"Life is a great school for the development of character, and all, through strife and struggle, vice and virtue, success and failure, are slowly but surely learning the lessons of wisdom."
~James Allen, The Mastery of Destiny

"In a relationship, we can pretend to be the same, to think the same, to feel the same, to dream the same, but there is no way that can happen. There are two dreamers with two dreams. Every dreamer is going to dream his own way. That is why we need to accept the differences that exist between two dreamers; we need to respect each other’s dream."
~Don Miguel Ruiz, The Mastery of Love

"Only what is true will survive, and that includes the concepts you have about yourself."
~Don Miguel Ruiz, The Mastery of Love

"I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You’re doing things you’ve never done before, and more importantly, you’re Doing Something. So that’s my wish for you, and all of us, and my wish for myself. Make New Mistakes. Make glorious, amazing mistakes. Make mistakes nobody’s ever made before. Don’t freeze, don’t stop, don’t worry that it isn’t good enough, or it isn’t perfect, whatever it is: art, or love, or work or family or life. Whatever it is you’re scared of doing, Do it. Make your mistakes, next year and forever."
~Neil Gaiman, Make Good Art

"The most terrible and beautiful and interesting things happen in a life. For some of you, those things have already happened. Whatever happens to you belongs to you. Make it yours. Feed it to yourself even if it feels impossible to swallow. Let it nurture you, because it will."
~Cheryl Strayed, Tiny Beautiful Things

"I recommend the following course of action for those who are just beginning their careers, or for those like me, who may be reconfiguring midway through: heed the words of Robert Frost. Start with a big, fat lump in your throat, start with a profound sense of wrong, a deep homesickness, or a crazy love sickness, and run with it. If you imagine less, less will be what you undoubtedly deserve. Do what you love, and don't stop until you get what you love. Work as hard as you can, imagine immensities, don't compromise, and don't waste time. Start now. Not 20 years from now, not two weeks from now. Now."
~Debbie Millman, Look Both Ways: Illustrated Essays on the Intersection of Life and Design

"To my mind, the world would be a much pleasanter and more civilized place to live in, if everyone resolved to pursue whatever is closest to his heart’s desire. We would be more creative and our productivity would be vastly increased. Altogether too much emphasis, I think, is being placed on what we ought to do, rather than what we want to do."
~William J. Reilly, How To Avoid Work

"Living has yet to be generally recognized as one of the arts. Being born and growing up are such common experiences that people seldom consider what they involve. As most readers of books pass from cover to cover, realizing not at all that the letters which form the words are the product of painstaking craftsmanship and that the imposition of the type upon the page, the composition of the title-piece, the binding of the volume, are the result of centuries of study and design, so also we take as a matter of course the miracle of being alive, and the comings and goings of the men and women about us."
~Karl De Schweinitz, The Art of Helping People Out of Trouble

"Be strong, be brave, be true. Endure."
~Dave Eggers, Zeitoun

"Do the best you can and never stop."
~Stephen Wiltshire

"Suspending criticism is killing the dragon Thou Shalt. Kill him."
~Joseph Campbell, Reflections on the Art of Living

"There is more hunger for love and appreciation in this world than for bread."
~Mother Teresa

"I suggest everyone stop having day jobs. Just have as many night jobs as necessary to pay for your day."
~Jared Frank, Work Magazine

"I often wonder about the relationship between pain and creating.  In the bible it says that God created the world out of darkness and chaos. In the Hebrew version, it says that God began his work out of emptiness and futility. That always seemed to answer the question for me. Although, God was able to transform darkness and chaos into something he referred to as being 'very good'. So perhaps it's our duty to be the gods of our own emptiness and transform our darkness and chaos into something 'very good'."
~Wade Ryff, to me, via email

“It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for what you are not.”
~André Gide

"You weren't created just to get your heart broken so God could laugh about it with his friends at a cloud bar."
~Théo Burkhardt, to me

"A human being is part of a whole called by us, the Universe."
~Albert Einstein (thanks Jamie)

