“I could hear my heart beating. I could hear everyone’s heart. I could hear the human noise we sat there making, not one of us moving, not even when the room went dark.”

“Maybe we should’ve fallen in love. Or pretended to be. What was there to lose except a few hours of sleep. You needed me.”

“Often when you think you’re at the end of something, you’re at the beginning of something else.”

“—a silence in which another voice may speak.”

“It’s so dark right now, I can’t see any light around me. That’s because the light is coming from you. You can’t see it but everyone else can.”

“All that hurt. All that sorrow. All that brokenness. Will you let it go? Will you let the tears flow and the healing begin? For every person that told you, you were nothing I tell you that you are everything. For every situation that made you feel small, worthless, dirty, ashamed I tell you with my whole heart that you are powerful, beautiful, redeemed, restored, and set free. It is over. And you don’t ever have to spend another moment bowing your head. Lift your head up high. Dance if you want to. You are free to shine. Free to laugh. Free to live. Free to let go. Free to love. Free to move on. You are free from the past, from the pain, from the hurt, from the scars, from the wounds. Will you choose freedom? Will you fight for it? Will you believe in your better days?”

“If we could look into each other’s hearts and understand the unique challenges each of us faces, I think we would treat each other more gently, with more love, tolerance and care.”

“What hurts you, blesses you. Darkness is your candle.”

“You do not need to leave your room. Remain sitting at your table and listen. Do not even listen, simply wait, be quiet still and solitary. The world will freely offer itself to you to be unmasked, it has no choice, it will roll in ecstasy at your feet.”