Michel Petrucciani

Sometimes I think someone upstairs saved me from being ordinary.

My philosophy is to have a really good time and never to let anything stop me from doing what I want to do.

I was born an American; I will live an American; I shall die an American.

We learn something every day, and lots of times it’s that what we learned the day before was wrong.

I have made this letter longer than usual because I lack the time to make it shorter.

Better contraceptives will control population only if people will use them. A nuclear holocaust can be prevented only if the conditions under which nations make war can be changed. The environment will continue to deteriorate until pollution practices are abandoned. We need to make vast changes in human behavior.

In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: It goes on.

Necessity is the plea of every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves.

Blood banks are all closed; you can’t use others to keep you warm.

We each own one car, and we have a reasonable house. It’s a lovely place to be, but it’s not extravagant.

You gotta have a dream. If you don’t have a dream, how you gonna make a dream come true?

Me: Unbothered, moisturized, in my lane, well-hydrated, flourishing.

I hate mankind, for I think myself one of the best of them, and I know how bad I am.

When I’m feeling anxious or depressed, I do find it helps to reach for a pen and paper. There is something about writing things down, that hand-eye combination, that makes me feel calmer.

Keep on going and the chances are you will stumble on something, perhaps when you are least expecting it. I have never heard of anyone stumbling on something sitting down.

When you get emotional, slow your thoughts down, and listen attentively (write it down). That way, you’ll be able to hear what you are thinking. You do this becoming very still and very quiet, and recording your thoughts. These high-speed thoughts and internal reactions always precede your feelings and emotions. Trust me, you did tell yourself something if you now feel anger, mad, anxious, frustrated, sad or depressed. From now on, whenever you get upset, listen ever so carefully, to what you are telling yourself.

The whole secret of life is to be interested in one thing profoundly and in a thousand things well.