I’m doing a bit of reconstruction of all the quotes I’ve accumulated over time. More Specifically I am creating an alphabetic index. This will take some time to complete and will ultimately replace this page. Check out the link below for a preview:

Author Index

 

I love inspirational quotes and wanted to share them with everyone else who loves a great quote.

Abraham Lincoln

(February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. Lincoln led the United States through its Civil War—its bloodiest war and its greatest moral, constitutional and political crisis. In doing so, he preserved the Union, abolished slavery, strengthened the federal government, and modernized the economy.

“I do not think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday.”  Abraham Lincoln

“That some achieve great success, is proof to all that others can achieve it as well.” – Abraham Lincoln

“Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be.” Abraham Lincoln

“Let no feeling of discouragement prey upon you, and in the end you’re sure to succeed.” Abraham Lincoln

“Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other.” Abraham Lincoln

“Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.” Abraham Lincoln

“My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure.” Abraham Lincoln

Anais Nin

(February 21, 1903 – January 14, 1977) was an author born to Cuban parents in France, where she was also raised. She spent some time in Spain and Cuba but lived most of her life in the United States where she became an established author. She wrote journals (which span more than 60 years, beginning when she was 11 years old and ending shortly before her death), novels, critical studies, essays, short stories, and erotica. A great deal of her work, including Delta of Venus and Little Birds, was published posthumously.

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” Anais Nin

“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” Anais Nin

“The role of a writer is not to say what we all can say, but what we are unable to say. Anais Nin

“There are many ways to be free. One of them is to transcend reality by imagination, as I try to do.” Anais Nin

“Life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we have to go through. Where people fail is that they wish to elect a state and remain in it. This is a kind of death. Anais Nin

“There is not one big cosmic meaning for all, there is only the meaning we each give to our life, an individual meaning, an individual plot, like an individual novel, a book for each person.” Anais Nin

Alan Watts

(6 January 1915 – 16 November 1973) was a British-born philosopher, writer, and speaker, best known as an interpreter and populariser of Eastern philosophy for a Western audience. Born in Chislehurst, England, he moved to the United States in 1938 and began Zen training in New York. Pursuing a career, he attended Seabury-Western Theological Seminary, where he received a master’s degree in theology. Watts became an Episcopal priest in 1945, then left the ministry in 1950 and moved to California, where he joined the faculty of the American Academy of Asian Studies.

“But the attitude of faith is to let go, and become open to truth, whatever it might turn out to be.”  Alan Watts

“The reason we want to go on and on is because we live in an impoverished present.”  Alan Watts

“I have realized that the past and the future are real illusions, that they exist in the present, which is what there is and all there is.”  Alan Watts

“No valid plans for the future can be made by those who have no capacity for living now.” Alan Watts

“This is the real secret of life — to be completely engaged with what you are doing in the here and now. And instead of calling it work, realize it is play. Alan Watts

“The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.” Alan Watts

“The art of living… is neither careless drifting on the one hand nor fearful clinging to the past on the other. It consists in being sensitive to each moment, in regarding it as utterly new and unique, in having the mind open and wholly receptive.” Alan Watts

“The more a thing tends to be permanent, the more it tends to be lifeless.” Alan Watts

“Every intelligent individual wants to know what makes him tick, and yet is at once fascinated and frustrated by the fact that oneself is the most difficult of all things to know.” Alan Watts

“A scholar tries to learn something everyday; a student of Buddhism tries to unlearn something daily.” Alan Watts

“Zen does not confuse spirituality with thinking about God while one is peeling potatoes. Zen spirituality is just to peel the potatoes.” Alan Watts

Albert Einstein

(14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist. Einstein’s work is also known for its influence on the philosophy of science. He developed the general theory of relativity, one of the two pillars of modern physics (alongside quantum mechanics). Einstein is best known in popular culture for his mass–energy equivalence formula E = mc2 (which has been dubbed “the world’s most famous equation”). He received the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics for his “services to theoretical physics”, in particular his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect, a pivotal step in the evolution of quantum theory.

“Great spirits have always faced violent opposition from mediocre minds.” Albert Einstein

“The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.” Albert Einstein

“Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.” Albert Einstein

“It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.” Albert Einstein

“Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.” Albert Einstein

“Once we accept our limits, we go beyond them.” Albert Einstein

“Solitude is painful when one is young, but delightful when one is more mature.” Albert Einstein

“I have no special talent, I’m only passionately curious.” Albert Einstein

“It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.” Albert Einstein

Alice Walker

Born February 9, 1944 is an American author and activist. She wrote the critically acclaimed novel The Color Purple (1982) for which she won the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. She also wrote Meridian and The Third Life of Grange Copeland among other works.

“Don’t wait around for other people to be happy for you. Any happiness you get you’ve got to make yourself.”  Alice Walker

“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.”  Alice Walker

“I don’t call myself a Buddhist. I’m a free spirit. I believe I’m here on earth to admire and enjoy it; that’s my religion.”  Alice Walker

“We should learn to accept that change is truly the only thing that’s going on always, and learn to ride with it and enjoy it.”  Alice Walker

“What the mind doesn’t understand, it worships or fears.” Alice Walker

“Activism is my rent for living on the planet.” Alice Walker

“Look closely at the present you are constructing: it should look like the future you are dreaming.” Alice Walker

“Nobody is as powerful as we make them out to be.” Alice Walker

Anthony Robbins

Born Anthony J. Mahavorick; February 29, 1960 is an American life coach and self-help author. He became well known through his infomercials and self-help books, Unlimited Power, Unleash the Power Within and Awaken the Giant Within.

“Do what you did in the beginning of a relationship and there won’t be an end.”  Tony Robbins

“The path to success is to take massive, determined action.”  Tony Robbins

“It’s not the events of our lives that shape us, but our beliefs as to what those events mean.”  Tony Robbins

“If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.”  Tony Robbins

“When you are grateful, fear disappears and abundance appears.” Tony Robbins

“It is your decisions, and not your conditions, that determine your destiny.” Tony Robbins

“Focus on where you want to go, not on what you fear.” Tony Robbins

“It’s not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives. It’s what we do consistently.” Tony Robbins

“Every problem is a gift – without problems we would not grow.” Tony Robbins

“People are not lazy, they simply have impotent goals..that is..goals that do not inspire them.” Tony Robbins

“The only limit to your impact is your imagination and commitment.” Tony Robbins

Ayn Rand

Born Alisa Zinov’yevna Rosenbaum; (February 2, 1905 – March 6, 1982) was a Russian-American novelist, philosopher, playwright, and screenwriter. She is known for her two best-selling novels, The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged, and for developing a philosophical system she called Objectivism. Born and educated in Russia, Rand moved to the United States in 1926. She had a play produced on Broadway in 1935–1936. After two early novels that were initially unsuccessful in America, she achieved fame with her 1943 novel, The Fountainhead.

“The ladder of success is best climbed by stepping on the rungs of opportunity.”  Ayn Rand

“The truth is not for all men, but only for those who seek it.”  Ayn Rand

“Happiness is that state of consciousness which proceeds from the achievement of one’s values.”  Ayn Rand

“Reason is not automatic. Those who deny it cannot be conquered by it. Do not count on them. Leave them alone.”  Ayn Rand

“Throughout the centuries there were men who took first steps, down new roads, armed with nothing but their own vision.”  Ayn Rand

“I swear by my life and my love of it that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine.” Ayn Rand

“The hardest thing to explain is the glaringly evident which everybody has decided not to see.” Ayn Rand

“The man who does not value himself, cannot value anything or anyone.” Ayn Rand

“You can avoid reality, but you cannot avoid the consequences of avoiding reality.” Ayn Rand

Aristotle

Aristotélēs; (384 – 322 BC) was a Greek philosopher and scientist born in the Macedonian city of Stagira, Chalkidice, on the northern periphery of Classical Greece. His father, Nicomachus, died when Aristotle was a child, where after Proxenus of Atarneus became his guardian. At eighteen, he joined Plato’s Academy in Athens and remained there until the age of thirty-seven (c. 347 BC). His writings cover many subjects – including physics, biology, zoology, metaphysics, logic, ethics, aesthetics, poetry, theater, music, rhetoric, linguistics, politics and government – and constitute the first comprehensive system of Western philosophy. Shortly after Plato died, Aristotle left Athens and, at the request of Philip of Macedon, tutored Alexander the Great starting from 343 BC. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, “Aristotle was the first genuine scientist in history … [and] every scientist is in his debt.”

“There was never a genius without a tincture of madness.” Aristotle

“There is no great genius without a mixture of madness.” Aristotle

“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom” Aristotle

“Wise men speak when they have something to say, fools speak because they have to say something” Aristotle

“I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who overcomes his enemies.” Aristotle

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”  Aristotle

“It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” Aristotle

“The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.” Aristotle

“Quality is not an act, it is a habit.” Aristotle

“Education is an ornament in prosperity and a refuge in adversity.” Aristotle

“Men acquire a particular quality by constantly acting in a particular way.” Aristotle

Arnold J. Toynbee

(14 April 1889 – 22 October 1975) was a British historian, philosopher of history, research professor of International History at the London School of Economics and the University of London and author of numerous books. Toynbee in the 1918–1950 period was a leading specialist on international affairs. He is best known for his 12-volume A Study of History (1934–61), through which he examined the rise and fall of 26 civilizations in the course of human history, and he concluded that they rose by responding successfully to challenges under the leadership of creative minorities composed of elite leaders.

“The supreme accomplishment is to blur the line between work and play.”  Arnold J. Toynbee

“As human beings, we are endowed with freedom of choice, and we cannot shuffle off our responsibility upon the shoulders of God or nature. We must shoulder it ourselves. It is our responsibility.  Arnold J. Toynbee

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger born July 30, 1947 is an Austrian-American actor, filmmaker, businessman, author, philanthropist, activist, politician, and former professional bodybuilder and powerlifter. He served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 to 2011. Schwarzenegger began lifting weights at the age of 15. He won the Mr. Universe title at age 20 and went on to win the Mr. Olympia contest seven times, remaining a prominent presence in bodybuilding and writing many books and articles on the sport. The Arnold Sports Festival, considered the second most important professional bodybuilding event in recent years, is named after him. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest bodybuilders of all-time, as well as the sport’s most charismatic ambassador.

“The last three or four reps is what makes the muscle grow. This area of pain divides the champion from someone else who is not a champion. That’s what most people lack, having the guts to go on and just say they’ll go through the pain no matter what happens.” Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arthur Christopher Benson

Arthur Christopher Benson (24 April 1862 – 17 June 1925) was an English essayist, poet, and author[1] and the 28th Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge. His poems and volumes of essays, such as From a College Window, and The Upton Letters (essays in the form of letters) were famous in his day; and he left one of the longest diaries ever written, some four million words. Extracts from the diaries are printed in Edwardian Excursions. From the Diaries of A.C. Benson, 1898–1904, ed. David Newsome, London : John Murray, 1981. Today, he is best remembered as the author of the words of one of Britain’s best-loved patriotic songs, Land of Hope and Glory, and as a brother of novelists E. F. Benson and Robert Hugh Benson, and of Egyptologist Margaret Benson.

