To know thyself, as Shakespeare said.

Nothing’s guaranteed and things change in an instant, and to get used to that and stay in the moment.

But cancer has also ushered in new ways of being alive. Even when I am this distant from Canadian family and friends, everything feels as if it is painted in bright colors. In my vulnerability, I am seeing my world without the Instagrammed filter of breezy certainties and perfectible moments. I can’t help noticing the brittleness of the walls that keep most people fed, sheltered and whole. I find myself returning to the same thoughts again and again: Life is so beautiful. Life is so hard.

The more you face shame and stare it in the eyes and talk about it, the less potent it is.

Being hit on the head with a brick, and like a bowl of hearty soup.

I once spent a summer doing a puppet show in kindergartens around the Shetland Islands.

Anything new that’s got chemicals involved and radically alters your body, I’m not a fan. We should just love ourselves in whatever shape we are. Also, what about the poor people with diabetes who can’t get it now because all these fucking actors are shooting up?

Well, you have to learn to say no. Certain times you have to think, all right, line in the sand. It’s a gut thing. There’s no rhyme or reason to it. I’m going to do this Beckett Play in London with Daniel Radcliffe. He said this really interesting thing about how he feels that he’s lucky enough that when he chooses a part, that he only does something that he thinks he can bring something to. I think that’s really good, if you have that choice.

The Cumming fragrance line. the soap, Cumming in a bar (still available at alancumming.com) is my favorite ever pun on my name.

The power of positive thinking.