“The best part of life is not just surviving, but thriving with passion and compassion and humor and style and generosity and kindness.” -Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou has a way of going right to the heart of things, doesn’t she?

This is one of our biggest challenges, isn’t it? To live fully and joyfully instead of skimming through our brief days on the surface of existence. I love this list, although I’m pondering “style.” Nobody who’s ever seen my motley assortment of stretched-out T-shirts would list style as one of my attributes. Maybe, hopefully, Angelou means something more encompassing and vital than what we wear. Something more like how we present ourselves to the world and let it present itself to us. I’m betting on it.

There are so many ways to escape from living on the edge. But when we push ourselves to live “with passion and compassion and humor and style and generosity and kindness,” does the joy greatly outweigh the risks? What do you think?

When I write I try to create characters who have the urge to thrive rather than simply survive. I try to breathe courage and compassion into each one  because I think we all need examples of people who inspire us. And what a great job I have. I write about people who inspire me. As a corollary of that, I often hear from you about your lives and values, and I am inspired by you, as well. It’s all cyclical, isn’t it? We egg each other on. We thrive together and because of each other.

I wish for each of us a continued life of thriving.