I never seek to defeat the man I am fighting, " he explained. "I seek to defeat his confidence. A mind troubled by doubt cannot focus on the course to victory. Two men are equals - true equals - only when they both have equal confidence.

This is why dreams can be such dangerous things: they smolder on like a fire does, and sometimes they consume us completely.

of course the pace of change never slows, even when we've convinced ourselves it will.

The swan who goes on living in its parents' tree will die; this is why those who are beautiful and talented bear the burden of finding their own way in the world.

All at once I felt so vain, like a girl posturing for the crowds as she walks along, only to discover the street is empty.

It was what we Japanese called the onion life, peeling away a layer at a time and crying all the while.

Of course, a sign doesn't mean anything unless you know how to interpret it.