The person who failed often knows how to avoid future failures. The person who knows only success can be more oblivious to all the pitfalls.

I didn't know there was a dying-professor section at the bookstore.

No job is beneath you. You ought to be thrilled you got a job in the mailroom And when you get there, here's what you do: Be really great at sorting mail.

Put on your own oxygen mask before assisting others.

Don't bail; the best pieces of gold are at the bottom of the barrel of crap.

Whatever news we get about the scans, I’m not going to die when we hear it. I won’t die the next day, or the day after that, or the day after that. So today, right now, well this is a wonderful day. And I want you to know how much I’m enjoying it.” I thought about that, and about Jai’s smile. I knew then. That’s the way the rest of my life would need to be lived.

I'll take an earnest person over a hip person every day, because hip is short-term, earnest is long term.