"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on."
~Robert Frost (thanks Sara)

"woman next to me, 70 maybe. reading a book called Carnal Innocence. peeped some excerpts. holy cow."
~DCM, to me, via text, regarding his flight from Oakland to LA

"How we got to be who we are and what we are today is of supreme unimportance compared with coming together to get out of the mess we have made of our world."
~Jane Goodall, when asked where she stands on Darwinism vs. creationism

"You were born with an energy and passion for doing what you believe in. In fact, you've been thinking big and reaching high and doing more for as long as I can remember. And this world needs you... your courage and truth, your caring mind and heart, your imagination and talents, your smile and your voice. I'm really proud of you, you know. And I love you with all my heart!"
~personalized Valentine's Day card from my mom and dad (I'm a lucky daughter)

"When we are together it occurs to me how glorious life can (and is intended to) be. So much is possible. The things that lie ahead are going to exceed even our wildest imaginings simply because what lies inside us is limitless. Thank you for helping me taste the infinite."
~me, to my dear friend's Donnie and Elaine

"A tale is told of a teacher and his disciples watching a tightrope walker who was so absorbed in what he was doing that they asked their teacher what it was that riveted the aerialist's gaze to this seemingly foolish performance. The teacher answered, 'I cannot say why this man is risking his life. I only know that while he is up there, he is not thinking of the gold coins he is earning by walking the rope--for if he did, he would fall."
~Sheldon Kopp, All God's Children Are Lost, But Only a Few Can Play the Piano

"Words cannot describe what I have to look forward to being in your life."
~Joseph Kalish, love ever after (thanks Mel)

"If we want to be creative, we must learn to care less about how we will look in the eyes of others than what we feel about what we are doing. For the audience, an artistic production is only a public event; for the artist, it is a personal experience. But it is not the outcome but our input that counts. The rewards for our work come from the individual efforts we put into them. Public acceptance is simply a fringe benefit."
~Sheldon Kopp, All God's Children Are Lost, But Only a Few Can Play the Piano

"you were like.. a firework show
in our living room
pow pow pow
dazzling / loud / not sure what to think about a firework show in your living room
you want it in the sky
or at least... you.... are used to it being in the sky"
~Melanie Caselas, via chat, on meeting me for the first time (I took it as a compliment)

"Many people believe that the best way to serve God is exemplified by the followers of traditional religion, that is those who affirm their spirituality by leading austere lives, devoted to studying sacred scriptures and immersing themselves in ritual prayer. The spiritual way that moves me most is both more mystical and more personal than this traditional approach. It is the way of ordinary people leading active, everyday lives and honoring the higher power within themselves by meeting others lovingly. If we believe that God made us as we are 'because He does not want people to be caged in their lusts, but to be free in them,' we serve Him by engaging in earthly delights with heartfelt devotion."
~Sheldon Kopp, All God's Children Are Lost, But Only a Few Can Play the Piano

"Meeting as two people who are soulfully dedicated to sharing their real selves, each releasing divine sparks, creates the intimacy and warmth needed for the personal growth of both of us... We each must find our own way, but the openness and caring of intimate companions makes being on our own easier to bear."
~Sheldon Kopp, All God's Children Are Lost, But Only a Few Can Play the Piano

"You can rake the muck this way, rake the muck that way--it will always be muck. Have I sinned or have I not sinned? In the time I am brooding over it, I could be stringing pearls for the delight of Heaven."
~Martin Buber

"Only by setting aside our idealized image of who we imagine we should be, can we allow the emergence of that awkward combination of strength and weakness that is our true self. The tension between the creative and destructive, light and dark, holy and horrible, generates the energy required to propel our growth and development. We all struggle with these inner contradictions, each in his or her own way. Both spiritual and personal growth are individual attainments. As Martin Buber notes, what kind of God would make us all so different and then allow only one way to serve Him?"
~Sheldon Kopp, All God's Children Are Lost, But Only a Few Can Play the Piano