“Very often a change of self is needed more than a change of scene.” Arthur Christopher Benson

“The worst sorrows in life are not in its losses and misfortunes, but its fears.” Arthur Christopher Benson

“When you get to my age life seems little more than one long march to and from the lavatory.” Arthur Christopher Benson

“The awful penalty of success is the haunting dread of subsequent failure.” Arthur Christopher Benson

B.C. Forbes

Forbes was born in New Deer, Aberdeenshire, in Scotland, the son of Agnes (Moir) and Robert Forbes, a storekeeper and tailor. After studying at University College, Dundee (then part of the University of St Andrews), in 1897 Forbes worked as a reporter and editorial writer with a local newspaper until 1901 when he moved to Johannesburg, South Africa, where he worked on the Rand Daily Mail under its first editor, Edgar Wallace. He emigrated to New York City in the United States in 1904 where he was employed as a writer and financial editor at the Journal of Commerce before joining the Hearst chain of newspapers as a syndicated columnist in 1911. He left Hearst after two years to become the business and financial editor at the New York American where he remained until 1916. He founded Forbes magazine in 1917 and remained editor-in-chief until his death in New York City in 1954, though assisted in his later years by Bruce Charles Forbes (1916–1964) and Malcolm Stevenson Forbes (1919–1990), his two eldest sons.

“History has demonstrated that the most notable winnders usually encounterred heart-breaking obstacles before they triuphed. they won because they refused to become discouraged by their defeats.” B.C. Forbes

Benjamin Barber

Benjamin R. Barber (August 2, 1939 – April 24, 2017) was an American political theorist and author, perhaps best known for his 1995 bestseller, Jihad vs. McWorld, and for 2013’s If Mayors Ruled the World as well as the classic of democratic theory, 1984’s Strong Democracy (revised in 2004). He became a top-level international consultant on participatory democracy as well as an adviser to Bill Clinton, Howard Dean, and Muammar Gaddafi.

“I don’t divide the world into weak and the strong, or the successes and the failures….I divide the world into the learners and the non-learners.” Benjamin Barber

Benjamin Franklin

(January 17, 1706 – April 17, 1790) was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States and in many ways was “The First American”. A renowned polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, inventor, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat. As a scientist, he was a major figure in the American Enlightenment and the history of physics for his discoveries and theories regarding electricity. As an inventor, he is known for the lightning rod, bifocals, and the Franklin stove, among other inventions. He facilitated many civic organizations, including Philadelphia’s fire department and a university.

“He that is good at making excuses is seldom good for anything else.”  Benjamin Franklin

“I was surprised to find myself so much fuller of Faults than I had imagined, but I had the Satisfaction of seeing them diminish.” Benjamin Franklin

“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” Benjamin Franklin

“Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.” Benjamin Franklin

“We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid.” Benjamin Franklin

“Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain – and most fools do.” Benjamin Franklin

“He that can have patience can have what he will.” Benjamin Franklin

“Never ruin an apology with an excuse.” Benjamin Franklin

“Being ignorant is not so much a shame, as being unwilling to learn.” Benjamin Franklin

“Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man.” Benjamin Franklin

“Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that’s the stuff life is made of.” Benjamin Franklin

Bernard M. Baruch

Bernard Mannes Baruch (August 19, 1870 – June 20, 1965) was an American financier, stock investor, philanthropist, statesman, and political consultant. After his success in business, he devoted his time toward advising U.S. Presidents Woodrow Wilson and Franklin D. Roosevelt on economic matters and became a philanthropist.

“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.” Bernard M. Baruch

“Two things are bad for the heart—running up stairs and running down people.” Bernard M. Baruch

“Most of the successful people I’ve known are the ones who do more listening than talking.” Bernard M. Baruch

B.K.S. Iyengar

(14 December 1918 – 20 August 2014), better known as B.K.S. Iyengar, was the founder of the style of yoga known as “Iyengar Yoga” and was considered one of the foremost yoga teachers in the world. He was the author of many books on yoga practice and philosophy including Light on Yoga, Light on Pranayama, Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and Light on Life. Iyengar was one of the earliest students of Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, who is often referred to as “the father of modern yoga”. He has been credited with popularizing yoga, first in India and then around the world.

“Body is the bow, Asana is the arrow, soul is the target.” B.K.S. Iyengar

“Yoga teaches us to cure what need not be endured and endure what cannot be cured.” B.K.S. Iyengar

“Yoga does not just change the way we see things, it transforms the person who sees.” B.K.S. Iyengar

“It is through the alignment of the body that I discovered the alignment of my mind, self, and intelligence.” B.K.S. Iyengar

“Yoga allows you to find a new kind of freedom that you may not have known even existed.” B.K.S. Iyengar

“Yoga is a light, which once lit, will never dim. The better your practice, the brighter the flame.” B.K.S. Iyengar

“By drawing our senses of perception inward, we are able to experience the control, silence, and quietness of the mind.” B.K.S. Iyengar

“Change leads to disappointment if it is not sustained. Transformation is sustained change, and it is achieved through practice.” B.K.S. Iyengar

“Do not stop trying just because perfection eludes you.” B.K.S. Iyengar

“Words cannot convey the value of yoga – it has to be experienced.” B.K.S. Iyengar

“The brain is the hardest part of the body to adjust in asanas.” B.K.S. Iyengar

Bikram Choudhury

Bikram Choudhury (born February 10, 1946) is an Indian yoga teacher and the founder of Bikram Yoga, a form of hot yoga performed in a series of 26 hatha yoga postures done in a hot (40 °C (104 °F)) environment.

“Yoga is the perfect vehicle for change of yourself. First by creating a strong and powerful body and mind. It is a starting point from which you can begin to realize your human spirit.” Bikram Choudhury

“Give me 30 days, I’ll change your body. Give me 60 days , I’ll change your life” Bikram Choudhury

“In life you only have to travel 6 inches. That is the distance from your mind to your heart.” Bikram Choudhury

“Falling out of a posture means you are human; getting back into the posture means you are a yogi.” Bikram Choudhury

“You have nothing to lose. You had nothing to begin with.” Bikram Choudhury

Bob Marley

(6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981) was a Jamaican reggae singer-songwriter, musician, and guitarist who achieved international fame and acclaim. Starting out in 1963 with the group the Wailers, he forged a distinctive songwriting and vocal style that would later resonate with audiences worldwide. The Wailers would go on to release some of the earliest reggae records with producer Lee Scratch Perry. After the Wailers disbanded in 1974, Marley pursued a solo career which culminated in the release of the album Exodus in 1977 which established his worldwide reputation and produced his status as one of the world’s best-selling artists of all time, with sales of more than 75 million records. He was a committed Rastafari who infused his music with a sense of spirituality.

“Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds!”  Bob Marley

“Herb is the healing of a nation, alcohol is the destruction.” Bob Marley

“I don’t stand for the black man’s side, I don’ t stand for the white man’s side. I stand for God’s side.” Bob Marley

“The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively.” Bob Marley

“The truth is, everyone is going to hurt you. You just got to find the ones worth suffering for.” Bob Marley

“Some people feel the rain. Others just get wet.” Bob Marley

“None but ourselves can free our minds.” Bob Marley

“Better to die fighting for freedom then be a prisoner all the days of your life.” Bob Marley

“Live for yourself and you will live in vain; Live for others, and you will live again.” Bob Marley

“When one door is closed, don’t you know that many more are open.” Bob Marley

Bruce Lee

(November 27, 1940 – July 20, 1973) was a Hong Kong American martial artist, Hong Kong action film actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, filmmaker, and the founder of Jeet Kune Do. Lee was the son of Cantonese opera star Lee Hoi-Chuen. He is widely considered by commentators, critics, media and other martial artists to be one of the most influential martial artists of all time, and a pop culture icon of the 20th century. He is often credited with helping to change the way Asians were presented in American films.

“Knowing is not enough. We must Apply. Willing is not enough. We must Do.” – Bruce Lee

“A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at.” Bruce Lee

“I’m not in this world to live up to your expectations and you’re not in this world to live up to mine.” Bruce Lee

“Absorb what is useful, Discard what is not, Add what is uniquely your own.” – Bruce Lee

“Do not pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure a difficult one.” Bruce Lee 

“Mistakes are always forgivable, if one has the courage to admit them.” Bruce Lee

“A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer.” Bruce Lee

“If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them.” Bruce Lee

“If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it done.” Bruce Lee

“To hell with circumstances; I create opportunities.” Bruce Lee

“Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it.” Bruce Lee

“Notice that the stiffest tree is most easily cracked, while the bamboo or willow survives by bending with the wind.” Bruce Lee

Buddha

Gautama Buddha, also known as Siddhārtha Gautama, Shakyamuni, or simply the Buddha, was a sage on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. He is believed to have lived and taught mostly in eastern India sometime between the sixth and fourth centuries BCE.

“There is no path to happiness: Happiness is the path.” Buddha

“If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete.” Buddha 

“The mind is everything. What you think you become.” Buddha 

“Even death is not to be feared by one who has lived wisely.”  Buddha

“Just as a candle cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without a spiritual life.”  Buddha

“Do not overrate what you have received, nor envy others. He who envies others does not obtain peace of mind.”  Buddha

“However many holy words you read, however many you speak, what good will they do you if you do no act upon them?”  Buddha

“Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love; this is the eternal rule.”  Buddha

“You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” Buddha

“What you think you become. What you feel you attract. What you imagine you create.” Buddha

“No matter how hard the past you can always begin again” Buddha

“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.”  Buddha

“Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.”  – Buddha

“Meditation brings wisdom; lack of meditation leaves ignorance. Know well what leads you forward and what hold you back, and choose the path that leads to wisdom.”  Buddha

Buddha was asked, “What have you gained from meditation?” He replied, “Nothing!” “However, Buddha said, let me tell you what I lost: Anger, Anxiety, Depression, Insecurity, Fear of Old Age and Death.”

“Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.” Buddha

“To understand everything is to forgive everything.” Buddha

“We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world.” Buddha

“Serenity comes when you trade expectations for acceptance” Buddha

“Neither fire nor wind, birth nor death can erase our good deeds” Buddha

“At the end of the way is freedom. Until then, patience.” Buddha

“You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger” Buddha

“You only lose what you cling to.” Buddha

“A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion are the things that renew humanity.” Buddha

“Health is the greatest gift, Contentment is the greatest wealth, A trusted friend is the best relative, Liberated mind is the greatest bliss.” Buddha

“Each morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.” Buddha

“The thought manifests as the word; the word manifests as the deed; the deed develops into a habit; and habit hardens into character. So watch the thought and its ways with care, and let it spring from love born out of concern for all beings.” Buddha

“A man who conquers himself is greater than one who conquers a thousand men in battle.” Buddha

“A heart is like a garden. It can grow compassion or fear, resentment or love. What seeds will you plant there?” Buddha

“Do not learn how to react, learn how to respond.” Buddha

“When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves.” Buddha

Calvin Coolidge

(July 4, 1872 – January 5, 1933) was the 30th President of the United States (1923–1929). A Republican lawyer from Vermont, Coolidge worked his way up the ladder of Massachusetts state politics, eventually becoming governor of that state. His response to the Boston Police Strike of 1919 thrust him into the national spotlight and gave him a reputation as a man of decisive action. Soon after, he was elected as the 29th Vice President in 1920 and succeeded to the Presidency upon the sudden death of Warren G. Harding in 1923. Elected in his own right in 1924, he gained a reputation as a small government conservative, and also as a man who said very little.

