Ellen Burstyn Quotes

The hours and days you spend being annoyed or frustrated are times when you deny yourself access to life's best possibilities. When you live in anger and resentment, you cut yourself off from life's goodness.

I think having pointers and having guidance from mentors is very important, but it never actually embodies what you go through. And if something doesn't feel good, why do you repeat it? If you feel good bemoaning an audition for a week, go for it. But if you feel better bemoaning an audition that didn't go very well for 30 minutes because you believe in the craft and the process, then I suggest you do that. And that's what I suggest to myself. The alternative is way too painful and destructive.

Do not cherish suffering. Don't act like a fool. Don't think that your suffering is going to accelerate your spiritual progress.

I once had a garden filled with flowers that grew only on dark thoughts, but they needed constant attention and one day I decided I had better things to do.

No matter what the issue is, don't try to justify why you don't feel good. And don't try to justify why you should feel differently. Don't try to blame whatever it is you think the reason is that's keeping you from feeling good. All of that is wasted effort. Just try to feel better right now.

I have no control over what people think, and if I were to spend energy on that, I would be a lifeless, deadened human being.

It is a simple but sometimes forgotten truth that the greatest enemy to present joy and high hopes is the cultivation of retrospective bitterness.

There's no regret. You can't regret. I mean, I've felt regret but I've also refused to allow regret to sow a seed and live in me because I don't believe it. You feel it, it's like guilt, it's like jealousy, it's like all those horrible things. You've just got to snip them and get them out, because they're no good.

Regrets and recriminations only hurt your soul.

Anything negative, I have to let go because it's too toxic for me.

I try to keep myself in a decently light headspace.

If some things don't make me feel good, I stop them. How simple, yet so hard to do.

I try not to be judgmental. I meditate twice a day. I get some sort of physical exercise. I infuse my life with love. I love what I do, the job.

Let's never try to get even with our enemies, because if we do we will hurt ourselves far more than we hurt them. Let's do as General Eisenhower does: let's never waste a minute thinking about people we don't like.

Happiness is lost by criticizing it; sorrow by accepting it.

Making our goal anything other than peace is emotionally self-destructive.

Don't care about all the pain in front of me, cause I'm just trying to be happy.

Trust Me. Life is not worth living feeling sad and down and lonely. Always be true to who you are.

Guard your good mood.

Although anxiety is part of life, never let it control you.

Letting yourself off the hook takes the stress away.

You have to take an active role in making yourself happy. That's why I say happiness is a choice. Because you have to choose it.

The sad ones are those who waste their energy in trying to hold it back, for they can only feel bitterness in loss and no joy in gain.

Why do people spend their time being sad when they could be happy?

Do nothing in a depressed mood, nor as one afflicted, nor as thinking that you are in misery, for no one compels you to that.