Michael Terpin

“It’s extraordinary how people can take a smile for an invitation to chat.”
― Aurélie Valognes, Out of Sorts

“An eternal truth of the human condition was that no one ever thought they were evil. No matter how reprehensible their actions, people always convinced themselves they were justified.”
― Matthew FitzSimmons, The Short Drop

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
― Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of "A Course in Miracles"

“But you must understand something. Marriage for a Vietnamese girl like me is much more than just my wants and desires. Family is the most important thing in my life, and I must honor my family, even in marriage. I could never marry you without my father’s blessing.”
― Mark W. Sasse, The Reach of the Banyan Tree