happiness makes us older, less romantic, less in need of dreams. Discontent, not happiness, is the food of youth and poetry.

We love those we are happy with. We do. For how else can we know we love them, or how else define loving?

the urgent crowds out the essential.

Every search has its own momentum. It is why a search makes such an excellent plot for a film or story.

If you would be happy all your life, plant a garden.

leisure is an attitude of mind, not simply remission of work.

when people go away, or when we leave the places we love, or something we treasure goes out of our life - I have always noticed that before it happens - this leaving, this parting - when we think about it beforehand we are overwhelmed with sadness at the loss to come. ... the most unbearable sense of loss, the worst homesickness of all, so I have found, is this loss and sickness we feel beforehand, before we ever leave home.