"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

"When we attempt to hide whatever we imagine might appear eccentric or weird, we also risk obscuring the richness of any exceptional aspects of who we are. We each have something precious in us that does not exist in anyone else. The universal human possibilities are uniquely combined in each particular person. The colorfulness of our individual personalities shows up clearly when we carefully observe which way our own hearts draw us and then choose to walk this personal path with all our strength. The true value of our accomplishments is that we each bring them about in our own way and by our own efforts."
~Sheldon Kopp, All God's Children Are Lost, But Only a Few Can Play the Piano

"Once we begin to risk living openly and in good faith, we may lose interest in trying to figure out what's right and what's wrong and get on with living a life that is worthwhile to us, regardless of what it might mean to others."
~Sheldon Kopp, All God's Children Are Lost, But Only a Few Can Play the Piano

"When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us."
~Helen Keller

"Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing."
~Helen Keller

"Do you recall, from your childhood, how very much this life of yours has longed for greatness? I see it now, how from the vantage point of greatness it longs for even greater greatness. That is why it does not let up being difficult, but that is also why it will not cease to grow."
~Rainer Maria Rilke (thanks Sara)

"You can never argue with buttery saltiness."
~Ron Toews, aka Dad, on enjoying the simple things

"I cannot afford to waste my time making money."
~Louis Agassiz (thanks jG)

"Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true."
~Lord Alfred Tennyson (thanks Anna)

"If you want to have a life, you will have to build one."
~Elaine Reid, Important Tips

"You can use a challenge to awaken you, or you can allow it to pull you into even deeper sleep."
~Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now

"In my learned opinion, often the best thing you can do for a wound is to pour saltwater in it."
~Anna Groth-Shive, Endless Yeses

"One never reaches home, but wherever friendly paths intersect the whole world looks like home for a time."

~Hermann Hesse (thanks Mark)

"You look strong enough to break a calf over your knee, happy enough to eat it like a watermelon."
~John Steinbeck (thanks Anna)

"I want a million dollars!"
~me to The Universe

"No, you have a million dollars, thank you Universe."
~Elaine Reid, correcting my statement for me

"Oh, ok... I have a million dollars, thank you Universe. Please send me map."
~me

"I have this fear that I'll never overcome my fear."
~Elaine Reid, to me, while eating oatmeal

"I by no means am done discovering, but I have seen the outlines of my shore. It took me so long just to arrive at the knowledge that the destination I seek is in fact there -- but it's not some distant island I'm sloshing at sea to reach, it is in me. So close. So far. Slowly I add a new coordinate to my map. X moves around marking a different spot each day. Some days I am courageous enough and patient enough and strong enough to unearth the treasure, and some days I stay anchored in the boat, shivering in the cold of my own fog. I let myself have those days. I am learning to let myself have all the days, the glittering gold and ruby days, the gray and unfriendly days too. They are all my days. I am all my days. What matters is that I believe in my island, and it's not even about reaching it, it's about knowing it's there."
~me, hopeful romantics

"Cities offer up a lot of space to not park in."
~Ron Toews (aka Dad), on trying to find a parking spot in Seattle

"Today is just a good day in disguise."
~Paul Venghaus (thanks JG)

"Love is life. All, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love. Everything is united by it alone. Love is God, and to die means that I, a particle of love, shall return to the general and eternal source."
~Leo Tolstoy (thanks Mom)

"Patience has its limits. Take it too far and it's cowardice."
~George Jackson (thanks Mel)

"Trust your heart if the seas catch fire, live by love though the stars walk backwards."
~e.e. cummings (thanks Mom)