“No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor has been the reward for what he gave.”  Calvin Coolidge

“All growth depends upon activity. There is no development physically or intellectually without effort, and effort means work.” Calvin Coolidge

“Don’t expect to build up the weak by pulling down the strong.” Calvin Coolidge

“Prosperity is only an instrument to be used, not a deity to be worshipped.” Calvin Coolidge

“I have noticed that nothing I never said ever did me any harm.” Calvin Coolidge

Camille Pissarro

(10 July 1830 – 13 November 1903) was a Danish-French Impressionist and Neo-Impressionist painter born on the island of St Thomas (now in the US Virgin Islands, but then in the Danish West Indies). His importance resides in his contributions to both Impressionism and Post-Impressionism. Pissarro studied from great forerunners, including Gustave Courbet and Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot. He later studied and worked alongside Georges Seurat and Paul Signac when he took on the Neo-Impressionist style at the age of 54.

“Blessed are they who see beautiful things in humble places where other people see nothing.” Camille Pissarro

“God takes care of imbeciles, little children and artists.” Camille Pissarro

Carl Jung

(26 July 1875 – 6 June 1961), often referred to as C. G. Jung, was a Swiss psychiatrist and psychotherapist who founded analytical psychology. Jung proposed and developed the concepts of the collective unconscious, archetypes, and extroversion and introversion. His work has been influential not only in psychiatry but also in philosophy, anthropology, archaeology, literature, and religious studies. He was a prolific writer, though many of his works were not published until after his death.

“Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to a better understanding of ourselves” Carl Jung

“There’s no coming to consciousness without pain.” Carl Jung

“The greatest tragedy of the family is the unlived lives of the parents.” Carl Jung

“The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.” Carl Jung

“Every form of addiction is bad, no matter whether the narcotic be alcohol or morphine or idealism.”  Carl Jung

“Your vision will only become clear when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens.” Carl Jung

“We cannot change anything until we accept it. Condemnation does not liberate, it oppresses.” Carl Jung

“About a third of my cases are suffering from no clinically definable neurosis, but from the senselessness and emptiness of their lives. This can be defined as the general neurosis of our times.” Carl Jung

“We should not pretend to understand the world only by the intellect. The judgement of the intellect is only part of the truth.” Carl Jung

“It all depends on how we look at things, and not on how things are in themselves. The least of things with a meaning is worth more in life than the greatest of things without it.” Carl Jung

“We deem those happy who from the experience of life have learnt to bear its ills without being overcome by them.” Carl Jung

Charles Bukowski

 Henry Charles Bukowski (born Heinrich Karl Bukowski; August 16, 1920 – March 9, 1994) was a German-born American poet, novelist, and short story writer. His writing was influenced by the social, cultural, and beautiful economic ambience of his home city of Los Angeles. His work addresses the ordinary lives of poor Americans, the act of writing, alcohol, relationships with women, and the drudgery of work. Bukowski wrote thousands of poems, hundreds of short stories and six novels, eventually publishing over sixty books. The FBI kept a file on him as a result of his column, Notes of a Dirty Old Man, in the LA underground newspaper Open City.

“The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence.” Charles Bukowski

“I don’t hate people. I just feel better when they aren’t around.” Charles Bukowski

“We’re all going to die, all of us, what a circus! That alone should make us love each other but it doesn’t. We are terrorized and flattened by trivialities, we are eaten up by nothing.” Charles Bukowski

“My ambition is handicapped by laziness” Charles Bukowski

“You begin saving the world by saving one man at a time; all else is grandiose romanticism or politics.” Charles Bukowski

“How in the hell could a man enjoy being awakened at 6:30 a.m. by an alarm clock, leap out of bed, force-feed, shit, piss, brush teeth and hair, and fight traffic to get to a place where essentially you made lots of money for somebody else and were asked to be grateful for the opportunity to do so.”

Charles Darwin

(12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist and geologist, best known for his contributions to evolutionary theory. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestors, and in a joint publication with Alfred Russel Wallace introduced his scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection, in which the struggle for existence has a similar effect to the artificial selection involved in selective breeding.

“A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life.” Charles Darwin

“The highest possible stage in moral culture is when we recognize that we ought to control our thoughts.” Charles Darwin

“An American monkey, after getting drunk on brandy, would never touch it again, and thus is much wiser than most men.” Charles Darwin

“The very essence of instinct is that it’s followed independently of reason.” Charles Darwin

“If the misery of the poor be caused not by the laws of nature, but by our institutions, great is our sin.” Charles Darwin

“It’s not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the ones most responsive to change.” Charles Darwin

“If I had my life to live over again, I would have made a rule to read some poetry and listen to some music at least once every week.” Charles Darwin

“We must, however, acknowledge, as it seems to me, that man with all his noble qualities… still bears in his bodily frame the indelible stamp of his lowly origin.” Charles Darwin

“Intelligence is based on how efficient a species became at doing the things they need to survive.” Charles Darwin

Chinese Proverbs

“A man grows most tired while standing still.” Chinese Proverbs

“He who asks is a fool for five minutes, but he who does not ask remains a fool forever.” Chinese Proverbs

“Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are.” Chinese Proverbs

Christiane Lemieux

“Slow down and enjoy yourself a little more, don’t be so serious. Life is not a race.” Christiane Lemieux

Colin Powell

(born April 5, 1937) is an American statesman and a retired four-star general in the United States Army. He was the 65th United States Secretary of State, serving under U.S. President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005, the first African American to serve in that position. During his military career, Powell also served as National Security Advisor (1987–1989), as Commander of the U.S. Army Forces Command (1989) and as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1989–1993), holding the latter position during the Persian Gulf War. He was the first, and so far the only, African American to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and was the first of two consecutive African American office-holders to hold the key administration position of U.S. Secretary of State.

“Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.” Colin Powell

“Avoid having your ego so close to your position that when your position falls, your ego goes with it.”  Colin Powell

“A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.” Colin Powell

“Trying to get everyone to like you is a sign of mediocrity.” Colin Powell

“There are no secrets to success. It’s the result of preparation, hard work, learning from failure.” Colin Powell

“The freedom to do your best means nothing unless you are willing to do your best.” Colin Powell

“Organization charts and fancy titles count for next to nothing.” Colin Powell

Confucius

(551–479 BC) was a Chinese teacher, editor, politician, and philosopher of the Spring and Autumn period of Chinese history. The philosophy of Confucius emphasized personal and governmental morality, correctness of social relationships, justice and sincerity. His followers competed successfully with many other schools during the Hundred Schools of Thought era only to be suppressed in favor of the Legalists during the Qin Dynasty. Following the victory of Han over Chu after the collapse of Qin, Confucius’s thoughts received official sanction and were further developed into a system known as Confucianism.

“When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.” Confucius

“He who speaks without modesty will find it difficult to make his words good.”  Confucius

“Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s ignorance.” Confucius

“I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.” Confucius

“Tell me, and I will forget. Show me, and I may remember. Involve me, and I will understand.” Confucius

“To know what you know and what you do not know, that is true knowledge.” Confucius

“A superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions.” Confucius

“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” Confucius

“The more man meditates upon good thoughts, the better will be his world and the world at large.” Confucius

“To see the right and not to do it is cowardice.” Confucius

“The firm, the enduring, the simple, and the modest are near to virtue.” Confucius

“Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” Confucius

“To be wronged is nothing, unless you continue to remember it.” Confucius

C.S. Lewis

(29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963), was a novelist, poet, academic, medievalist, literary critic, essayist, lay theologian, broadcaster, lecturer, and Christian apologist. Born in Belfast, Ireland, he held academic positions at both Oxford University (Magdalen College), 1925–54, and Cambridge University (Magdalene College), 1954–63. He is best known for his fictional work, especially The Screwtape Letters, The Chronicles of Narnia, and The Space Trilogy, and for his non-fiction Christian apologetics, such as Mere Christianity, Miracles, and The Problem of Pain.

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” – C. S. Lewis

“Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.”  C. S. Lewis

“Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.” C. S. Lewis

“Failures, repeated failures, are finger posts on the road to achievement. One fails forward toward success.” C. S. Lewis

“Affection is responsible for nine-tenths of whatever solid and durable happiness there is in our lives.” C. S. Lewis

“To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.” C. S. Lewis

“You can’t get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me.” C. S. Lewis

Cybele Tomlinson

“Yoga is about clearing away whatever is in us that prevents our living in the most full and whole way.” Cybele Tomlinson

Dalai Lama

The 14th Dalai Lama (religious name: Tenzin Gyatso, shortened from Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso, born Lhamo Dondrub, 6 July 1935) is the current Dalai Lama, as well as the longest-lived incumbent. Dalai Lamas are amongst the head monks of the Gelug school, the newest of the schools of Tibetan Buddhism. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, and is also well known for his lifelong advocacy for Tibetans inside and outside Tibet.

“We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves” Dalai Lama

“Give the ones you love wings to fly, roots to come back and reasons to stay.” Dalai Lama

“Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.” Dalai Lama

“People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they’re not on your road does not mean they are lost.”  Dalai Lama

“There is no need for temples, no need for complicated philosophies. My brain and my heart are my temples; my philosophy is kindness.” Dalai Lama

“Don’t let the behavior of others destroy you inner peace”  Dalai Lama

“In the practice of tolerance, one’s enemy is the best teacher.”  Dalai Lama

“The purpose of religion is to control yourself, not to criticize others.” Dalai Lama

Dale Carnegie

Dale Harbison Carnegie (November 24, 1888 – November 1, 1955) was an American writer and lecturer, and the developer of famous courses in self-improvement, salesmanship, corporate training, public speaking, and interpersonal skills. Born into poverty on a farm in Missouri, he was the author of How to Win Friends and Influence People (1936), a bestseller that remains popular today. He also wrote How to Stop Worrying and Start Living (1948), Lincoln the Unknown (1932), and several other books.

“Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who kept on trying when there seemed no hope at all.” Dale Carnegie

Deepak Chopra

(born October 22, 1947) is an Indian-born American author and public speaker. He is an alternative medicine advocate and a promoter of popular forms of spirituality, who has been described by the New York Times as a “controversial New-Age guru”. Through his books and videos, he has become one of the best-known and wealthiest figures in the holistic-health movement.

“You must find the place inside yourself where nothing is impossible.” Deepak Chopra

“We must go beyond the constant clamor of ego, beyond the tools of logic and reason, to the still, calm place within us: the realm of the soul.”  Deepak Chopra

“You can’t make positive choices for the rest of your life without an environment that makes those choices easy, natural, and enjoyable.” Deepak Chopra

“Always go with your passions. Never ask yourself if it’s realistic or not.” Deepak Chopra

“The less you open your heart to others, the more your heart suffers.” Deepak Chopra

“Life gives you plenty of time to do whatever you want to do if you stay in the present moment.” Deepak Chopra

Dogen Zenji

(19 January 1200 – 22 September 1253) was a Japanese Zen Buddhist teacher born in Kyōto. He founded the Sōtō school of Zen in Japan after travelling to China and training under Rujing, a master of the Chinese Caodong lineage. Dōgen is known for his extensive writing including the Treasury of the Eye of the True Dharma or Shōbōgenzō, a collection of ninety-five fascicles concerning Buddhist practice and enlightenment.

