"Life's transience raises the question of what we should be living for, of what it means to live well. The good life is found in unselfish action, right understanding, and honest speech. Honor and respect God, treat others justly, be indulgent toward others but exacting toward yourself, and let go of what is beyond your control (which is almost everything)." Meditations (Thinkr) "Anxiety appears to be the default human condition. We are fragile creatures, and at the best of times we have a tenuous hold on happiness. Anxiety is more of a drain on our body and soul; It short-circuits the flourishing that we are here to cultivate in ourselves and engender in others. The great Reinhold Niebuhr wrote that 'Without freedom from anxiety man is so enmeshed in the vicious circle of egocentricity, so concerned about himself that he cannot release himself for an adventure of love.'" Teryl Givens "I have to go to the dentist."