Some writers confuse authenticity, which they ought always to aim at, with originality, which they should never bother about.

Take hold of your own life. See that the whole existence is celebrating. These trees are not serious, these birds are not serious. The rivers and the oceans are wild, and everywhere there is fun, everywhere there is joy and delight. Watch existence, listen to the existence and become part of it.

This song has felt like an accurate description of my life for too long. Grow up, Kate

‘Whether you think you can or cannot, you are right’

She was learning to love moments. To love moments for themselves.

I’ve got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom.

‘The two enemies of human happiness are pain and boredom’

‘It is only a step from boredom to disillusionment, which leads naturally to self-pity, which in turn ends in chaos’

At the root of every large struggle in life is the need to be honest about something that we do not feel we can be honest about. We lie to ourselves or other people because the truth might require action on our part, and action requires courage. We say we “don’t know” what’s wrong, when we do know what is wrong; we just wish we didn’t.

Drop desiring. Our desiring culminates everything. It becomes our interpretation of everything. The more you desire the more miserable you become, the less grateful you will be. The less you desire the more grateful you will be, because you will see how much is given without desiring, without asking. If you don’t desire at all, you’ll be in tremendous gratitude, because so much is given already. Life is such a gift.