#inspiration

"Luck? I don’t know anything about luck. I’ve never banked on it and I’m afraid of people who do. Luck to me is something else: hard work - and realizing what opportunity is and what isn’t."— Lucille Ball"

"I'm not a big fan of inspiration. I'm too old to sit and wait for the muse to give me a little kiss... I write a lot, and I'm not afraid to make mistakes or to write badly. I can alsways fix something weak and dull. But I can't fix a blank page."

"When the creative impulse sweeps over you, grab it. You grab it and honor it and use it, because momentum is a rare gift."

"The practice of lovingkindness can uplift us & relieve sorrow & unhappiness."

"Your life is an occasion. Rise to it."

"There is really nothing more to say-except why. But since why is difficult to handle, one must take refuge in how."

"Each of us suffers with envy/for the forgiven."

"I’ve always hated the “Who are you?"question. This is a philosophical inquiry. Answering that question is why we’re on earth. You can’t answer it in thirty seconds or in an elevator."

"Because the development of inner calm & energy happens completely within & isn’t dependent on another person or a particular situation, we begin to feel a resourcefulness and independence that is quite beautiful—and a huge relief."

"Language imparts identity, meaning, and perspective to our human condition. Writers are either polluters or part of the cleanup."

"Sorrow looks back, Worry looks around, Faith looks up"

"And now we step to the rhythm of miracles.--from The Light, That Never Dies"

"Beware of all enterprises that require new clothes."

"The inner fire is the most important thing mankind possesses."

"I'm not particularly in favor of doctrine or creed, ordination, the elevation of holy texts, the institution of church, or, for that matter, Christianity. Like most religions, it has irreconcilable shortcomings and an unforgivable history. What I do favor is the attempt to make sense of things by living within a story. The Christian story, for good or ill, is my inheritance."

"Inspiration is the windfall from hard work and focus. Muses are too unreliable to keep on the payroll."

"Creativity thrives where its roots are crowded."

"Dreams. They start in your beautiful mind. Think of beautiful things and it will manifest into actions because your body will listen to you. Like it always does."

"A book is a device to ignite the imagination."

"Don't just write a strong female protagonist. Be one."