Lillian Kaushtupper

"I've been through things that would make a strong person cry, so I'm basically a superhero."

"Life is like a puzzle, except some pieces are missing and the picture on the box is wrong."

"Love is wonderful, but it's also terrifying, like a beautiful tornado that destroys everything."

"The key to happiness is lowering your expectations until nothing disappoints you."

"Success is just failure that hasn't happened yet."

"A true friend is someone who knows all your secrets and still sticks around."

"Family is the people you're stuck with, so you might as well make the best of it."

"Hope is dangerous—it makes you believe things might actually get better."

"Courage isn't the absence of fear; it's doing things despite the constant terror."

"Change is inevitable, like death and taxes, but more annoying."

"Education is important, but it won't save you from being a complete disaster."

"Knowledge is power, but also a terrible burden you can never unlearn."

"Time is the one thing we can't buy back, so don't waste it on people who don't deserve it."

"The truth will set you free, but first it will make you very uncomfortable."

"Freedom is beautiful until you realize how much responsibility comes with it."

"Peace is just the period between disasters when everyone's catching their breath."

"Nature doesn't care about your feelings, and that's kind of admirable."

"Art is how we express the things we can't possibly explain in normal conversation."

"Science is just explaining things until you wish you didn't understand them."

"Music is the only language that makes sense when nothing else does."

"Faith is believing in something despite all evidence suggesting you're insane."

"Leadership means making decisions that will disappoint someone no matter what."

"Work is how we pay for the things we don't have time to enjoy because we're working."

"Dreams are just thoughts that haven't been crushed by reality yet."

"Humor is the only appropriate response to the absolute chaos of existence."

"Beauty fades, but your terrible personality is forever."

"Death is just life's way of saying 'that's all for you.'"

"Perseverance is just stubbornness with better marketing."

"Gratitude is underrated—being thankful for small things keeps you from losing your mind."

"Creativity is seeing the world through a warped lens and sharing that distorted vision."