Tom Robbins' books are my go-to when I need a pick me up, when I need a nudge of spirit to make me feel hopeful, faithful and thoroughly immersed in another reality. As we all know, the world is a rough place and we're all struggling to get people to understand that we all have an equal right and a purpose to be here.

Robbins' books are the ultimate escape, they mirror the real world yet have elements of fantasy and magical realism. He is extremely witty, outrageously amusing and gets your mind turning with every word. The characters are vivid and complex, completely and refreshingly human without lame cliches. I use these books as medicine, as cushions before and after I read about the suffering in the world. With an obvious lack of hope and a desperate need for a pick me up, I present seven timely relevant Tom Robbins quotes to get you through your day.

We're our own dragons as well as our own heroes, and we have to rescue ourselves from ourselves.

-Still Life With Woodpecker

Pick yourself up and move forward.

“Our lives are not as limited as we think they are; the world is a wonderfully weird place; consensual reality is significantly flawed; no institution can be trusted, but love does work; all things are possible; and we all could be happy and fulfilled if we only had the guts to be truly free and the wisdom to shrink our egos and quit taking ourselves so damn seriously.”

LOVE is the answer, transcendent of infinite timelines and realities.

"Our great human adventure is the evolution of consciousness. We are in this life to enlarge the soul, liberate the spirit, and light up the brain."

-Wild Ducks Flying Backward

An open mind is the catalyst for a liberated spirit.

“Our individuality is all, all, that we have. There are those who barter it for security, those who repress it for what they believe is the betterment of the whole society, but blessed in the twinkle of the morning star is the one who nurtures it and rides it in, in grace and love and wit, from peculiar station to peculiar station along life's bittersweet route.”

Sincerely, be unapologetically you no matter what. Walk in your purpose and let no one else be an obstacle to your authentic self.

“You should never hesitate to trade your cow for a handful of magic beans.”

Feed your hungry souls with adventure and a little magic.

“Love is the ultimate outlaw. It just won't adhere to any rules. The most any of us can do is to sign on as its accomplice. Instead of vowing to honor and obey, maybe we should swear to aid and abet. That would mean that security is out of the question. The words "make" and "stay" become inappropriate. My love for you has no strings attached. I love you for free.”

-Still Life With Woodpecker

Nurture love and let it breath, do not try to trap and contain it.

“In the haunted house of life, art is the only stair that doesn't creak.”

An eternal comfort.