I am happy and I’m single.

The class of citizens who provide at once their own food and their own raiment, may be viewed as the most truly independent and happy.

We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves.

The way is long if one follows precepts, but short… if one follows patterns.

To avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing.

I don’t have much positive to say about motor neuron disease, but it taught me not to pity myself because others were worse off, and to get on with what I still could do. I’m happier now than before I developed the condition.

I’m not going to limit myself just because people won’t accept the fact that I can do something else.

I have opinions of my own, strong opinions, but I don’t always agree with them.

It’s like a jar of salad dressing sitting on a shelf… most of the seasoning settles to the bottom of the bottle. But when you shake that bottle up, all the ingredients mix together and then the dressing can add flavor to a salad. In the same way, we can stir ourselves up and regain the reverence, respect and awe we once had for the Lord.

First ask yourself: What is the worst that can happen? Then prepare to accept it. Then proceed to improve on the worst.

Everyone goes through adversity in life, but what matters is how you learn from it.

Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.

I believe in believing. My coach John Kavanagh is a big atheist, and he is always trying to persuade people to his way of thinking, and I think, ‚What a waste of energy.‘ If people want to believe in this god or that god, that’s fine by me; believe away. But I think we can be our own gods. I believe in myself.

Observe all men, thyself most.

When you’re finished changing, you’re finished.

If we chew every morsel of our food, in that way we become grateful, and when you are grateful, you are happy.

The greatest gift is a portion of thyself.

Failure is simply a few errors in judgment, repeated every day.

Tears of joy are like the summer rain drops pierced by sunbeams.

You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself. That is something you have charge of.

I made a decision when my father passed away that I was going to be who God made me to be and not try to preach like my father.

So then, the relationship of self to other is the complete realization that loving yourself is impossible without loving everything defined as other than yourself.

Who is rich? He that is content. Who is that? Nobody.

Self-interest is the enemy of all true affection.

I have never been able to renounce the light, the pleasure of being, and the freedom in which I grew up.

Fight with a happy heart.

To be without some of the things you want is an indispensable part of happiness.

I’m very at ease, and I like it. I never thought I would be such a family-oriented guy; I didn’t think that was part of my makeup. But somebody said that as you get older you become the person you always should have been, and I feel that’s happening to me. I’m rather surprised at who I am, because I’m actually like my dad!

I undertake the same project as Montaigne, but with an aim contrary to his own: for he wrote his Essays only for others, and I write my reveries only for myself.

Why am I a star? It can’t be because of looks.

In my later years, I have looked in the mirror each day and found a happy person staring back. Occasionally I wonder why I can be so happy. The answer is that every day of my life I’ve worked only for myself and for the joy that comes from writing and creating. The image in my mirror is not optimistic, but the result of optimal behavior.

Get busy living, or get busy dying.

Man never thinks himself happy, but when he enjoys those things which others want or desire.

Me, as a person, I grow. I’m like a chameleon. You know? That is a gift and a curse for me. But more so a gift, because it never puts me in a box.

‚Trilogy‘ was more of a claustrophobic body of work. Before it was released, I hadn’t left my city for 21 years, and I had never been on a plane, not once. I spent my entire life on one setting; that’s probably why pieces of the album feel like one long track, because that’s what my life felt like. It felt like one long song.

I think the healthy way to live is to make friends with the beast inside oneself, and that means not the beast but the shadow. The dark side of one’s nature. Have fun with it and you know, is to accept everything about ourselves.

I’m very, very serious – I’m serious enough not to take myself too seriously. That means I can be completely wedded to the moment. But when I leave that moment, I want to be completely wedded to the next moment.

I don’t think I’m tangible to myself.

In a democracy, the well-being, individuality and happiness of every citizen is important for the overall prosperity, peace and happiness of the nation.

Our greatest happiness does not depend on the condition of life in which chance has placed us, but is always the result of a good conscience, good health, occupation, and freedom in all just pursuits.

Men must know their limitations.

I have total recall. I remember being born. I remember being in the womb, I remember being inside. Coming out was great.

My wife and I are very affectionate.

A man can be happy with any woman, as long as he does not love her.

I carry a small sheet of paper in my wallet that has written on it the names of people whose opinions of me matter. To be on that list, you have to love me for my strengths and struggles.

I once wanted to prove myself by being a great actress. Now I want to prove that I’m a person. Then maybe I’ll be a great actress.

I’ve been searching for ways to heal myself, and I’ve found that kindness is the best way.

I’m of the school of thought where if you can’t sort something out for yourself then no one can help you.

I had to come from something, come from a place that was negative and positive but the majority of it is a negative place.

Do not give in too much to feelings. A overly sensitive heart is an unhappy possession on this shaky earth.

I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles.

However happy people say they are, nobody is satisfied: we always have to be with the prettiest woman, buy a bigger house, change cars, desire what we do not have.

Smiles are the language of love.

I’m afraid that people who know me as I usually am will discover I have another side, a better and finer side. I’m afraid they’ll mock me, think I’m ridiculous and sentimental and not take me seriously. I’m used to not being taken seriously, but only the ‚light-hearted‘ Anne is used to it and can put up with it; the ‚deeper‘ Anne is too weak.

What starts the process, really, are laughs and slights and snubs when you are a kid. If your anger is deep enough and strong enough, you learn that you can change those attitudes by excellence, personal gut performance.

The answer I found is you stay away from the people who make fun of you, and you join these ad hoc groups who understand your craziness.

Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.

Eternal principles that govern happiness apply equally to all.

The older I get, the more important the eternal becomes to me personally.

Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy.

I feel the emotion that life conjures up and the songs I write get me closer to my feelings and realising who I am. It’s a natural process.