loss opens the heart to love and connection. **In simple terms:** Being open to loss lets love grow. Key Takeaway Accept risk to love fully. Themes vulnerability love risk growth Mood reflective hopeful Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - relationships - personal growth - therapy - parenting Key Concepts psychology attachment theory mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - What loss are you avoiding? - How might embracing loss deepen your relationships? A Different Perspective Fear of loss can paralyze and prevent intimacy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Losing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/losing/) [Losing Open](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/losing-open-348851/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Loving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loving/) [Open Losing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/open-losing-348852/) [Open Loving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/open-loving-348850/) ## Related quotes > [To open in a loving way is to let awareness notice that tightening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-brach/to-open-in-a-loving-way-is-to-let-awareness-notice-that-tightening/) [Tara Brach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-brach/) > [My parents, who grew up in terror and dealt with segregation and humiliation, nonetheless taught us to be hopeful and open and loving and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-stevenson/my-parents-who-grew-up-in-terror-and-dealt-with-segregation-and/) [Bryan Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-stevenson/) > [“The venerable teachers, philosophers & spiritual practitioners throughout history have concluded that the greatest happiness we can experience comes from the development of an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-lokos/the-venerable-teachers-philosophers-spiritual-practitioners/) [Allan Lokos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-lokos/) > [A Mother's Heart Is like a Rose Always open Always loving...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-mother-s-heart-is-like-a-rose-always-open-always-loving/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you have an open, loving, positive attitude, anything burdensome in life can be lightened!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-van-praagh/if-you-have-an-open-loving-positive-attitude-anything-burdensome-in/) [James Van Praagh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-van-praagh/) > [My heart is open and loving even when I am hurt and troubled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sikhwetha-maanda-stanley/my-heart-is-open-and-loving-even-when-i-am-hurt-and-troubled/) [Sikhwetha Maanda Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sikhwetha-maanda-stanley/) > [Sometimes I'm not as open to loving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-ross/sometimes-i-m-not-as-open-to-loving/) [Ryan Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-ross/) > [I'm a very open and loving person. My whole thing has been "let love rule" since my first album. I'm about unity and peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-kravitz/i-m-a-very-open-and-loving-person-my-whole-thing-has-been-let-love/) [Lenny Kravitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-kravitz/) > [“Key is being open to loving ourselves.  Once we do that, life casually takes care of the next steps.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamal-ravikant/key-is-being-open-to-loving-ourselves-once-we-do-that-life-casually/) [Kamal Ravikant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamal-ravikant/) > [If we didn't love things, then we couldn't feel their loss. The flip side of loving is losing. 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And especially we must learn to love those that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/if-we-are-serious-about-loving-god-we-must-begin-with-people-all/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [There's no ifs and buts or maybes, you're gonna miss, you're gonna miss my loving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-rawls/there-s-no-ifs-and-buts-or-maybes-you-re-gonna-miss-you-re-gonna-miss/) [Lou Rawls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-rawls/) > [“But, you know, if you choose to be with someone you should feel good with them, otherwise it doesn't make sense... How do you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/assia-petricelli/but-you-know-if-you-choose-to-be-with-someone-you-should-feel-good/) [Assia Petricelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/assia-petricelli/) > [Loving you is the best feeling have ever had, and you loving me is the greater gift I have..I will be brave, I wont…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fash/loving-you-is-the-best-feeling-have-ever-had-and-you-loving-me-is-the/) [Fash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fash/) ## More by Tara Brach > [It is natural that our minds replay old stories, because that is our own mechanism for trying to work out unresolved problems. Yet rerunning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-brach/it-is-natural-that-our-minds-replay-old-stories-because-that-is-our/) [Tara Brach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-brach/) > [The great gift of a spiritual path is coming to trust that you can find a way to true refuge. You realize that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-brach/the-great-gift-of-a-spiritual-path-is-coming-to-trust-that-you-can/) [Tara Brach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-brach/) > [Sometimes the easiest way to appreciate ourselves is by looking through the eyes of someone who loves us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-brach/sometimes-the-easiest-way-to-appreciate-ourselves-is-by-looking/) [Tara Brach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-brach/) > [By taking the time to explore charged memories in therapy we might uncover feelings that have been buried for decades.