Top 100 Gudjon Bergmann Quotes
#1. 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
#2. 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
#3. 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
#4. Once we got closer to the origins of these Eastern practices, we found that the monks and swamis were just as dogmatic and paternalistic, just as literal and conservative in their approach to spirituality as the Christian priests and ministers we were trying to get away from.
Gudjon Bergmann
#5. Traffic will not yield to our will, neither will global finances, the environment, political rhetoric, nor people in general. There is no way to solve the problem of stress through blaming environmental factors.
Gudjon Bergmann
#6. Instead of pitting nature against nurture, we must understand that both work in harmony. We can influence our nature through nurture.
Gudjon Bergmann
#7. 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
#8. ... our generation hasn't made any meaningful contribution to the field. We have promoted atheism, displayed agnosticism (which amounts to an ambiguous shoulder shrug), or, in most cases, been eerily silent.
Gudjon Bergmann
#9. Is our rational and self-reliant generation really supposed to accept the idea that God the Almighty not only created the universe but, interestingly enough, also has a stake in our lives?
Gudjon Bergmann
#10. 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
#11. By exclaiming that "there are no absolute truths" the postmodern stance is also claiming that the statement it just made is an absolute truth - trying to have it both ways, rejecting absolutism with absolutism.
Gudjon Bergmann
#12. 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
#13. There is no such thing as lack of time, only unclear priorities and lack of motivation. It is better to abandon a project than to work on it half-heartedly for a protracted period of time.
Gudjon Bergmann
#14. No one can save time. It's not like money. You can't deposit the time you save into an account and use it later. Time passes. Time is a constantly depleting resource. Once it's gone, it's gone, and you will NEVER get it back.
Gudjon Bergmann
#15. 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
#16. Teaching should not be confused with personal practice.
Gudjon Bergmann
#17. For a number of people, church attendance seems to be primarily a social affair, the act of meeting other people outside of the pressures of work. For others it is pure business/politics. I get it. It's important to have access to a community like the one a church provides.
Gudjon Bergmann
#18. 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
#19. 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
#20. Everyone who is alive can find something to be grateful for if they look for it. If you are among the few that can't find anything, start with the fact that you are ALIVE and continue from there. Counting ones blessings is a barometer of mental health.
Gudjon Bergmann
#21. 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
#23. 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
#24. 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
#25. Dreams seem to generate a special kind of passion and willpower, both of which help people navigate the seas of life.
Gudjon Bergmann
#26. She had lived in Iceland from birth, a total of 36 years, without knowing that she had the right to live, work and vote in the USA.
Gudjon Bergmann
#27. 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
#28. 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
#29. 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
#30. When people ask us why we moved to Austin we can truthfully answer: We pointed at the map.
Gudjon Bergmann
#31. In essence, oversimplification tends to take a partial truth and make it all powerful.
Gudjon Bergmann
#32. 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
#33. Concentration is the doorway through which the meditative state becomes available.
Gudjon Bergmann
#34. 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
#35. 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
#36. Writing is a psychological process. It is the process of taking what is in your mind and sharing it with others.
Gudjon Bergmann
#37. 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
#38. 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
#39. I will not like everyone, not everyone will like me, and that is OK.
Gudjon Bergmann
#40. Stop hoping for the weather to change, this is where you chose to live, either accept it or move.
Gudjon Bergmann
#41. 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
#42. 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
#43. 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
#44. Stop wishing that other people would act differently, either accept them for who they are or stop being around them.
Gudjon Bergmann
#45. the vile political rhetoric that has been ongoing in the USA for the past few years has made me doubt my reasons for becoming a U.S. citizen a few times - but not enough to change my mind. Despite what the world may think of America, the truth is that more people want to get in than want to get out.
Gudjon Bergmann
#46. 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
#47. Most people in Iceland are either referred to as the son or daughter of their father. For example, a woman with a father named John is Johnsdaughter, or in Icelandic Jonsdottir. A man with a father named John is Johnsson, or Jonsson in Icelandic.
Gudjon Bergmann
#48. 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
#49. Are you giving the same advice over and over and over again to clients, patients, pupils, interns or friends? If the answer is yes, you should probably write a book about whatever it is that you keep repeating.
Gudjon Bergmann
#50. Imagine being startled repeatedly during the day. This is stress in a nutshell. There is always a buildup of tension, sometimes a little, sometimes a lot. We need to accept the truth that we all get stressed every day and we all need to seek balance to counteract the detrimental effects of stress.
Gudjon Bergmann
#51. Clear, direct and vibrant instructions will inject energy into the class, and create a feeling of safety for the students.
Gudjon Bergmann
#52. The moments of peace in between the mental practices are meditation.
