the meaning of your life

"Ultimately, man should not ask what the meaning of his life is, but rather must recognize that it is he who is asked. In a word, each man is questioned by life; and he can only answer to life by answering for his own life; to life he can only respond by being responsible." Victor Frankl, (1905-1997) Man's Search for Meaning

Safer than a known way

"I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year, 'Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.' And he replied, 'Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.' " Minnie Louise Harkins 1875-1957 Quoted by King George VI in his Christmas broadcast, 1939. Britain was at war of course and obviously at the time no one knew what the outcome would be. (For the complete transcript of his speech, click here.)

headlights at night

"Writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can see only as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way." E.L. Doctorow What a great quote to combat the panel of perfectionists inside your head who demand you know completely all about everything all the time before you even DARE to put pen to paper. (I assume they're inside your head, too?) It also reminds me of what I heard Newberry award winning writer Linda Sue Park say on a panel once. She was asked, "Why did you decide to write novels?" Her reply is a life preserver on a stormy sea. She said, "I don't write novels." (That would be too scary and she wouldn't be able to do it.) "I write two pages a day."

big head