“Are you willing to forget what you have done for other people and to remember what other people have done for you; to ignore what the world owes you and to think what you owe the world; to put your rights in the background and your duties in the middle distance and your chances to do a little more than your duty in the foreground; to see that your fellow men are just as real as you are, and try to look behind their faces to their hearts, hungry for joy; to own that probably the only good reason for your existence is not waht you are going to get out of life, but what you are going to give life; to close your book of complaints against the management of the universe and look around you for a place where you can sow a few seeds of happiness - are you willing to do these things for even a day?Are you willing to stoop down and consider the needs and the desires of little children; to remember the weakness and loneliness of people who are growing old; to stop asking how much your friends love you and ask yourself whether you love them enough; to bear in mind the things that other people have to bear on their hearts; to try to understand what those who live in the same house with you really want, without waiting for them to tell you; to trim your lamp so that it will give more light and less smoke, and to carry it in front of you so that your shadow will fall behind you; to make a grave for your ugly thoughts and a garden for your kindly feelings, with the gate open - are you willing to do these things for even a day?Are you willing to believe that love is the strongest thing in the world, - stronger than hate, stronger than evil, stronger than death, - and that the blessed life which began in Bethlehem nineteen hundred years ago is the image and brightness of the Eternal Love? Then you can keep Christmas. And if you keep it for a day, why not always?But you can never keep it alone.”

“Are you willing to stoop down and consider the needs and desires of little children; to remember the weaknesses and lonliness of people who are growing old; to stop asking how much your friends love you, and to ask yourself if you love them enough; to bear in mind the things that other people have to bear on their hearts; to trim your lamp so that it will give more light and less smoke, and to carry it in front so that your shadow will fall behind you; to make a grave for your ugly thougts and a garden for your kindly feelings, with the gate open? Are you willing to do these things for a day? Then you are ready to keep Christmas!”

“It is very important that you only do what you love to do. you may be poor, you may go hungry, you may lose your car, you may have to move into a shabby place to live, but you will totally live. And at the end of your days you will bless your life because you have done what you came here to do. Otherwise, you will live your life as a prostitute, you will do things only for a reason, to please other people, and you will never have lived. and you will not have a pleasant death.”

“Who needs a house? I'm talking about your heart. You have plenty of guest rooms there. And that's what you do. You open your heart to people. You keep lovely little rooms in there, just waiting for your friends to come visit. People feel as if they can come right in, just as they are. You don't entertain, you love. That's what lasts. That's why people like me feel as if I will always be your friend. You hold a special place for me in your heart.”

“FORBIDDENPain without learning is forbidden,waking up one day not knowing what to do,being afraid of your memories.It is forbidden not to smile at problems, not to fight for what you want,to abandon all because of fears,not to realize your dreams.It is forbidden not to show your love,to be ashamed of your tears,to not laugh with children,to make someone else pay your debts, bad humor.It is forbidden to forget your friends,to not try to understand why they live far away,to treat people as disposable,to call them only when you need them.It is forbidden to not be yourself in front of others,pretending around people you don’t care about,trying to be funny just so you'll be remembered,to forget about all the people who love you.It is forbidden not to do things for yourself,to be afraid of life and its commitments,to not to live each day as if it were your last.It forbidden to take someone out without having fun,to forget their eyes, their laugh,to not respect love even if it is past,just because your paths have stopped crossing,to forget your past and only live in the moment.It is forbidden not to try to understand people,to think that other’s lives are worth more than yours,to not know that each one of us has our own way and our own happiness.It is forbidden not create your own story,to have no time for people who need you,to not understand what life gives to you, and that it can also be taken away.It is forbidden not find your happiness,to not live your life with a positive attitude,to not think we can do better and be better,to feel that without you, this world would still be the same...”

“(Mma Ramotswe thinking about what her father taught her…)“Having the right approach to life was a great gift in this life….Do not complain about your life. Do not blame others for things that you have brought upon yourself. Be content with who you are and where you are, and do whatever you can do to bring to others such contentment, and joy, and understanding that you have managed to find yourself…You can do that in the company of an old friend—you can close your eyes and think of the land that gave you life and breath, and of all the reasons why you are glad that you are there, with the people you know, with the people you love.”