Without equanimity, we might give love to others only in an effort to bridge the inevitable and healthy space that always exists between two people.

We nurture our sense of connection with the larger whole, noticing that the whole is only as healthy as its smallest part.

Sometimes people in abusive situations think they’re responsible for the other person’s happiness or that they’re going to fix them and make them feel better. The practice of equanimity teaches that it’s not all up to you to make someone else happy.

Real forgiveness in close relationships is never easy. It can’t be rushed or engineered.

How we traverse the space between us when conflict arises has a profound effect on the health and longevity of our relationships.

The more we identify and acknowledge moments when we’re unable to share in someone else’s pleasure and ask ourselves whether another person’s happiness truly jeopardizes our own, the more we pave the way for experiencing sympathetic joy