No matter. I was single, no children, a handful of plants and at 39, young enough to regroup. If I hit ground before I finished building my wings, I would not take anyone with me.

I knew I could always earn money from a job. What I didn’t know was could I extend the dream of writing beyond my trip?

Ten years ago I wondered, “How does one travel around the world? How does one step out of a well-established life to follow the dream?” I’ve answered those questions. But now new ones emerge.

Then I’d go home, return to a pattern of worry, unable to tap the surrender core to travel’s inspiration. What was different?

Enemies can't break your spirit, only friends can.

In a multicultural, diverse society there are countless ways in which people negotiate the everyday lived experience and reality of diversity.

Beauty and the devil are the same thing.

Well, to the people who pray for me to not only have an agonising death, but then be reborn to have an agonising and horrible eternal life of torture, I say, 'Well, good on you. See you there.'

I know one lab that studies nicotine receptors and all the scientists are smokers, and another lab that studies impulse control and they're all overweight.

Become a better person and be sure to know who you are, before meeting someone new and hoping that person knows who you are

If I woke up tomorrow and couldn't do music anymore, I absolutely don't know what I would do.

I say to Floyd Mayweather Jr., don't be a coward and face me in the ring, mano a mano, and shut your big, pretty mouth so we can show the world who is the true king of the ring.

Lies are essential to humanity.

As I've told my three daughters, all of whom I've at one time encouraged to go into macro trading, any man or woman can do anything to which they set their heart and mind.