“It seems like people--especially women--don't like it when you rock the boat. If you're going around with a giddy smile on your face, they're going to be jealous. If you're talking about some wonderful thing you're doing, they may not want to hear it. That's okay. Own your joy anyway!”

“We can select our own good works. Life is a smorgasbord of good choices. You will not be penalized for picking ham over chicken or cake instea of pie.”

“We truly have no idea what goes on in people's lives. Any comparison we make to them is based on our perception of who they are and often our perception is way off base.”

“Focusing on what you've done is not as important in this learning process as focusing on who you have become”

“You want people to take it seriously, but most people are still going to act like it's just some dumb thing you're doing and ask you about it in the way people do when they don't think you're ever going to finish what you started.”

“You can't go on like you're going to start really living one day like all this is some preamble to some great life thats magically going to appear. I'm a firm believer that you have to create your own miracles, don't hold out that there's something better waiting on the other side. It doesn't work that way. When you're gone, you're gone. Don't wait.”

“Here's the truth about telling stories with your life. It's going to sound like a great idea, and you're going to get excited about it, and then when it comes time to do the work, you're not going to want to do it. It's like that with writing books, and it's like that with life. People love to have lived a great story, but few people like the work it takes to make it happen. But joy costs pain.”