Richelle E. Goodrich, Author

"The world seems to want us to be sad and angry because bad things frequently happen. But I say we should feel the opposite. We should be happy and cheerful because good things happen. We should be delighted to see the sun rise and stars glow and rainbows color stormy skies. We should savor every simple breath and eat each meal with gratitude. We should slumber in sweet dreams and relish moments of laughter and love. We should take more notice of the joys and kindnesses that do exist, still dictating the actions of millions of good people all over the world. Life is filled with pleasant moments, not just grief. We should be happy because this is true."

"You can teach a person all you know, but only experience will convince him that what you say is true."

"All human beings wield influence—a powerful sword granted at birth. Wield your sword with care."

"You would think those who have endured unkindness would be kinder as a result, intent on sparing others the awful suffering they abhorred firsthand."

"If we simply imagined that everyone who crossed our path was living out his or her very last day on Earth, we might treat people as kindly as we ought to each day they lived."

"As a child, I once suffered a bad fall that resulted in scratched palms and scraped knees. I remember how badly it stung, the cold air hitting my bleeding wounds; I felt that I couldn’t stand up for the pain. Through a veil of tears, I recall a kind hand reaching for me and helping me to my feet. My knees and palms were washed clean, and I remember thinking that for the rest of my life, I wanted to help people stand back up."

"One day a week I seek to rest from earthly toil and sorrow. Revitalized, I find the strength to battle new tomorrows."

"People think kindness is a soft, weak, submissive influence when in reality it is the most potent, persuasive force in existence."

"Empathy is a hand thick with scars offering you a bandage."

"We all suffer ills at the hands of others; however, reactions to these injustices differ like night and day. Many seek to punish the world for their suffering, while some work hard to save the world from experiencing similar grief."

"Sympathy is imagining the pain. Empathy is having suffered through it first."

"I dream of defeating tyrants and ogres as well as circumstances and consequences that I cannot conquer in life. I dream of a love as sweet and addictive as chocolate-coated rose petals yet as tenacious as a thirsty vampire and as enduring as immortality. I dream of things improbable and boldly insane."

"It's mind-boggling how many different worlds people live in on this one planet."

"I survive on moments of make-believe happiness."

"When I say I love the silence, I'm not being entirely truthful. What I actually love are the abundant, delicate sounds that amplify when I’m silent. These curious creaks, mutters, and hums compel my imagination."

"You stand a better chance of bringing pretend to life through the power of belief than you stand any chance of erasing what's real by refusing to believe."