“To study the way is to study the self. To study the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be enlightened by all things.” Dogen

“Do not think you will necessarily be aware of your own enlightenment.” Dogen

“Life and death are of supreme importance. Time swiftly passes by and opportunity is lost. Each of us should strive to awaken. Awaken. Take heed, do not squander your life.” Dogen

“If you cannot find the truth right where you are, where else do you expect to find it?” Dogen

“That you carry yourself forward and experience the myriad things is delusion. That the myriad things come forward and experience themselves is awakening” Dogen

“In a mind clear as still water, even the waves, breaking, are reflecting its light.” Dogen

“Do not follow the ideas of others, but learn to listen to the voice within yourself.” Dogen

“Do not miss the opportunity of offering even a single drop into the ocean of merit or a grain atop the mountain of the roots of beneficial activity.” Dogen

“The recognition of the coming and going of things is a first step in training and practice.” Dogen

 

Dr. Seuss

Theodor Seuss Geisel (March 2, 1904 – September 24, 1991) was an American writer and cartoonist. He was most widely known for his children’s books, which he wrote and illustrated under the pseudonym Dr. Seuss. He had used the pen name Dr. Theophrastus Seuss in college and later used Theo LeSieg and Rosetta Stone. Geisel published 46 children’s books, often characterized by imaginative characters, rhyme, and frequent use of anapestic meter.

“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” Dr. Seuss

“I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living.” Dr. Seuss

“A person’s a person, no matter how small.” Dr. Seuss

“Why fit in when you were born to stand out?” Dr. Seuss

“Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one.” Dr. Seuss

“If you never did you should. These things are fun and fun is good.” Dr. Seuss

Dwight D. Eisenhower

(October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was the 34th President of the United States from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army during World War II and served as Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe; he had responsibility for planning and supervising the invasion of North Africa in Operation Torch in 1942–43 and the successful invasion of France and Germany in 1944–45 from the Western Front. In 1951, he became the first supreme commander of NATO. He was the last U.S. President to have been born in the 19th century.

“Plans are worthless, but planning is everything.” Dwight D. Eisenhower

“I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its futility, its stupidity.”  Dwight D. Eisenhower

“Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.” Dwight D. Eisenhower

“An intellectual is a man who takes more words than necessary to tell more than he knows.” Dwight D. Eisenhower

Eckhart Tolle

Born Ulrich Leonard Tölle on February 16, 1948 is a German-born resident of Canada, best known as the author of The Power of Now and A New Earth. In 2011, he was listed by the Watkins Review as the most spiritually influential person in the world. In 2008, a New York Times writer called Tolle “the most popular spiritual author in the United States”.

“Realize deeply that the present moment is all you really have.” Eckhart Tolle

“I’m grateful for always this moment, the now, no matter what form it takes.” Eckhart Tolle

“If there are people you haven’t forgiven, you’re not going to really awaken. You have to let go.” Eckhart Tolle

“Power over others is weakness disguised as strength.” Eckhart Tolle

“Discontent, blaming, complaining, self-pity cannot serve as a foundation for a good future, no matter how much effort you make.” Eckhart Tolle

“The power for creating a better future is contained in the present moment: You create a good future by creating a good present.” Eckhart Tolle

“Many people identify their sense of self with the problems they have, or think they have.” Eckhart Tolle

“Not what you do, but how you do what you do determines whether you are fulfilling your destiny. And how you do what you do is determined by your state of consciousness.” Eckhart Tolle

“Accept – then act. Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it. Always work with it, not against it. Eckhart Tolle

Edmund Burke

(12 January 1729 – 9 July 1797) was an Irish statesman born in Dublin; author, orator, political theorist, and philosopher, who, after moving to England, served for many years in the House of Commons of Great Britain as a member of the Whig party. Mainly, he is remembered for his support of the cause of the American Revolutionaries, Catholic emancipation, the impeachment of Warren Hastings from the East India Company, and for his later opposition to the French Revolution. The latter led to his becoming the leading figure within the conservative faction of the Whig party, which he dubbed the “Old Whigs”, in opposition to the pro–French Revolution “New Whigs”, led by Charles

“The only thing necessary for evil to prevail is for good men to stand by and do nothing.”  Edmund Burke

“To read without reflecting is like eating without digesting.”  Edmund Burke

“Our patience will achieve more than our force.” Edmund Burke

“Those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it.” Edmund Burke

“The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion.” Edmund Burke

E.E. Cummings

(October 14, 1894 – September 3, 1962), known as E. E. Cummings, with the abbreviated form of his name often written by others in lowercase letters as e e cummings (in the style of some of his poems—see name and capitalization, below), was an American poet, painter, essayist, author, and playwright. His body of work encompasses approximately 2,900 poems, two autobiographical novels, four plays and several essays, as well as numerous drawings and paintings. He is remembered as an eminent voice of 20th century English literature.

“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.”  E.E. Cummings

“The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.”  E. E. Cummings

“Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit.” E. E. Cummings

“Humanity I love you because when you’re hard up you pawn your intelligence to buy a drink.” E. E. Cummings

“That which we die for lives as wholly as that which we live for dies.” E. E. Cummings

Eknath Easwaran

(December 17, 1910 – October 26, 1999) was a spiritual teacher, an author of books on meditation and ways to lead a fulfilling life, as well as a translator and interpreter of Indian literature. In 1961 Easwaran founded the Blue Mountain Center of Meditation and Nilgiri Press, based in northern California. Nilgiri Press publishes over two dozen books he authored. Easwaran was influenced by Mohandas K. Gandhi, whom he met when he was a young man. Easwaran developed a method of meditation – silent repetition in the mind of memorized inspirational passages from the world’s great religions – which later came to be known as Passage Meditation.

“When we meditate every morning we are putting on armor for the day’s battle against our own impatience, inadequacy, resentment, and hostility.” Eknath Easwaran

“Patience can’t be acquired overnight. It is just like building up a muscle. Every day you need to work on it.” Eknath Easwaran

“Love is so exquisitely elusive. It cannot be bought, cannot be badgered, cannot be hijacked. It is available only in one rare form: as the natural response of a healthy mind and healthy heart.” Eknath Easwaran

“As meditation deepens, compulsions, cravings, and fits of emotions begin to lose their power to dictate our behavior. We see clearly that choices are possible: we can say yes, or we can say no.” Eknath Easwaran

“All we are is the result of what we have thought.” By changing our mode of thinking, we can remake ourselves completely.” Eknath Easwaran

Elbart Hubbard

Elbert Green Hubbard (June 19, 1856 – May 7, 1915) was an American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher. Raised in Hudson, Illinois, he met early success as a traveling salesman with the Larkin Soap Company. Today Hubbard is mostly known as the founder of the Roycroft artisan community in East Aurora, New York, an influential exponent of the Arts and Crafts Movement. Among his many publications were the nine-volume work Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great and the short story A Message to Garcia. He and his second wife, Alice Moore Hubbard, died aboard the RMS Lusitania, which was sunk by a German submarine off the coast of Ireland on May 7, 1915.

“He who does not understand your silence will probably not understand your words.” Elbart Hubbard

“To avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing.”  Elbert Hubbard

“Every man is a damn fool for at least five minutes every day; wisdom consists of not exceeding the limit.”  Elbert Hubbard

“The friend is the man who knows all about you, and still likes you.” Elbert Hubbard

“The final proof of greatness lies in being able to endure criticism without resentment.” Elbert Hubbard

“He has achieved success who has worked well, laughed often, and loved much.” Elbert Hubbard

“We work to become, not to acquire.” Elbert Hubbard

“Pray that success will not come any faster than you are able to endure it.” Elbert Hubbard

Eleanor Roosevelt

Anna Eleanor Roosevelt (October 11, 1884 – November 7, 1962) was an American politician, diplomat, and activist. She was the longest-serving First Lady of the United States, holding the post from March 1933 to April 1945 during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s four terms in office. President Harry S. Truman later called her the “First Lady of the World” in tribute to her human rights achievements.

“No one can make you feel inferior without your permission.”  Eleanor Roosevelt

“You must do the things you think you cannot do.” Eleanor Roosevelt

“You can often change your circumstances by changing your attitude” Eleanor Roosevelt

“You wouldn’t worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do.” Eleanor Roosevelt

“Do one thing every day that scares you.” Eleanor Roosevelt

“It is not more vacation we need – it is more vocation.”  Eleanor Roosevelt

Epictetus

Epictetus (A.D. c. 55 – 135) was a Greek Stoic philosopher. He was born a slave at Hierapolis, Phrygia (present day Pamukkale, Turkey), and lived in Rome until his banishment, when he went to Nicopolis in north-western Greece for the rest of his life. His teachings were written down and published by his pupil Arrian in his Discourses. Epictetus taught that philosophy is a way of life and not just a theoretical discipline. To Epictetus, all external events are determined by fate, and are thus beyond our control; we should accept whatever happens calmly and dispassionately. However, individuals are responsible for their own actions, which they can examine and control through rigorous self-discipline.

“Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.” Epictetus

“Don’t explain your philosophy. Embody it.” Epictetus

“Man is not worried by real problems so much as by his imagined anxieties about real problems.” Epictetus

“The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best.” Epictetus

“He who laughs at himself never runs out of things to laugh at.” Epictetus

“He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.” Epictetus

Ernest Hemingway

Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American author and journalist. His economical and understated style had a strong influence on 20th-century fiction, while his life of adventure and his public image influenced later generations. Hemingway produced most of his work between the mid-1920s and the mid-1950s, and won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954. He published seven novels, six short story collections, and two non-fiction works. Additional works, including three novels, four short story collections, and three non-fiction works, were published posthumously. Many of his works are considered classics of American literature.

“If something is wrong, fix it if you can. But train yourself not to worry. Worry never fixes anything.”  Ernest Hemingway

“An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools.” Ernest Hemingway

“We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.” Ernest Hemingway

“Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.” Ernest Hemingway

“When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen.” Ernest Hemingway

“Always do sober what you said you’d do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut.” Ernest Hemingway

“I drink to make other people more interesting.” Ernest Hemingway

“You can’t get away from yourself by moving from one place to another.” Ernest Hemingway

“Worry a little bit every day and in a lifetime you will lose a couple of years. If something is wrong, fix it if you can. But train yourself not to worry: Worry never fixes anything.” Ernest Hemingway

 

Esther Hicks

“Your life is right now! It’s not later! It’s not in that time of retirement. It’s not when the lover gets here. It’s not when you’ve moved into the new house. It’s not when you get the better job. Your life is right now. It will always be right now. You might as well decide to start enjoying your life right now, because it’s not ever going to get better than right now-until it gets better right now!” Esther Hicks

Francis Bacon

Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St. Alban, QC (22 January 1561 – 9 April 1626), was an English philosopher, statesman, scientist, jurist, orator, essayist, and author. He served both as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England. After his death, he remained extremely influential through his works, especially as philosophical advocate and practitioner of the scientific method during the scientific revolution.

