Henry Miller

"A man of good will with a little effort and belief in his own powers can enjoy a deep, tranquil, rich life -- provided he go his own way. He need not and should not think of making a good living, but rather of creating a good life for himself. To live one's own life is still the best way of life, always was, and always will be. "

"All growth is a leap in the dark, a spontaneous unpremeditated act without the benefit of experience. "

"Chaos is the score upon which reality is written. "

"Develop interest in life as you see it in people, things, literature, music - the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls and interesting people. Forget yourself. "

"Every man has his own destiny the only imperative is to follow it, to accept it, no matter where it leads him. "

"Every moment is a golden one for him who has the vision to recognize it as such. "

"How different the new order would be if we could consult the veteran instead of the politician. "

"I have no money, no resources, no hopes. I am the happiest man alive. "

"If there is to be any peace it will come through being, not having. "

"In this age, which believes that there is a short cut to everything, the greatest lesson to be learned is that the most difficult way is, in the long run, the easiest. "

"Life has no other discipline to impose, if we would but realize it, than to accept life unquestioningly. Everything we shut our eyes to, everything we run away from, everything we deny, denigrate or despise, serves to defeat us in the end. What seems nasty, painful, evil, can become a source of beauty, joy and strength, if faced with an open mind. Every moment is a golden one for him who has the vision to recognize it as such. "

"Living apart and at peace with myself, I came to realize more vividly the meaning of the doctrine of acceptance. To refrain from giving advice, to refrain from meddling in the affairs of others, to refrain, even though the motives be the highest, from tampering with another's way of life - so simple, yet so difficult for an active spirit. Hands off "

"One has to be a lowbrow, a bit of a murderer, to be a politician, ready and willing to see people sacrificed, slaughtered, for the sake of an idea, whether a good one or a bad one. "

"One's destination is never a place but rather a new way of looking at things. "

"Our own physical body possesses a wisdom which we who inhabit the body lack. "

"Sex is one of the nine reasons for reincarnation. . .The other eight are unimportant. "

"The American ideal is youth -- handsome, empty youth. "

"The aim of life is to live, and to live means to be aware, joyously drunkenly, serenely, divinely aware. "

"The moment one gives close attention to any thing, even a blade of grass it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself. "

"To live without killing is a thought which could electrify the world, if men were only capable of staying awake long enough to let the idea soak in. "

"What does it matter how one comes by the truth so long as one pounces upon it and lives by it "

"When one is trying to do something beyond his known powers it is useless to seek the approval of friends. Friends are at their best in moments of defeat. "