“Genius at first is little more than a great capacity for receiving discipline.”

“Genius is seldom recognized for what it is: a great capacity for hard work.”

“These days, Clarissa believes, you measure people first by their kindness and their capacity for devotion. You get tired, sometimes, of wit and intellect; everybody's little display of genius.”

“All too often we bemoan our imperfections rather than embrace them as part of the process in which we are brought to God. Cherished emptiness gives God space in which to work. We are pure capacity for God. Let us not, then, take our littleness lightly. It is a wonderful grace. It is a gift to receive. At the same time, let us not get trapped in the confines of our littleness, but keep pushing on to claim our greatness. Remind yourself often, “I am pure capacity for God; I can be more.”

“Genius, in truth, means little more than the faculty of perceiving in an unhabitual way.”

“What harbor can receive you more securely than a great library?”