Patience and wisdom walk hand in hand like two one-armed lovers.

Dont panic. Midway through writing a novel I have regularly experienced moments of bowel-curdling terror as I contemplate the drivel on the screen before me and see beyond it in quick succession the derisive reviews the friends embarrassment the failing career the dwindling income the repossessed house the divorce . . . Working doggedly on through crises like these however has always got me there in the end. Leaving the desk for a while can help. Talking the problem through can help me recall what I was trying to achieve before I got stuck. Going for a long walk almost always gets me thinking about my manuscript in a slightly new way. And if all else fails theres prayer. St Francis de Sales the patron saint of writers has often helped me out in a crisis. If you want to spread your net more widely you could try appealing to Calliope the muse of epic poetry too.

The keys to health and weight-loss stress reduction sleep deep breathing clean water complete nutrition sunshine walking stretching meditation love community laughter dreams perseverance purpose humility action.