If you’ve read Chilean writer Isabelle Allende’s work, you know that she believes in living life to the fullest – committing yourself to political ideals, love, art.

In this TED Talk, “How to live passionately, no matter your age,” Allende, now 72, talks with humor and honesty about her fears and losses, and also about what she’s gained. And she asks, How can I keep the passion alive?

“I cannot will myself to be passionate at 71. I have been training for some time, and when I feel flat and bored, I fake it. Attitude, attitude. How do I train? I train by saying yes to whatever comes my way: drama, comedy, tragedy, love, death, losses. Yes to life.”

You can read the transcript here.