“Prosperity doth best discover vice, but adversity doth best discover virtue.”  Francis Bacon

“Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man.”  Francis Bacon

“If a man be gracious and courteous to strangers, it shows he is a citizen of the world.”  Francis Bacon

“If we are to achieve things never before accomplished we must employ methods never before attempted”  Francis Bacon

“There is no comparison between that which is lost by not succeeding and that which is lost by not trying.” Francis Bacon

“Age appears best in four things: old wood to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust and old authors to read.” Francis Bacon

“Read not to contradict and confute, nor to believe and take for granted …but to weigh and consider” Francis Bacon

“Imagination was given to man to compensate him for what he is not; a sense of humor to console him for what he is.” Francis Bacon

“Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested.”  Francis Bacon
 

Francois de La Rochenfoucauld

François VI, Duc de La Rochefoucauld, Prince de Marcillac (15 September 1613 – 17 March 1680) was a noted French author of maxims and memoirs. His is a clear-eyed, worldly view of human conduct that indulges in neither condemnation nor sentimentality. Born in Paris on the Rue des Petits Champs, at a time when the royal court was oscillating between aiding the nobility and threatening it, he was considered an exemplar of the accomplished 17th-century nobleman. Until 1650, he bore the title of Prince de Marcillac.

“We are so accustomed to disguising our true nature from others, that we end up disguising it from ourselves.” Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“A true friend is the greatest of all blessings, and that which we take the least care of all to acquire.” Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“As great minds have the faculty of saying a great deal in a few words, so lesser minds have a talent of talking much, and saying nothing.” Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“Mediocre minds usually dismiss anything which reaches beyond their own understanding.” Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“Few people have the wisdom to prefer the criticism that would do them good, to the praise that deceives them.” Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“We would frequently be ashamed of our good deeds if people saw all of the motives that produced them.” Francois de La Rochefoucauld 

“We promise in proportion to our hopes, and we deliver in proportion to our fears.” Francois de La Rochefoucauld 

Frank Zappa

Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American musician, bandleader, songwriter, composer, recording engineer, record producer, and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa composed rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed album covers. Zappa produced almost all of the more than 60 albums he released with the band the Mothers of Invention and as a solo artist.

“Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible.” Frank Zappa

“If you end up with a boring miserable life because you listened to your mom, your dad, your teacher, your priest, or some guy on television telling you how to do your shit, then you deserve it.” Frank Zappa

“If you want to get laid, go to college. If you want an education, go to the library.” Frank Zappa

“There is more stupidity than hydrogen in the universe, and it has a longer shelf life.” Frank Zappa

“The most important thing to do in your life is to not interfere with somebody else’s life.” Frank Zappa

“For the record, folks; I never took a shit on stage and the closest I ever came to eating shit anywhere was at a Holiday Inn buffet in Fayetteville, North Carolina, in 1973.” Frank Zappa

“Everybody believes in something and everybody, by virtue of the fact that they believe in something, uses that something to support their own existence.” Frank Zappa

Friedrich Nietzcsche

(15 October 1844 – 25 August 1900) was a German philologist, philosopher, cultural critic, poet and composer. He wrote several critical texts on religion, morality, contemporary culture, philosophy and science, displaying a fondness for metaphor, irony and aphorism.

“All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking.” – Friedrich Nietzsche

“To live is to suffer, to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering.” Friedrich Nietzsche

“In heaven, all the interesting people are missing.” Friedrich Nietzsche

“In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule.” Friedrich Nietzsche

“I cannot believe in a God who wants to be praised all the time.” Friedrich Nietzsche

“We often refuse to accept an idea merely because the tone of voice in which it has been expressed is unsympathetic to us.” Friedrich Nietzsche

“It is my ambition to say in ten sentences what others say in a whole book.” Friedrich Nietzsche

George Moore

George Augustus Moore (24 February 1852 – 21 January 1933) was an Irish novelist, short-story writer, poet, art critic, memoirist and dramatist. Moore came from a Roman Catholic landed family who lived at Moore Hall in Carra, County Mayo. He originally wanted to be a painter, and studied art in Paris during the 1870s. There, he befriended many of the leading French artists and writers of the day. As a naturalistic writer, he was amongst the first English-language authors to absorb the lessons of the French realists, and was particularly influenced by the works of Émile Zola. His writings influenced James Joyce, according to the literary critic and biographer Richard Ellmann, and, although Moore’s work is sometimes seen as outside the mainstream of both Irish and British literature, he is as often regarded as the first great modern Irish novelist.

“A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it.” – George Moore

“Everybody sets out to do something, and everybody does something, but no one does what he sets out to do.” George A. Moore

“Faith goes out through the window when beauty comes in at the door.” George A. Moore

Gretchin Rubin

Gretchen Craft Rubin (born Kansas City, Missouri) is an American author, blogger and speaker. She is author of the best selling The Happiness Project: Or Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun, along with her follow up Happier at Home: Kiss More, Jump More, Abandon a Project, Read Samuel Johnson, and My Other Experiments in the Practice of Everyday Life. Her first book, Power Money Fame Sex: A User’s Guide, parodied self-help books by analyzing and exposing the techniques used to exploit those who strive for those worldly ambitions.

“Focus Not on Having Less or Having More, But on Wanting What You Have.” Gretchen Rubin

“Remember that although the distinction can be difficult to draw, loneliness and solitude are different.” Gretchen Rubin

Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa

Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa is a teacher of Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan and a pioneer in the field of pre-natal yoga. She is the co-founder and director of the Golden Bridge Yoga Center in Los Angeles, and the creator of two books and three DVDs.

“Yoga is not about self-improvement, it’s about self-acceptance” Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa

“Body, mind and soul … (are) the three aspects of the human being and once they come into balance, that’s when you find happiness.” Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa

“The expression is: ‘Off the mat and into the world.’ Like, get off the mat, your spirits are up, your body feels good, now go and help other people who don’t feel this way.” Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa

“In our uniquely human capacity of connect movement with breath and spiritual meaning, yoga is born.” Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa

“Is it fun, does it make me feel good, and is it also challenging? If all those three things I can answer (affirmatively), then to me it’s so worthy of doing.” Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa

H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

H. Jackson Brown, Jr. is an American author best known for his inspirational book, Life’s Little Instruction Book, which was a New York Times bestseller (1991–1994). Its sequel Life’s Little Instruction Book: Volume 2 also made it to the same best seller list in 1993.

“Remember that the happiest people are not those getting more, but those giving more.” H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

“Remember that the most valuable antiques are dear old friends.” H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

“Remember that children, marriages, and flower gardens reflect the kind of care they get.” H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

“Love is when the other person’s happiness is more important than your own.” H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

“Don’t forget, a person’s greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated.” H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

“Every person that you meet knows something you don’t; learn from them.” H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

“Remember that everyone you meet is afraid of something, loves something and has lost something.” H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

“Earn your success based on service to others, not at the expense of others.” H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

“Remember that children, marriages, and flower gardens reflect the kind of care they get.” H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Helen Keller

Helen Adams Keller (June 27, 1880 – June 1, 1968) was an American author, political activist, and lecturer. She was the first deafblind person to earn a bachelor of arts degree. The story of how Keller’s teacher, Anne Sullivan, broke through the isolation imposed by a near complete lack of language, allowing the girl to blossom as she learned to communicate, has become widely known through the dramatic depictions of the play and film The Miracle Worker. Her birthplace in West Tuscumbia, Alabama is now a museum and sponsors an annual “Helen Keller Day”. Her birthday on June 27 is commemorated as Helen Keller Day in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and was authorized at the federal level by presidential proclamation by President Jimmy Carter in 1980, the 100th anniversary of her birth.

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart.” Helen Keller

“The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.” Helen Keller

“What we have once enjoyed we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us.” Helen Keller

“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” Helen Keller

 “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.” Helen Keller

“Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.” Helen Keller

“True happiness… is not attained through self-gratification, but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.” Helen Keller

“The marvelous richness of human experience would lose something of rewarding joy if there were no limitations to overcome. The hilltop hour would not be half so wonderful if there were no dark valleys to traverse.”

 

Henry Ford

Henry Ford (July 30, 1863 – April 7, 1947) was an American industrialist, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, and sponsor of the development of the assembly line technique of mass production. Although Ford did not invent the automobile or the assembly line, he developed and manufactured the first automobile that many middle class Americans could afford. In doing so, Ford converted the automobile from an expensive curiosity into a practical conveyance that would profoundly impact the landscape of the twentieth century.

“Failure is simply an opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.”  Henry Ford

“Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goals.” Henry Ford

“The man who thinks he can and the man who thinks he can’t are both right. Which one are you?” Henry Ford

“Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason so few engage in it.” Henry Ford

“Quality means doing it right when no one is looking.” Henry Ford

“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.” Henry Ford

Henry Adams

Henry Brooks Adams (February 16, 1838 – March 27, 1918) was an American historian and member of the Adams political family, being descended from two U.S. Presidents. In his lifetime, he was best known for his History of the United States During the Administrations of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, a 9-volume work, praised for its literary style.

“A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where is influence stops.” Henry Adams 

Henry David Thoreau

Henry David Thoreau (see name pronunciation; July 12, 1817 – May 6, 1862) was an American author, poet, philosopher, abolitionist, naturalist, tax resister, development critic, surveyor, and historian. A leading transcendentalist, Thoreau is best known for his book Walden, a reflection upon simple living in natural surroundings, and his essay Resistance to Civil Government (also known as Civil Disobedience), an argument for disobedience to an unjust state.

“When it comes time to die, let us not discover that we have never lived.”  Henry David Thoreau

“My greatest skill has been to want but little.” – Henry David Thoreau

“Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.” Henry David Thoreau

“I never found a companion that was so companionable as solitude.” Henry David Thoreau

“What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.” Henry David Thoreau

“You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment.” Henry David Thoreau

“Disobedience is the true foundation of liberty. The obedient must be slaves.” Henry David Thoreau

“Our life is frittered away by detail… simplify, simplify.” Henry David Thoreau

“I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by conscious endeavor.” Henry David Thoreau

Jiddu Krishnamurti

Jiddu Krishnamurti (12 May 1895 – 17 February 1986) was an Indian speaker and writer on philosophical and spiritual subjects. In his early life he was groomed to be the new World Teacher but later rejected this mantle and disbanded the organisation behind it. His subject matter included psychological revolution, the nature of mind, meditation, inquiry, human relationships, and bringing about radical change in society. He constantly stressed the need for a revolution in the psyche of every human being and emphasized that such revolution cannot be brought about by any external entity, be it religious, political, or social.

