Oh, I stumbled upon a few jewels scanning through a book called "Inside Therapy". Not quite in the positive spirit of the post, but definitely some of the most memorable quotes I (unfortunately) came across during the last week - these I dedicate to occhiblu:

She wore no makeup, not even lipstick to give color. She was so slim I wondered if she were anorexic. She could not be called pretty, or even attractive, I thought, because she seemed so depressed. Perhaps after treatment, when she liked herself more and felt happier, she would appear attractive. I remember what Paul Federn, a famous analyst of Freud's day, said to women patient: "I can't promise you too much, but I can promise that you'll be prettier."

My new patent, Mary Winthrop, was ready to see me as a father who would exploit her and as mother who had been unavailable since Mary was six. I was all ready to see her as a young date whom I wanted to dance with and seduce.

An unresponsive woman means different things to different men and therefore different things to different analysts. Each analyst, if he is to help an unresponsive woman patient, must become aware of his reactions to each patient. I had to carefully review the many times I had felt like an impotent, rejected lover to my mother and to adolescent girl friends. I had to deal with the anger and hurt I had felt toward them and that I now felt with Mary.

Just a little taste. Somewhere else in the book - and I don't have the patience to search for it now - is a remark about how one of the benefits of being an analyst is that you get to meet all sorts of women you're glad you didn't marry.

Yep. For real. The copyright on this book is shown as 1996. WTF?

From David Sedaris' SantaLand Diaries:

Angry woman to Sedaris as Elf: I'm going to have you fired!

Sedaris to Angry Woman: I'm going to have you killed.

Is that first therapy quote talking about Ann Coulter?

There's a line about Ben Affleck from an Emma Forrest 20 Minute Story from an issue of McSweeny's a few years ago that I've always liked:

"He has a face I could never tire of kicking".

But... see... I think I totally stunk up the thread by quoting bad things from bad stuff I've recently read. I mean, I derailed the intent of the post, and that sucks.

Somebody, please continue in a more creatively encouraging vein and quote something inspiring that you've read recently!

oops! I didn't see you before I posted last, Slack-a-gogo. That one's kind of inspiring, since we're talking about Ben Affleck.

Ah, I've been saving this one. Apparently, Bram Stoker wrote at least one novel besides Dracula. So, this snippet of dialogue from The Jewel of the Seven Stars:

"Earlier in the evening I fancied that the mummy smells were making me drowsy, so I went out and got a respirator."

Context I can not give you; I picked it up while in the bathroom, read that and put it back down. It stands by itself.