Now I know what success is: living your truth, sharing it. Whether through a book, raising a child, building a company, creating art, or a conversation. Whatever human endeavor we choose, as long as we live our truth, it is success.

If there’s a definition of freedom, I think it’s this: living life on your terms. And Werner was the freest man I’ve known. I miss him terribly.

Let’s make our time count. Live our best selves. Take the risks, share our dance, belt out our songs. That what we do, even if it’s forgotten after we’re gone, matters while we’re here. That is a life well lived. A fulfilled life.

He knew himself. The opinions of another, unless they were truly close to him, didn’t matter. He had lived life the way he wanted to. That’s the most any of us can ask.

One thing about discovering a truth: first you live it, and after you experience the transformative results, it is real for you unlike anything else. Then you almost become obsessive about sharing it. I think that’s why people who discover God or yoga or even a new diet — a way to better themselves — proselytize. It’s a fundamental human desire to

when I change my mind, my world changes. If you think about it, makes sense. When your sense of self and happiness comes from within and isn’t a roller coaster ride dependent on others or circumstances, you approach life differently.

The thing is, we’re human beings living our lives, doing the best we can. No one dropped us off with instruction manuals.

If ever in pain, I think the best thing we can do is to create something. A record. Not of pain, but of what is real. Pain doesn’t last. And when it’s gone, we have something to show for it. Growth. And because it is a human experience, it is of value. Something we can share with others.

If you think about it, how much time do we spend in our heads wishing things were another way, beating ourselves up, beating others up, crafting a different past, wishing for a different future? All of that is resistance. All of that is pain.