“ Whatever happens in your life, no matter how troubling things might seem, do not enter the neighborhood of despair. Even when all doors remain closed, God will open up a new path only for you. Be than… Elif Shafak
“ If you carry a sword, you obey the sword, not the other way round. Nobody can hold a weapon and keep their hands clear of blood at the same time. Elif Shafak
“ Patience does not mean to passively endure. It means to be farsighted enough to trust the end result of a process Elif Shafak
“ Earth: the things that are solid, absorbed and still.Water: the things that are fluid, changing and unpredictable.Wind: the things that shift, evolve and challenge.Fire: the things that damage, devast… Elif Shafak
“ Some people make the mistake of confusing "submission" with "weakness", whereas it is anything but. Submission is a form of peaceful acceptance of the terms of the universe including the things we are… Elif Shafak
“ Working is prayer for the likes of us,” his master often said. “It’s the way we commune with God.”“Then how does He respond to us?” Jahan had once asked, way back when he was younger.“By giving us mor… Elif Shafak
“ I know every single street in this town. And I love strolling these streets in the mornings, in the evenings, and then at night when I am merry and tipsy. I love to have breakfasts with my friends alo… Elif Shafak
“ There were many words piled up inside my chest, stories waiting to be told. I wanted to hand all this knowledge to one other person, neither a master nor a disciple. I sought an equal - a companion. Elif Shafak
“ Let us choose one another as companions!Let us sit at each other's feet!Inwardly we have many harmonies - think notThat we are only what we see. Elif Shafak
“ There was something in the color white that resembled silence. Both were emptied of life. Elif Shafak
“ To the one in the skies, this city must look like a scintillating pattern of speckled glows in all directions, like a firecracker going off amid thick darkness. Right now the urban pattern glowing her… Elif Shafak
“ It was always like this. When you spoke the truth, they hated you. The more you talked about love, the more they hated you. Elif Shafak
“ It never took her long to darken any conversation, as from birth she was inclined to see misery in each and every story, and to fabricate some when there was none. Elif Shafak
“ Inside, I found three things: a silver mirror, a silk handkerchief, and a glass flask of ointment. These items will help you on your journey. use them when need be. If you ever lose faith in yourself,… Elif Shafak
“ That is what the past was, that which you could not get rid of. The past did not resemble the crumbs spilled over a rug. You could not shake them out from open windows. Elif Shafak
“ You are too timid for me. You care too much about what other people think. But you know what? Because you are so desperate to win the approval of others, you'll never get rid of their criticisms, no m… Elif Shafak
“ Each time I say good-bye to a place I like, I feel like I am leaving a part of me behind. I guess whether we choose to travel as much as Marco Polo did or stay in the same spot from cradle to grave, l… Elif Shafak
“ Three scents accompany my memories of this place: cut wood, poppy-seed bread, and the soft, crisp smell of snow. Elif Shafak
“ ...when women survive an awful marriage or love affair, and all that shit, they generally avoid another relationship for quite some time. With men, however, it is just the opposite; the moment they fi… Elif Shafak
