Only when the clamor of the outside world is silenced will you be able to hear the deeper vibration. Listen carefully.

Every morning when we wake up we've been given a wonderful gift-another day of life-so let's make the most of it. No one can do it for us. . . . Genuine happiness can only be realized once we commit to making it a personal priority in our lives. This may be a new behavior for some of us and a bit intimidating. Be gentle with yourself. It will all unfold. Like any new behavior, happiness can be learned.

This I can report from the front lines: life never calms down long enough for us to wait until tomorrow to start living the lives we deserve.

After self-nurturance, listening to the whispers of our hearts is probably the hardest task we've ever attempted.

Expect to have hope rekindled. The dry seasons in life do not last. The spring rains will come again.

A nap is not to be confused with sleeping. We sleep to recharge our bodies. We nap to care for our souls. When we nap, we are resting our eyes while our imaginations soar. Getting ready for the next round. Sorting, sifting, separating the profound from the profane, the possible from the improbable. Rehearsing our acceptance speech for the Nobel Prize, our surprise on receiving the MacArthur genius award. This requires a prone position. If we're lucky, we might drift off, but we won't drift far. Just far enough to ransom our creativity from chaos.

Gradually as you become curator of your own contentment, you will learn to embrace the gentle yearnings of your heart.