... my physical response occurred before thought…

... if you want to change yourself, you have to change your structurally determined responses, not alter your environment.

Learning occurs most powerfully when you acknowledge fully what you are at this very moment with truthfulness and authenticity, and also compassion. You are your history, in this special sense. If you accept this, then you’ll be able to learn and improve your relationships, your self-expression, and your well-being. If you reject this, you’ll spend the rest of your life looking for an imaginary “right” world of safety.

Language brings forth the world that you live in. if you want to change, it’s profoundly useful to observe how you language yourself into being and in your relationships.

Remember that learning involves structural alteration of your body.