Director Quotes

“Instead of always asking yourself why so-and-so acts this or that way, learn to ask: "What's inside of me that wants to hurt itself over how anyone else acts?"”

“To know that every moment — regardless of how it comes wrapped — is a gift greater than you can give yourself, is to be well on your way to a life without fear.”

“A crisis is a close encounter of the third kind.”

“Discouragement is a negative emotion with more than one trick up its dark sleeve. It tricks you into mentally or emotionally dwelling in the very place you want to leave. Drop all such sorrow permanently by daring to see through this deception of the unconscious mind. You have a destination far beyond where you find yourself standing today”

“Getting stressed and struggling to change the outcome of any past event is like arguing with an echo to make it see your point of view.”

“You don't need strength to let go of something. What you really need is understanding.”

“Real achievement -- the true measure of how far we have advanced in life -- is not determined by what we have acquired, but rather by the degree to which we have put our fears behind us.”

“Do the moment-to-moment work of dropping anything that wants to drag you down, and Reality itself will see to it that you rise.”

“You must learn to stop thinking in terms of beginnings and endings, successes and failures, and begin to treat everything in your life as a learning experience instead of a proving one.”

“Each moment of every one of my relationships serves as the secret path to the summit of myself.”

“See that any time you feel pained or defeated, it is only because you insist on clinging to what doesn't work. Dare to let go and you won't lose a thing except for a punishing idea.”

“The character of greatness must be measured in two ways, else the measurement is flawed. First, and by far most popular of all, is by one's ability to succeed in times of trial where others may fail. But of no less importance, and perhaps foundational to any form of greatness, is one's willingness to start over in spite of failure, when success seems farthest away.”

“Trying to “fix” the people in your life that cause you pain is like massaging your shoes because your feet ache.”

“The only mistake that we can make as human beings is to be asleep, unaware of ourselves.”

“Everything passes. There is great beauty in this, both in the passing of pain and in the passing of pleasure. When things present themselves to you as permanent, don't believe it.”

“Our greatest strength isn't our ability to imagine brighter days ahead, it is that we are empowered-in every present moment-to effortlessly dismiss any dark thought or feeling that, left unattended, diminishes our happiness.”

“Believing that anxious thoughts and feelings can restore order to your life is like using a chain-saw to fold your laundry.”

“There is nothing good or bad, except by comparison" (209) - "Effort is Everything" by Bud Selig”

“Don't aspire to make a living, aspire to make a difference.”

“I think a role model is a mentor - someone you see on a daily basis, and you learn from them.”

“I worked with Sidney Lumet years ago, and we had a long rehearsal process, and he would tape out the entire set on the stage, so I stole that from him.”

“[Black people] come into the world exactly like you. It's just that there are circumstances in the culture that are dictated and put on our lives that we have to fight against.”

“Bad guys need love too.”

“I love research and being educated. It's a great job being able to step into all kinds of professions and into other people's shoes.”

“Cats are too independent. They piss me off. They play when they want, and then they turn their back on you. Dogs, you throw the ball, and they bring it back, tongue hanging out, tail wagging. Cats are like "Not right now, too busy." Definitely a dog man. Except when it comes to cleaning up after them! Cats win that!”