Quotes from Bernie Siegel

If God came in and said, I want you to be happy for the rest of your life, what would you do?

Life is a labor pain; we are here to give birth to ourself.

Relationships keep us alive and our lives meaningful.

Don't do things to not die, do things to enjoy living. The by-product may be not dying.

An awareness of one's mortality can lead you to wake up and live an authentic, meaningful life.

Don't try to help people to 'not die', help them to enjoy life!

Society should see parenting as a public health issue and help parents to bring their children up feeling loved. We have birthing classes, but no parenting classes. The latter is desperately needed if we are to avoid self-destruction.

You can survive tough situations and even turn them to your advantage by acting as if you are the person you want to be. When you act like that person, you can become that person. The hard parts are deciding whom you want to become, being willing to rehearse until you become that person, and forgiving yourself until you do.

If we had no hope - for a cure, for winning the lottery, for falling in love, for the end of war, for being free of abuse, or for having food, warmth, clothing, and shelter - we would have no reason to go on. What you hope for doesn't matter, but rather the essence of hope itself.

Getting well is not the only goal. Even more important is learning to live without fear, to be at peace with life and ultimately death.

To me, animal communication seemed an insane idea, years ago; but my experience altered my life and my beliefs.

A surgeon is surrounded by people who are sick, discouraged, afraid, embittered, dying - but also courageous, loving, wise, compassionate and alive.

I see people who die a few minutes after a doctor tells them there is no hope of a cure. They give up and go. Others get angry and find joy in proving the doctor wrong. Something within them is challenged and hopeful. Hope is the divine motivator.

Give someone who has faith in you a placebo and call it a hair growing pill, anti-nausea pill or whatever, and you will be amazed at how many respond to your therapy.

You can't control the world, but when you control your thoughts, you bring order.

When guilt rears its ugly head confront it, discuss it and let it go. The past is over. It is time to ask what can we do right, not what did we do wrong. Forgive yourself and move on.

There have been many dreams which have been personal guides for me.

The question is not, will there be difficulties and threats to our existence, but how will we deal with them and what can we learn from them. How can they become blessings to society, as a life threatening disease is to an individual, by teaching us about the meaning of our life and existence?

If I were rewriting 'Love, Medicine & Miracles,' I might consider changing its title to 'The Side Effects of Cancer.' Healing is hard work, as is any change one must make in one's life. I and others have learned, however, that the side effects of cancer may not all be bad ones.

Love is giving with no expectations...Love cures, heals, and rewards two people: the lover and the beloved.

Your body loves you, but if you do not love your life, it will end it far sooner, thinking it is doing you a favor.

When one teenager dying of cystic fibrosis asked me, 'Why am I different?' I answered, 'Tony, because it makes you beautiful.' He loved my answer because he knew full well how much he had done for the world and that he would be immortal through his love and the fund raising of those who knew him hoping to find a cure for cystic fibrosis.

When you love the unlovable and forgive the unforgivable, you're free.

The fundamental problem most patients have is an inability to love themselves, having been unloved by others during some crucial part of their lives.