Gudjon Bergmann
#53. 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
#54. 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
#55. 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
#56. 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
#57. 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
#58. Self-confidence is built from the inside out and has little or nothing to do with outside circumstances.
Gudjon Bergmann
#59. Why lie, Robert? Why lie? You know that lying is the alcoholics kryptonite, you can't afford it, the reasonable voice in his head screamed.
Gudjon Bergmann
#60. I also urge you not to wash your hands, face or mouth in between cigarettes. Let the taste and smell stay with you, in your hair, your clothes, hands and face.
Gudjon Bergmann
#61. 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
#63. Short term goals are often based on dissatisfaction, and actions based on dissatisfaction will eventually lead to a life of unhappiness.
Gudjon Bergmann
#64. 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
#65. Write until you have nothing left to say and then stop writing. Focus on content and quality rather than word count.
Gudjon Bergmann
#66. 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
#67. The term trans-rational is emblematic of a worldview within which rationality is included and transcended, not repressed or dismissed.
Gudjon Bergmann
#68. Restlessness is the number one enemy of people who have just quit smoking.
Gudjon Bergmann
#69. 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
#70. 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
#71. Our generation may be able to listen to sermons in a Joseph Campbellish way, treating Bible stories as instructional myths pointing to a deeper communal reality - that is, if we haven't replaced them with Star Wars myths or their equivalent - but don't ask us to believe with our heart and soul.
Gudjon Bergmann
#72. I say we make our voices heard. For us, for our kids, I say that it is time to figure out a new approach to spirituality, one that honors rationality.
Gudjon Bergmann
#73. Yoga teachers must be willing to step down from this imagined pedestal and utter the words "I don't know" on a regular basis.
Gudjon Bergmann
#74. Here is my theory: If smoking is really good, you should be able to smoke and do nothing else at the same time, really focusing all your attention on smoking and how it makes you feel.
Gudjon Bergmann
#75. One myth that has become established in the self-development arena is that it only takes 21 days to form a new habit. This simply isn't true in all cases. Sometimes it takes a shorter time, sometimes a longer time, and sometimes old habits are so hard to break that new ones never take hold.
Gudjon Bergmann
#76. It's a really simple formula: Your experience + Yoga = New Students.
Gudjon Bergmann
#77. We are known to be anti-authoritarian, anti-institutional, and notoriously anti-religious - more likely to quote Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Monty Python, or Star Trek than the Bible.
Gudjon Bergmann
#78. 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
#79. 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
#80. Nicotine is a fast acting drug with short lived effects, which you can assume by the fact that you need to smoke often.
Gudjon Bergmann
#81. 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
#82. 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
#83. Regretful and negative thoughts about the past can effectively induce the same kind of fight or flight response that external threats stimulate.
Gudjon Bergmann
#84. 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
#85. Speaking softly and slowly, and breathing through the vocal chords in a low voice, has become the mythical ideal voice for a yoga teacher.
Gudjon Bergmann
#86. 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
#87. Motivated authors sacrifice TV time, sleep, hobbies, and even family time.
Gudjon Bergmann
#88. 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
#89. I realized that moderate amounts of stress, when directed or funneled in specific directions, could be both beneficial and practical.
Gudjon Bergmann
#90. 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
#91. 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
#92. 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
#93. I have seen yoga teachers, almost in frenzy, looking for something new; new postures, breathing exercises, styles of yoga, teachers and so on. But what are they really searching for? Escape from boredom.
Gudjon Bergmann
#94. If knowing about the dangers of smoking were enough, almost no one would smoke.
Gudjon Bergmann
#95. Breaking away from old psychological memes requires a Herculean effort in many cases. In essence, we are outgrowing a worldview while maintaining a relation-ship of sorts. Transcending an ideology can feel like going through a divorce and having to stay friends because of the kids.
Gudjon Bergmann
#96. We were the first latchkey-kid generation. Our parents believed in free love, and for many of us, that meant broken homes.
Gudjon Bergmann
#97. 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
#98. Being spiritual-but-nonreligious sounds good in theory - at least it's better than attending antiquated religious institutions. We can do that. And we have. A growing number of us identify as spiritual-but-nonreligious.
Gudjon Bergmann
#99. ...rationality can easily unveil the futility of life and lead to depression - as the stereotype of the extremely smart, but world-weary, educated man (often portrayed as a detective, philosopher, or doctor) suggests. As such, the rational worldview has its limits.
Gudjon Bergmann
#100. If stress were only caused by external events or other people, everyone, without exception, would respond in the same way to the same kind of external provocations.
Gudjon Bergmann
Famous Authors
Popular Topics
Scroll to Top
