Great men talk about ideas. Second-handers talk about people.

That precisely, is the deadliness of second-handers. They have no concern for facts, ideas, work. They're concerned only with people. They don't ask: 'Is this true?' They ask: 'Is this what others think is true?' Not to judge, but to repeat. Not to do, but to give the impression of doing. Not creation, but show. Not ability, but friendship. Not merit, but pull.
And isn't that the root of every despicable action? Not selfishness, but precisely the absence of a self. The man who cheats and lies, but preserves a respectable front. He knows himself to be dishonest, but others think he is honest and he derives his self-respect from that, second-hand. Greatness - in other people's eyes. Fame, admiration, envy - all that whice comes from others. Not wanting to be great, but wanting to be thought as great. That is actual selflessness. Its their ego they have betrayed and given up. And such people are called selfish.
Its what I couldn't understand about people for a long time. They have no self. They live second-hand.

Everything happens for good.

Sometimes we resist the things that happen to us. Mostly, actually. The right lessons in life are passed on to us from the right people and right circumstances at the right time. Even failure in it own way contributes to our success. The resistance is only due to inertia. People fail to realize that whatever happens happens for good. There's always a right time for everything. We really are on our way to our destiny, all the time.

Like Paulo Coehlo said, "When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it."

Desires, ours and others'.

Life is full of twists and turns. Sometimes we do to other people what we wish had not happened to us. But its just what we do. Sometimes we know what we should do, and we don't do it and then regret it. And yet, we all have a central theme that defines our spirit. Irrespective of the contradictions...
Some people are mean by nature. Some people are kind by nature. Some people just want power, so in love too, they just want power over the other...we have to accept that we can't change people. Everybody has a right to want whatever that makes them happy. Its only when we understand and respect other people's choices and desires can we understand and fulfill ours. Because that is when we truly understand the different between their choices and our own and accept the responsibility of our choices, absolutely. No matter what happens...what we don't desire, will not make us happy.

Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.

Reading a lot of books gives you a different thought process. Each book gives you the authors thought process. So when you read many, all the many add up to form yours. Same is the case with music. Music is all about feeling the emotion presented in the form of flow of sounds. All add up to give a certain feeling. Similar are movies too.
People who are ignoring these simple pleasures lack personality. Mostly because they have closed to themselves the most obvious and simplest leisure and learning activities. What kind of a person would do that?
Reading is one thing, writing a book is another. Everybody shouldn't write books. Everybody must read enough books. Reading a good book is like having a conversations with a person with a great mind. And who doesn't want some great ideas?

Two ways to live a life

Happiness is mostly irrespective of pains or sorrows. Its about accepting whatever is happening to you. About being ok with the circumstances and events. Anybody with too many regrets can't achieve the peace of mind to truly feel happy. When we are focussed, so our state of mind is also not disturbed easily.
Sometimes pain temporarily blinds our way. All we really need to do is focus on what we really want and see the bigger picture. And there are all the answers.
At the end of it, no matter how we sugar coat it. The truth of the matter is, there are only two ways to live a life. When you're happy and one when you're not happy. If you're doing a lot of things and still feel miserable, my dear, you are unhappy. You need to try something new. Make it right.
Of course this is something I'm not telling you. I am telling this to myself. It may or may not help you.