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-brach/by-taking-the-time-to-explore-charged-memories-in-therapy-we-might/) [Tara Brach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-brach/) > [To me, bringing mindfulness-bas ed practices to students, teachers and parents is some of the most important work we can be doing. If we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-brach/to-me-bringing-mindfulness-bas-ed-practices-to-students-teachers-and/) [Tara Brach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-brach/) > [The mistake we make is that when we're feeling another person is not treating us in the way that makes us feel secure and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-brach/the-mistake-we-make-is-that-when-we-re-feeling-another-person-is-not/) [Tara Brach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-brach/) > [Emotions are the interaction of thoughts and of sensations in the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-brach/emotions-are-the-interaction-of-thoughts-and-of-sensations-in-the-body/) [Tara Brach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-brach/) > [Our attitude in the face of life's challenges determines our suffering or our freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-brach/our-attitude-in-the-face-of-life-s-challenges-determines-our/) [Tara Brach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-brach/) > [Become a witness to your thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-brach/become-a-witness-to-your-thoughts/) [Tara Brach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-brach/) > [My prayer became 'May I find peace... May I love this life no matter what.' I was seeking an inner refuge, an experience of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-brach/my-prayer-became-may-i-find-peace-may-i-love-this-life-no-matter-what/) [Tara Brach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-brach/) > [When we see the secret beauty of anyone, including ourselves, we see past our judgment and fear into the core of who we truly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-brach/when-we-see-the-secret-beauty-of-anyone-including-ourselves-we-see/) [Tara Brach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-brach/) > [I think it's possible to have experiences of love without attachment, but I think part of our conditioning is to grasp at times, especially…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-brach/i-think-it-s-possible-to-have-experiences-of-love-without-attachment/) [Tara Brach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-brach/) > [But this revolutionary act of treating ourselves tenderly can begin to undo the aversive messages of a lifetime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-brach/but-this-revolutionary-act-of-treating-ourselves-tenderly-can-begin/) [Tara Brach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-brach/) > [Stories about ourselves and about the world continually arise in our minds and shape our beliefs about reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-brach/stories-about-ourselves-and-about-the-world-continually-arise-in-our/) [Tara Brach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-brach/) > [Discovering a richer quality of being-ness means to keep surrendering and letting go of resistance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-brach/discovering-a-richer-quality-of-being-ness-means-to-keep-surrendering/) [Tara Brach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-brach/) [Explore all 200 Tara Brach quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-brach/) ## More Ifs quotes > [Women still, when they have breast cancer, go to work; they still lead their lives. 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If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/) [Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/) > [Many individuals spend a considerable portion of their lifetimes in terror of one imagined catastrophe or another. The classic is that your immortal soul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/many-individuals-spend-a-considerable-portion-of-their-lifetimes-in/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) > [Obviously, if you don't love life, you can't enjoy an oyster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-clark/obviously-if-you-don-t-love-life-you-can-t-enjoy-an-oyster/) [Eleanor Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-clark/) > [If I don't have pressure, I don't function.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferran-adria/if-i-don-t-have-pressure-i-don-t-function/) [Ferran Adria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferran-adria/) > [If you restore a car, and you're making money, then you're doing it wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/if-you-restore-a-car-and-you-re-making-money-then-you-re-doing-it/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [If we gave up our freedom as the price of security, we would no longer be the great nation that we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/if-we-gave-up-our-freedom-as-the-price-of-security-we-would-no-longer/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. 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Hitting your kid is really the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/the-thing-about-hitting-kids-is-think-about-if-you-were-doing-the/) [Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) [Browse all 94,303 Ifs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If we're not open to losing, we're not open to loving.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tara Brach" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-brach/if-we-re-not-open-to-losing-we-re-not-open-to-loving/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ifs" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-brach/if-we-re-not-open-to-losing-we-re-not-open-to-loving/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7e/tara-brach-1898_ifs_if-we-re-not-open-to-losing-we-re-not-op_2436686.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7e/tara-brach-1898_ifs_if-we-re-not-open-to-losing-we-re-not-op_2436686.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7e/tara-brach-1898_ifs_if-we-re-not-open-to-losing-we-re-not-op_2436686.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If we're not open to losing, we're not open to loving.” — Tara Brach", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Tara Brach", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-brach/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If we're not open to losing,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-brach/if-we-re-not-open-to-losing-we-re-not-open-to-loving/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-brach/if-we-re-not-open-to-losing-we-re-not-open-to-loving/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```