Among the many things that profoundly impress me about the Dalai Lama, quite high up on the list is his ability to say "I don't know". I've often wished that other people in prominent positions wouldn't feel the compulsion to have an answer for everything and would feel equally free to say "I don't know." It's a sign of wisdom to know that you don't know and a sign of stupidity to think that you know everything. I admire it enormously in him, and wonder why so few people in leading positions reach that stage.

One single gift acknowledged in gratefulness has the power to dissolve the ties of our alienation.

Eyes see only light, ears hear only sound, but a listening heart perceives meaning.

The hope that is left after all your hopes are gone - that is pure hope, rooted in the heart.

Only gratefulness, in the form of limitless openness for surprise, lays hold of the fullness of life in hope.

The universe is gratis. It cannot be earned, nor need it be earned.

One can learn to focus on "opportunity" as the gift within every given moment. This attitude towards life always improves the situation. Even in times of sickness, someone who habitually practices grateful living will look for the opportunity that a given moment offers and use it creatively.