We all make terrible mistakes in our lives.

I can’t think of a more philosophical time in a person’s life than when they are children. It’s the one time when ideas are really beautiful and amazing and all-encompassing. They are life.

Life is a sweet mistake that happened when the world wasn't looking.

In terms of a "career," I never have long-term plans, and certainly don't want to spend several years, say, writing a "long" novel.

For me, the main inspiration to write a story or novel is the voice of its central character, or the narrative voice of the story itself.

take words and make them useful, ' she told me. 'drain them of all the crappy meanings they used to mean and make them mean something useful instead.

Kind deed is a seed of love.

The intelligent are candles, the virtuous are torches, the wise are lamps, and the enlightened are stars.

If in doubt, trust your instincts because either you are right or lack the bite to fix it right.

There is no devil but fear.

The real peril of war lies not in military defeat. It lies in war itself, whether we win or lose.

Music and culture are intrinsically improvisational, existential.

Having felt people's love and support first hand through difficult moments in my life makes me feel it's our responsibility to help one another.

We have built a thousand temples to Fortune and not one to Reason

When you need advice- do you seek someone who has proven success or do you get advice from people who have never achieved what you desire?

It is where we embrace our questions. . . . Can we listen with our whole beings, not just our minds, and offer our attention rather than our opinions?