Imagine a different world, one in which people do not spend an inordinate amount of energy fuming against their fate each time they make a mistake. ... though we all agree that to err is human, each of us individually believes that he or she is the exception. ... Make a mistake? Not on my watch!

The only difference between an extraordinary life and an ordinary one is the extraordinary pleasures you find in ordinary things.

In America, we believe that our happiness depends on getting breaks, even though being American is already the biggest break we will ever get.

To be enlightened is to know oneself and not run away.

Cats know everything there is to know about meditation.

Book your life choices in advance the same way you would book flights, car rentals, hotels, and excursions. Figure out early on in your career whether you intend to be financially independent or marry a rich man, join the ranks of the professional elite or be the stay-at- home type, postpone having children or find part-time employment. Then fasten your seat belt and sit tight as you watch your trajectory veer off course.

Enlightenment is just another word for feeling comfortable with being a completely ordinary person.