Life gives us no such handy markers - a storm comes, and far from this being a harbinger of death and collapse, during its course a person discovers love and truth, beauty and happiness, the rain lashing at the windows all the while.

Paying tax should be framed as a glorious civic duty worthy of gratitude - not a punishment for making money.

Our minds are susceptible to the influence of external voices telling us what we require to be satisfied, voices that may drown out the faint sounds emitted by our souls and distract us from the careful, arduous task of accurately naming our priorities.

Never, ever become a writer. It's a nightmare.

We should keep a careful diary of our moments of envy: they are our covert guides to what we should try to do next.

Envy: a confused, tangled guide to one's own ambitions.

We may not agree with what religions are trying to teach us, but we can admire the institutional way in which they're doing it.