"But no sooner had morning broken than he took hold of his whip and ceremoniously stepped out to address his slaves. Each blow was liberating, it was like unshaking proof of the great lie of God's existence."

“When someone was hitting me, or like sexually molesting me, it just seemed normal to continue to do that to myself.”

“When you are a child you are yourself and you know and see everything prophetically. And then suddenly something happens and you stop being yourself; you become what others force you to be. You lose your wisdom and your soul.”

Source : Jean Rhys (1985). “Tales of the wide Caribbean”, Heinemann Educational Publishers

“Spend the most time with your best people. ... Talent is the multiplier. THe more energy and attention you invest in it, the greater the yield. The time you spend with your best is, quite simply, your most productive time. ... Persistence directed primarily toward your non-talents is self-destructive. ... You will reprimand yourself, berate yourself, and put yourself through all manner of contortions in an attempt to achieve the impossible.”

“First, therefore, [the Jew] goes about making up to the people for his previous sins against them. He begins his career as the 'benefactor' of mankind. Since his new benevolence has a practical foundation, that the left hand should not know what the right hand giveth; no, whether he likes it or not, he must reconcile himself to letting as many people as possible know how deeply he feels the sufferings of the masses and all the sacrifices that he himself is making to combat them.”

“If you have democracy, people will vote for washing machines. They love them!”

Source : "The magic washing machine". TED Talk, www.ted.com. December 2010.

“I believe that the mind powers the body, and once the mind says we want to do it, then the body will follow.”

“Keeping your artistic self as creative as possible is a balancing act.”

“Be bold and courageous. When you look back on your life, you'll regret the things you didn't do more than the ones you did.”