"...The past is only an unreliable memory held in the present. The future is only a projection of our present conceptions. The present itself vanishes as soon as we try to grasp it. So why bother with attempting to establish an illusion of solid ground?.."

"Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss, contains its own seed, its own lesson on how to improve your performance next time."

...except that with writing, you start where you are, and you do it poorly. You just do it -- you do it afraid. And something happens.

It gets darker and darker, and then Jesus is born.

We cannot live for ourselves alone. Our lives are connected by a thousand invisible threads, and along these sympathetic fibers, our actions run as causes and return to us as results.

“There is too much emotion, too much negative emotion: frustration, hatred, anger.
I think that's the greatest obstacle.
So I think as a first step this should be cooled down.
Reduced. Forget these things.
And I think for the time being, we need more festivals, more picinics.
Let us forget these difficult things, these emotions, and make personal friends.
Then we can start to talk about these serious matters.”