It is all too easy as an artist to allow the shape of our career to be dictated to us by others. We can so easily wait to be chosen. Such passivity invites despair. To remain healthy and vital, artists must stay proactive in their own behalf.

When we clear the physical clutter from our lives, we literally make way for inspiration and 'good, orderly direction' to enter.

You are asked to keep a ledger - a small notebook will do - of money in and money out. Counting brings clarity, and clarity is one of the first and finest fruits of prosperity.

Often it is tenacity, not talent, that rules the day.

Don't try to 'fix' the child's boredom - rather, let the child find his or her inner resources.

For today, all you need is the grace to begin beginning.

Far from making me feel different and special, my [spiritual] experiences made me feel the same, ordinary, and interconnected. If I felt more spiritual, everyone else felt more spiritual as well. (276)