Taking the Bible too literally is a mistake. It should be read as a guidebook of wisdom and insight.

I don't believe that prayers actually change God's mind - if there is a God - but I liked praying for people in need. It was like moral weightlifting. I tend to be self-obsessed, and it was nice to get out of my brain once in a while.

This is what the Sabbath should feel like. A pause. Not just a minor pause, but a major pause. Not just lowering the volume, but a muting. As the famous rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel put it, the Sabbath is a sanctuary in time.

I know that you should always say yes to adventures or you'll lead a very dull life.

I’d recommend learning to accept rejection. Become friends with rejection. Be nice to rejection, because it’s a huge part of being a writer, no matter where you are in your career.

Its sort of my job to feel good.

Probably 90 percent of our life decisions are powered by the twin engines of inertia and laziness.