Chuck Palahniuk Quotes

Whatever I have not yet learned to tolerate in myself inevitably will appear in my children. In this way, they, like Julia, guide me to a new level of self-awareness and everyone benefits.

The greatest gift children can give you is that, for the first time, you're not the center of your own universe.

In retrospect, I'm grateful for the break-up of my marriage because it forced me to deal with all the buried issues I probably wouldn't have otherwise faced. I'm a better, kinder, happier person today because of the spiritual and emotional growth I've experienced.

Parenthood is so wild in its ability to put a mirror directly in your face and force you to look at yourself long and hard. What a challenge this is, but also what an exhilarating gift.

When you are brought up as a frozen child, you go on freezing. It wasn't until I had my four sons, who have brought me immense joy, that I began to thaw. That I realised how utterly extraordinary my childhood was.

My children, who are almost two: watching them develop has made me pay much closer attention to how we become who we are.

After a long run of almost thirty years, you get to the point where you say, 'These are my concerns.' It's not so much this is what I set out to claim - it is a kind of refrain.

I surround people in unconditional acceptance and love to such a degree that everything that is unloving about them rises to the surface.

But I think that your entire life is a process of sorting out some of those early messages that you got.

Sometimes you have to confront your demons and sometimes even let them loose to genuinely find a place where you can gain some understanding.

The character and history of each child may be a new and poetic experience to the parent, if he will let it.

I think understanding your life as a story is a really terrific way of kind of knowing where you are and knowing who you are.

I am a good and interested mother - which has surprised me.

Being a mom kind of grounded me in a way. Your body takes on a whole new meaning.

I always imagined that magically, at some point, I would settle into this very easy and refined sophistication, but it turns out that who you are at eleven is pretty much who you are at 27, so I don't know how much I've learned over the years.

Being a parent has taught me a lot of things already, you know, though it's only been a year and half, and has made me address parts of myself that I would otherwise live in comfortable denial of, or you know and - you know, for instance, my self-loathing.

I felt that with 'In A Perfect World' I was still kind of finding myself - not just as a musician, but also in love and in life.

You learn more about yourself through your child, I guess.

I have a lot of growing up to do, or a lot of growing down. I think that's probably more appropriate.

In my early twenties, I had no idea who I was. And I think that's one reason you should try different relationships. I've had good and bad ones, but I took away things from them that helped me become who I am.

When I was in elementary school, I used to write letters to myself. I'd write letters and go 'Dear Kristen-at-16-years-old, happy birthday. I hope you're doing something.'

I did keep detailed journals from about fifth grade on, and every so often as I was growing up, I would re-read them and reflect on the previous years of my life.

I've grown so much, not just as an actor, but as a human being.

Everything I have experienced in my life helps form who I am today, and I would not change or forget any of it.

Through therapy and a lot of thinking and writing my memoirs, I've been able to use my life as a lesson.