“Do you want to know what my secret is? You see, I don’t mind what happens.”  Jiddu Krishnamurti

“To understand the immeasurable, the mind must be extraordinarily quiet, still.” Jiddu Krishnamurti

“Tradition becomes our security, and when the mind is secure it is in decay.” Jiddu Krishnamurti

“It is truth that liberates, not your effort to be free.” Jiddu Krishnamurti

“Tell your friend that in his death, a part of you dies and goes with him. Wherever he goes, you also go. He will not be alone.” Jiddu Krishnamurti

“The ability to observe without evaluating is the highest form of intelligence.” Jiddu Krishnamurti

“You can only be afraid of what you think you know.” Jiddu Krishnamurti

“If you begin to understand what you are without trying to change it, then what you are undergoes a transformation.” Jiddu Krishnamurti

“It is only when the mind is free from the old that it meets everything anew, and in that there is joy.” Jiddu Krishnamurti

Joel Osteen

Joel Scott Osteen (born March 5, 1963) is an American pastor, televangelist, and author, based in Houston, Texas. Osteen’s televised sermons are seen by over 7 million viewers weekly and over 20 million monthly in over 100 countries. He is the author of ten books which have been ranked number one on The New York Times Best Seller list.

“If we don’t forgive ourselves for mistakes we’ve made and everybody’s made their choices, some worse than others we’ll never experience the good life God has in store” Joel Osteen

John. D. Rockefeller

John Davison Rockefeller Sr. (July 8, 1839 – May 23, 1937) was an American business magnate and philanthropist. He was a co-founder of the Standard Oil Company, which dominated the oil industry and was the first great U.S. business trust. Rockefeller revolutionized the petroleum industry, and along with other key contemporary industrialists such as Andrew Carnegie, defined the structure of modern philanthropy. In 1870, he founded Standard Oil Company and actively ran it until he officially retired in 1897.

“Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.”  John D. Rockefeller

“If your only goal is to become rich, you will never achieve it.” John D. Rockefeller

“It is wrong to assume that men of immense wealth are always happy.” John D. Rockefeller

“If you want to succeed you should strike out on new paths, rather than travel the worn paths of accepted success.” John D. Rockefeller

“I believe in the dignity of labor, whether with head or hand; that the world owes no man a living but that it owes every man an opportunity to make a living.” John D. Rockefeller

“I know of nothing more despicable and pathetic than a man who devotes all the hours of the waking day to the making of money for money’s sake.” John D. Rockefeller

“I can think of nothing less pleasurable than a life devoted to pleasure.” John D. Rockefeller

John Lennon

John Winston Ono Lennon, born John Winston Lennon; (9 October 1940 – 8 December 1980), was an English musician, singer and songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as a founder member of the rock band the Beatles, the most commercially successful band in the history of popular music. With Paul McCartney, he formed a songwriting partnership that is one of the most celebrated of the 20th century. Born and raised in Liverpool, as a teenager Lennon became involved in the skiffle craze; his first band, the Quarrymen, evolved into the Beatles in 1960. When the group disbanded in 1970, Lennon embarked on a solo career that produced the critically acclaimed albums John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band and Imagine, and iconic songs such as “Give Peace a Chance” and “Working Class Hero”. After his marriage to Yoko Ono in 1969, he changed his name to John Ono Lennon. Lennon disengaged himself from the music business in 1975 to raise his infant son Sean, but re-emerged with Ono in 1980 with the new album Double Fantasy. He was murdered three weeks after its release.

“When I was 5 years old my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down Happy and they told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.” John Lennon

“Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted.” John Lennon

“Count your age by friends, not years. Count your life by smiles, not tears.” John Lennon

“There’s nowhere you can be that isn’t where you’re meant to be…” John Lennon

“Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.” John Lennon

“You don’t need anybody to tell you who you are or what you are. You are what you are!” John Lennon

“It matters not who you love, where you love, why you love, when you love or how you love, it matters only that you love.” John Lennon

Jon Kabat-Zinn

Jon Kabat-Zinn (born Kabat on June 5, 1944) is Professor of Medicine Emeritus and creator of the Stress Reduction Clinic and the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Kabat-Zinn was a student of Buddhist teachers such as Thich Nhat Hanh and Zen Master Seung Sahn and a founding member of Cambridge Zen Center. His practice of yoga and studies with Buddhist teachers led him to integrate their teachings with those of science. He teaches mindfulness, which he says can help people cope with stress, anxiety, pain, and illness. The stress reduction program created by Kabat-Zinn, called Mindfulness-based stress reduction, is offered by medical centers, hospitals, and health maintenance organizations.

“Each time for the first time, each moment the only moment”. Jon Kabat-Zinn

“When you pay attention to boredom it gets unbelievably interesting.” Jon Kabat-Zinn

“The little things? The little moments? They aren’t little.” Jon Kabat-Zinn

“look at other people and ask yourself if you are really seeing them or just your thoughts about them…. Without knowing it, we are coloring everything, putting our spin on it all.” Jon Kabat-Zinn

“Discipline provides a constancy which is independent of what kind of day you had yesterday and what kind of day you anticipate today.” Jon Kabat-Zinn

“From the perspective of meditation, every state is a special state, every moment a special moment.” Jon Kabat-Zinn

“The best way to capture moments is to pay attention. This is how we cultivate mindfulness. Mindfulness means being awake. It means knowing what you are doing.” Jon Kabat-Zinn

“A lot of harm has come in all eras from people attached to one view of ‘spiritual’ truth.” Jon Kabat-Zinn

John Wooden

John Robert Wooden (October 14, 1910 – June 4, 2010) was an American basketball player and coach. Nicknamed the “Wizard of Westwood,” as head coach at UCLA he won ten NCAA national championships in a 12-year period, including an unprecedented seven in a row. Within this period, his teams won a then-record 88 consecutive games. He was named national coach of the year six times. As a player, Wooden was the first to be named basketball All-American three times, and he won a Helms Athletic Foundation National Championship at Purdue University in 1932, seven years before the birth of the NCAA Tournament. Wooden was named a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player (inducted in 1961) and as a coach (in 1973), the first person ever enshrined in both categories. Only Lenny Wilkens, Bill Sharman and Tommy Heinsohn have since had the same honor.

“You can’t live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.” John Wooden 

“Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.” John Wooden 

“Whatever you do in life, surround yourself with smart people who’ll argue with you.” John Wooden

“If you’re not making mistakes, then you’re not doing anything. I’m positive that a doer makes mistakes.” John Wooden

“You can’t let praise or criticism get to you. It’s a weakness to get caught up in either one.” John Wooden

“Adversity is the state in which man most easily becomes acquainted with himself, being especially free of admirers then.” John Wooden

“Failure is not fatal, but failing to change might be.” John Wooden

Joseph Sacco

Joseph Raymond Sacco was born on December 9th, 1957. Your host for this blog. See the About Me for more information.

“Let your practice be your salvation.” Joseph Sacco

“Find something you love doing and just do it. How do you know you are passionate about it? When you would do it without accolades, or any financial compensation.” Joseph Sacco

“As I woke up today I was given another opportunity to turn another page in my life. I am grateful for this gift and will make the best of it, until the next page is turned.” Joseph Sacco

“Don’t take life so seriously. Stay present and just let the day unfold. Your only concern is the present moment.” Joseph Sacco

“It is great to be introspective, self-analysis can be useful, but only if it results in action.”  Joseph Sacco 

“As you drive by, see the people with cardboard signs begging in the streets. Still wish you had more?” Joseph Sacco

“I meditate not to escape the world but instead to be completely present.” Joseph Sacco

“If you cannot believe in yourself how can you expect the world to believe in you.” Joseph Sacco

“Look inside, without anyone else’s validation understand that you are valuable, talented, unique, and worthy.” Joseph Sacco

“If not now then when? Oh, I can always do it tomorrow. Unfortunately, there is no lifetime of tomorrows.” Joseph Sacco

“Enjoy what you have, live in the moment, focus on things you can change, and ignore the rest.” Joseph Sacco 

“I wish my capacity for reason would always translate into action, but it doesn’t.” Joseph Sacco

“Failure to meditate in the morning increases the probability of chaos throughout the day.” Joseph Sacco

“Want to be a better leader? Meditate in the morning and prepare yourself for the day ahead.” Joseph Sacco

“The key to success is focus, then more focus, and when you’re done with that focus.” Joseph Sacco

“Understand yourself, do what you like to do, receive the reward that comes from this insight”. Joseph Sacco

“Be humble and grateful for what you have and the universe will reward your gratitude.” Joseph Sacco 

“A wise person will always live in the moment, but forever be hopeful about the future.” Joseph Sacco

“Sit (meditate) for peace of mind, sit to improve focus, sit to be compassionate”. Joseph Sacco

“Cherish your health, family, friends, and vocation for none of these things are permanent.” Joseph Sacco

“Don’t let your excuses stand in the way of achieving your dreams” Joseph Sacco

“Don’t be indifferent when opportunity knocks at the door, just invite it in” Joseph Sacco

“Nothing is quite as satisfying and exhausting as teaching.” Joseph Sacco

“What is it you want? My reply, I want what I have.” Joseph Sacco

“Don’t worry about the future; the future will take care of itself. Engage in the now”. Joseph Sacco

“Be happy with who you are, where you are, for this is the way.” Joseph Sacco

Josh Billings

Josh Billings was the pen name of 19th-century American humorist Henry Wheeler Shaw (April 21, 1818 – October 14, 1885). Although his reputation has not endured so well with later generations, in the latter half of the 19th century he was a famous humor writer and lecturer in the United States, perhaps second only to Mark Twain.

“There are two kinds of fools: those who can’t change their opinions and those who won’t.”  Josh Billings

“A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself.” Josh Billings

“Half of the troubles of this life can be traced to saying yes too quickly and not saying no soon enough.” Josh Billings

“As scarce as truth is, the supply has always been in excess of the demand.” Josh Billings

“Take all the fools out of this world and there wouldn’t be any fun living in it, or profit.” Josh Billings

Kurt Vonnegut

Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. (November 11, 1922 – April 11, 2007) was an American writer. His works, such as Cat’s Cradle (1963), Slaughterhouse-Five (1969), and Breakfast of Champions (1973), blend satire, gallows humor, and science fiction. As a citizen, he was a lifelong supporter of the American Civil Liberties Union and a pacifist intellectual, who often was critical of the society that he lived in. He was known for his humanist beliefs and was honorary president of the American Humanist Association.

“I tell you, we are here on Earth to fart around, and don’t let anybody tell you different.” Kurt Vonnegut

“If you can do a half-assed job of anything, you’re a one-eyed man in a kingdom of the blind.” Kurt Vonnegut

“Who is more to be pitied, a writer bound and gagged by policemen or one living in perfect freedom who has nothing more to say?” Kurt Vonnegut

Lao Tzu

Laozi (also Lao-Tzu or Lao-Tze) was a philosopher and poet of ancient China. He is best known as the reputed author of the Tao Te Ching and the founder of philosophical Taoism, but he is also revered as a deity in religious Taoism and traditional Chinese religions. Although a legendary figure, he is usually dated to around the 6th century BC and reckoned a contemporary of Confucius, but some historians contend that he actually lived during the Warring States period of the 5th or 4th century BC. A central figure in Chinese culture, Laozi is claimed by both the emperors of the Tang dynasty and modern people of the Li surname as a founder of their lineage. Throughout history, Laozi’s work has been embraced by various anti-authoritarian movements.

“Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is Enlightenment.” Lao Tzu

“Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” Lao Tzu

“A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.” Lao Tzu

“When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everybody will respect you.” Lao Tzu

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” Lao Tzu

“I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures.” Lao Tzu

“Those who have knowledge, don’t predict. Those who predict, don’t have knowledge.” Lao Tzu

“Manifest plainness, embrace simplicity, reduce selfishness, have few desires.” Lao Tzu

“Respond intelligently even to unintelligent treatment.” Lao Tzu

“Silence is a source of great strength.” Lao Tzu

“The power of intuitive understanding will protect you from harm until the end of your days.” Lao Tzu

“The softest things in the world overcome the hardest things in the world.” Lao Tzu

Leo Tolstoy

Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy (9 September [O.S. 28 1828 – 20 November 1910), also known as Leo Tolstoy, was a Russian novelist, short story writer, essayist, playwright and philosopher who primarily wrote novels and short stories. Tolstoy was a master of realistic fiction and is widely considered one of the greatest novelists of all time. He is best known for two long novels, War and Peace (1869) and Anna Karenina (1877).

“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” Leo Tolstoy

“When you love someone, you love the whole person, just as he or she is, and not as you would like them to be.” Leo Tolstoy

“If you look for perfection, you’ll never be content.” Leo Tolstoy

“Let us forgive each other – only then will we live in peace.” Leo Tolstoy

“What a strange illusion it is to suppose that beauty is goodness.” Leo Tolstoy

“He never chooses an opinion; he just wears whatever happens to be in style.” Leo Tolstoy

“If you want to be happy, be.” Leo Tolstoy

“We can know only that we know nothing. And that is the highest degree of human wisdom.” Leo Tolstoy

“Rummaging in our souls, we often dig up something that ought to have lain there unnoticed.” Leo Tolstoy

“What counts in making a happy marriage is not so much how compatible you are but how you deal with incompatibility.” Leo Tolstoy

Logan Pearsall Smith

Logan Pearsall Smith (18 October 1865 – 2 March 1946) was an American-born essayist and critic who became a British subject in 1913. Harvard and Oxford educated, he was known for his aphorisms and epigrams, and was an expert on 17th-century divines. His Words and Idioms made him an authority on correct English language usage. He wrote his autobiography, Unforgotten Years, for which he may be best remembered.

“The test of a vocation is the love of the drudgery it involves.” Logan Pearsall Smith

“It takes a great man to give sound advice tactfully, but a greater to accept it graciously.” Logan Pearsall Smith

“Hearts that are delicate and kind and tongues that are neither – these make the finest company in the world.” Logan Pearsall Smith

“If you are losing your leisure, look out; you may be losing your soul.” Logan Pearsall Smith

“People say that life is the thing, but I prefer reading.” Logan Pearsall Smith

“There are two things to aim at in life; first to get what you want, and after that to enjoy it. Only the wisest of mankind has achieved the second.” Logan Pearsall Smith

“All reformers, however strict their social conscience, live in houses just as big as they can pay for.” Logan Pearsall Smith

“The notion of making money by popular work, and then retiring to do good work, is the most familiar of all the devil’s traps for artists.” Logan Pearsall Smith

Lou Holtz

Louis Leo “Lou” Holtz (born January 6, 1937) is a current college football analyst for ESPN as well as a former football coach. He served as the head football coach at The College of William & Mary (1969–1971), North Carolina State University (1972–1975), the University of Arkansas (1977–1983), the University of Minnesota (1984–1985), the University of Notre Dame (1986–1996), and the University of South Carolina (1999–2004), compiling a career record of 249–132–7. Holtz’s 1988 Notre Dame team went 12–0 with a victory in the Fiesta Bowl and was the consensus national champion. Holtz is the only college football coach to lead six different programs to bowl games and the only coach to guide four different programs to the final top 20 rankings. Holtz also coached the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL) during the 1976 season.

“Life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you respond to it.”  Lou Holtz

“Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.” Lou Holtz

“Show me someone who has done something worthwhile, and I’ll show you someone who has overcome adversity.” Lou Holtz

“It’s not the load that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it.” Lou Holtz

“I follow three rules: Do the right thing, do the best you can, and always show people you care.” Lou Holtz

“When people need love and understanding and support the most is when they deserve it the least.” Lou Holtz

Louis L’Amour

Louis Dearborn L’Amour (22 March 1908 – 10 June 1988) was an American author. His books consisted primarily of Western novels (though he called his work ‘frontier stories’), however he also wrote historical fiction (The Walking Drum), science fiction (The Haunted Mesa), nonfiction (Frontier), as well as poetry and short-story collections. Many of his stories were made into movies. L’Amour’s books remain popular and most have gone through multiple printings. At the time of his death almost all of his 105 existing works (89 novels, 14 short-story collections, and two full-length works of nonfiction) were still in print, and he was considered “one of the world’s most popular writers”.

“Start writing no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.” Louis L’Amour 

“No one can “get” an education, for of necessity education is a continuing process.” Louis L’Amour

“The only thing that never changes is that everything changes.” Louis L’Amour

“Reading without thinking is nothing, for a book is less important for what it says than for what it makes you think.” Louis L’Amour

“Few of us ever live in the present. We are forever anticipating what is to come or remembering what has gone.” Louis L’Amour

“Knowledge was not meant to be locked behind doors. It breathes best in the open air where all men can inhale its essence.” Louis L’Amour

Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Lucius Annaeus Seneca (often known simply as Seneca 4 BC – AD 65) was a Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, dramatist, and in one work humorist, of the Silver Age of Latin literature. He was a tutor and later advisor to emperor Nero. While he was forced to commit suicide for alleged complicity in the Pisonian conspiracy to assassinate Nero, he may have been innocent. His father was Seneca the Elder, his elder brother was Lucius Junius Gallio Annaeanus, called Gallio in the Bible, and his nephew was the poet Lucan.

“True happiness is… to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future.” Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati

Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati (died April 14, 2012) was a spiritual teacher born to Jewish parents in Brooklyn, U.S.A. Her outlook has been influenced by Jesus Christ and the Hindu saint Bhagawan Nityananda. She has also been informed by the teachings of Neem Karoli Baba, Ramana Maharshi and Shirdi Sai Baba.

“Quiet the mind and the soul will speak.” 

Mahatma Gandhi

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), also known as Bapu, was the preeminent leader of Indian independence movement in British-ruled India. Employing nonviolent civil disobedience, Gandhi led India to independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. The honorific Mahatma (Sanskrit: “high-souled”, “venerable”)—applied to him first in 1914 in South Africa,—is now used worldwide. Born and raised in a Hindu merchant caste family in coastal Gujarat, western India, and trained in law at the Inner Temple, London, Gandhi first employed nonviolent civil disobedience as an expatriate lawyer in South Africa, in the resident Indian community’s struggle for civil rights. After his return to India in 1915, he set about organizing peasants, farmers, and urban laborers to protest against excessive land-tax and discrimination.

“You must be the change you want to see in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi

“An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.”  Mahatma Gandhi

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”  Mahatma Gandhi

“A man is but the product of his thoughts what he thinks, he becomes.” Mahatma Gandhi

“In a gentle way, you can shake the world.”  Mahatma Gandhi

“Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment, full effort is full victory.”  Mahatma Gandhi

Marcus Aurelius

Marcus Aurelius was Roman Emperor from 161 to 180. He ruled with Lucius Verus as co-emperor from 161 until Verus’ death in 169. He was the last of the Five Good Emperors, and is also considered one of the most important Stoic philosophers.

“You have power over your mind, not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” Marcus Aurelius

“Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.” Marcus Aurelius

“Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.” Marcus Aurelius

“Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you together,but do so with all your heart.” Marcus Aurelius

“If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.” Marcus Aurelius

“If it is not right do not do it; if it is not true do not say it.” Marcus Aurelius

“Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present.” Marcus Aurelius

“Whenever you are about to find fault with someone, ask yourself the following question: What fault of mine most nearly resembles the one I am about to criticize?” Marcus Aurelius

“How much time he gains who does not look to see what his neighbour says or does or thinks, but only at what he does himself, to make it just and holy.” Marcus Aurelius

“As you rise with the morning Sun, think what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breath, to think, to enjoy, to love.” Marcus Aurelius

Mark Twain

Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist. He wrote The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and its sequel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885), the latter often called “the Great American Novel”.

“Go to Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company.” Mark Twain

“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.” Mark Twain

“It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.” Mark Twain

“Suppose you were an idiot, and suppose you were a member of Congress; but I repeat myself.” Mark Twain

“Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been.” Mark Twain

Martin Buber

Martin Buber was an Austrian-born Israeli Jewish philosopher best known for his philosophy of dialogue, a form of existentialism centered on the distinction between the I–Thou relationship and the I–It relationship.

“All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.” Martin Buber

“The atheist staring from his attic window is often nearer to God than the believer caught up in his own false image of God.” Martin Buber

“Every person born into the world represents something new, something that never existed before, something original and unique….If there had been someone like her in the world, there would have been no need for her to be born.” Martin Buber

“Solitude is the place of purification.” Martin Buber

“Every man’s foremost task is the actualization of his unique, unprecedented and never-recurring potentialities, and not the repetition of something that another, and be it even the greatest, has already achieved.” Martin Buber

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr. (January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister, activist, humanitarian, and leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for his role in the advancement of civil rights using nonviolent civil disobedience based on his Christian beliefs.

“A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.” Martin Luther King, Jr. 

“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” Martin Luther King, Jr. 

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” Martin Luther King, Jr.

“I have decided to stick to love…Hate is too great a burden to bear.” Martin Luther King, Jr.

“There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right.” Martin Luther King, Jr.

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a constant attitude.” Martin Luther King, Jr.

Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou (born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928 – May 28, 2014) was an American author, poet, dancer, actress, and singer. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, and several books of poetry, and was credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning over 50 years. She received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees.  Angelou is best known for her series of seven autobiographies, which focus on her childhood and early adult experiences. The first, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969), tells of her life up to the age of 17 and brought her international recognition and acclaim.

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou

“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.” Maya Angelou

Mooji

Anthony Paul Moo-Young, known as Mooji, (born 29 January 1954) is a spiritual teacher or guru originally from Jamaica. Moo-Young was a student of Papaji who was a direct disciple of the advaita and non-dual master Ramana Maharshi. Mooji has called his relaxed philosophical approach, “the lazy man’s way to enlightenment”.

“You mantra is thank you. Just keep saying thank you. Don’t complain. Just say thank you. Say thank you to existence”. Mooji

Napoleon Hill

Napoleon Hill (October 26, 1883 – November 8, 1970) was an American author in the area of the new thought movement who was one of the earliest producers of the modern genre of personal-success literature. He is widely considered to be one of the great writers on success. His most famous work, Think and Grow Rich (1937), is one of the best-selling books of all time (at the time of Hill’s death in 1970, Think and Grow Rich had sold 20 million copies). Hill’s works examined the power of personal beliefs, and the role they play in personal success. He became an advisor to President Franklin D. Roosevelt from 1933 to 1936. “Anything the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can be achieved,” is one of Hill’s hallmark expressions. How achievement actually occurs, and a formula for it that puts success in reach of the average person, were the focal points of Hill’s books.

“Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle.”  Napoleon Hill

“Great achievement is usually born of great sacrifice, and is never the result of selfishness.”  Napoleon Hill

Nelson Mandela

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, politician and philanthropist who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was South Africa’s first black chief executive, and the first elected in a fully representative democratic election. His government focused on dismantling the legacy of apartheid through tackling institutionalised racism, poverty and inequality, and fostering racial reconciliation. Politically an African nationalist and democratic socialist, he served as President of the African National Congress (ANC) party from 1991 to 1997. Internationally, Mandela was Secretary General of the Non-Aligned Movement from 1998 to 1999.

“As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.” Nelson Mandela

“A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.” Nelson Mandela

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Nelson Mandela

“There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” Nelson Mandela

“There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.” Nelson Mandela

“I was not a messiah, but an ordinary man who had become a leader because of extraordinary circumstances.” Nelson Mandela

“Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies” Nelson Mandela

Nicolas de Chamfort

Sébastien-Roch Nicolas, also known as Chamfort (French: 6 April 1741 – 13 April 1794), was a French writer, best known for his witty epigrams and aphorisms. He was secretary to Louis XVI’s sister, and of the Jacobin club.

“I only study the things I like; I apply my mind only to matters that interest me. They’ll be useful—or useless—to me or to others in due course, I’ll be given—or not given—the opportunity of benefiting from what I’ve learned. In any case, I’ll have enjoyed the inestimable advantage of doing things I like doing and following my own inclinations.” – Nicolas de Chamfort

“Public opinion is the worst of all opinions.” Nicolas de Chamfort

“Contemplation often makes life miserable. We should act more, think less, and stop watching ourselves live.” Nicolas de Chamfort

“Happiness is not easy to find. It’s very difficult to find it in yourself — and impossible to find anywhere else.” Nicolas de Chamfort

“Every day I add to the list of things I refuse to discuss. The wiser the man, the longer the list.” Nicolas de Chamfort

 “It is passion that makes man live; wisdom makes one only last.”  Nicolas de Chamfort

Oliver Wendell Holmes

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. (March 8, 1841 – March 6, 1935) was an American jurist who served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1902 to 1932, and as Acting Chief Justice of the United States January–February 1930. Noted for his long service, his concise and pithy opinions and his deference to the decisions of elected legislatures, he is one of the most widely cited United States Supreme Court justices in history, particularly for his “clear and present danger” opinion for a unanimous Court in the 1919 case of Schenck v. United States, and is one of the most influential American common law judges, honored during his lifetime in Great Britain as well as the United States. Holmes retired from the Court at the age of 90 years, 309 days, making him the oldest Justice in the Supreme Court’s history.

“The great thing in this world is not so much where we stand as in what direction we are moving.” Oliver Wendell Holmes

“Man’s mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions.” Oliver Wendell Holmes

“Many people die with their music still in them. Too often it is because they are always getting ready to live. Before they know it time runs out.” Oliver Wendell Holmes

“The mind of a bigot is like the pupil of an eye. The more light you shine on it, the more it will contract.” Oliver Wendell Holmes

“It is the province of knowledge to speak and it is the privilege of wisdom to listen.” Oliver Wendell Holmes

“Pretty much all the honest truth telling in the world is done by children.” Oliver Wendell Holmes

Oscar Wilde

Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 1854 – 30 November 1900) was an Irish writer and poet. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London’s most popular playwrights in the early 1890s. Today he is remembered for his epigrams, his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, his plays, as well as the circumstances of his imprisonment and early death.

“To do nothing at all is the most difficult thing in the world, the most difficult and the most intellectual.” Oscar Wilde

“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” Oscar Wilde

“Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.” Oscar Wilde

“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.” Oscar Wilde

“Never love anyone who treats you like you’re ordinary.” Oscar Wilde

“You will always be fond of me. I represent to you all the sins you never had the courage to commit.” Oscar Wilde

Patanjali

“For those who have an intense urge for Spirit and wisdom, it sits near them, waiting.” Patanjali 

“Undisturbed calmness of mind is attained by cultivating friendliness toward the happy, compassion for the unhappy, delight in the virtuous, and indifference toward the wicked.” Patanjali 

“It is only when the correct practice is followed for a long time, without interruptions and with a quality of positive attitude and eagerness, that it can succeed.” Patanjali

“Distractions arise from habitual thought patterns when practice is intermittent.” Patanjali

“A mind free from all disturbances is yoga.” Patanjali

Pat Obuchowski

“You have the answer. Just get quiet enough to hear it.” Pat Obuchowski

Pele

Edson Arantes do Nascimento known as Pelé (born on 23 October 1940), is a retired Brazilian professional footballer who is widely regarded to be the greatest player of all time. In 1999, he was voted World Player of the Century by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS). The same year, France Football asked their former Ballon d’Or winners to choose the Football Player of the Century; they selected Pelé. In 1999, Pelé was elected Athlete of the Century by the IOC, and Time named him in their list of 100 most influential people of the 20th century. In 2013 he received the FIFA Ballon d’Or Prix d’Honneur in recognition of his career and achievements as a global icon of football.

“SUCCESS IS NO ACCIDENT. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice, and most of all love of what you are doing” Pele

Pema Chodron

“It isn’t the things that happen to us in our lives that cause us to suffer, it is how we relate to the things that happen to use that causes us to suffer.” Pema Chodron

“It is unconditional compassion for ourselves that leads to unconditional compassion for others.” Pema Chodron

Plato

Plato was a philosopher, as well as mathematician, in Classical Greece. He is considered an essential figure in the development of philosophy, especially the Western tradition, and he founded the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with Socrates and his most famous student, Aristotle, Plato laid the foundations of Western philosophy and science. Alfred North Whitehead once noted: “the safest general characterization of the European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes to Plato.”

“We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.” Plato

“Better a little which is well done, than a great deal imperfectly.” Plato

“The most virtuous are those who content themselves with being virtuous without seeking to appear so.” Plato

“There are three classes of men; lovers of wisdom, lovers of honor, and lovers of gain.” Plato

Ralph Waldo Emerson

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

“What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

“I cannot remember the books I’ve read any more than the meals I have eaten; even so, they have made me.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Dare to live the life you have dreamed for yourself. Go forward and make your dreams come true.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

“The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Without ambition one starts nothing. Without work one finishes nothing. The prize will not be sent to you. You have to win it.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

Robert Holden

Robert Holden (born 1965) is a British psychologist, author, and broadcaster, who works in the field of positive psychology and well-being, and is considered “Britain’s foremost expert on happiness”. He is the founder of the “Happiness Project”, which runs an eight-week course annually, called “Happiness Now”, and the author of 10 best-selling books such as, Happiness NOW!, Be Happy, Success Intelligence and Shift Happens!.

“No amount of self-improvement can make up for any lack of self-acceptance.” Robert Holden

“Some people CHASE happiness. And some people CHOOSE happiness…” Robert Holden

“Happiness does not have to be deserved, earned, worked for or paid for; it simply has to be accepted.” Robert Holden

“One of the big mistakes I think we make in relationships is that we don’t give our best energy to the people that matter most.” Robert Holden

“The real gift of gratitude is the more grateful you are, the more present you become.” Robert Holden

Robert H. Schuller

Robert Harold Schuller (born September 16, 1926) is a retired American televangelist, pastor, motivational speaker, and author. He is principally known for the weekly Hour of Power television program, which he began in 1970 until 2010. He is also the founder of the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California, where the Hour of Power program was previously broadcast.

“I’d rather attempt to do something great and fail than to attempt to do nothing and succeed.” Robert H. Schuller

“The only place where your dream becomes impossible is in your own thinking.” Robert H. Schuller

“Let your hopes, not your hurts, shape your future.” Robert H. Schuller

“Tough times don’t last, but tough people do.” Robert H. Schuller

Dr. Romie

Romila “Dr. Romie” Mushtaq, M.D., ABIHM, is a traditionally trained neurologist with additional board certification in integrative medicine. Dr. Romie helps individuals and audiences learn to heal from stress-based illnesses such as insomnia, anxiety, and career-burnout. Her mindful living program, Mindset Matters, is based in neuroscience, positive psychology, and mindfulness.

“Meditation is medicine to quiet the chaotic mind, and allows us to listen to the wisdom of our souls.” Dr. Romie

Rumi

Rūmī (1207 – 17 December 1273), was a 13th-century Persian poet, jurist, Islamic scholar, theologian, and Sufi mystic. Rumi’s influence transcends national borders and ethnic divisions: Iranians, Tajiks, Turkish, Greeks, Pashtuns, other Central Asian Muslims, and the Muslims of South Asia have greatly appreciated his spiritual legacy for the past seven centuries. His poems have been widely translated into many of the world’s languages and transposed into various formats. Rumi has been described as the “most popular poet” and the “best selling poet” in the United States.

“And you? When will you begin the long journey into yourself?” Rumi

“But listen to me. For one moment quit being sad. Hear blessings dropping their blossoms around you.” Rumi

“When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy.” Rumi

“Raise your words, not your voice. It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder.” Rumi

“It’s your road, and yours alone. Others may walk it with you, but no one can walk it for you.” Rumi

Samuel Butler

Samuel Butler (4 December 1835 – 18 June 1902) was an iconoclastic Victorian-era English author who published a variety of works. Two of his most famous pieces are the Utopian satire Erewhon and a semi-autobiographical novel published posthumously, The Way of All Flesh. He is also known for examining Christian orthodoxy, substantive studies of evolutionary thought, studies of Italian art, and works of literary history and criticism. Butler made prose translations of the Iliad and Odyssey, which remain in use to this day.

“The one serious conviction that a man should have is that nothing is to be taken too seriously.” – Samuel Butler

“The one serious conviction that a man should have is that nothing is to be taken too seriously.” – Samuel Butler

Samuel Johnson

Samuel Johnson (18 September 1709 – 13 December 1784), often referred to as Dr Johnson, was an English writer who made lasting contributions to English literature as a poet, essayist, moralist, literary critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer. Johnson was a devout Anglican and committed Tory, and has been described as “arguably the most distinguished man of letters in English history”.

“The true measure of a person is how they treat someone who can do him absolutely no good.” – Samuel Johnson

“The disturbers of happiness are our desires, our griefs, and our fears.” – Samuel Johnson

Schopenhauer

Arthur Schopenhauer (22 February 1788 – 21 September 1860) was a German philosopher best known for his book, The World as Will and Representation (German: Die Welt als Wille und Vorstellung), in which he claimed that our world is driven by a continually dissatisfied will, continually seeking satisfaction. Independently arriving at many of the same conclusions of Eastern philosophy, he maintained that the “truth was recognized by the sages of India”; consequently, his solutions to suffering were similar to those of Vedantic and Buddhist thinkers (e.g., asceticism). The influence of “transcendental ideality” led him to choose atheism.

“We seldom think of what we have but always of what we lack.” – Schopenhauer

Sri Ramana Maharshi

Ramana Maharshi (30 December 1879 – 14 April 1950) was an Indian guru. Ramana Maharshi was said to have permanently lost his sense of individual selfhood in 1896, at the age of 16, an event which he later described as enlightenment. Six weeks later he left his family home in Madurai, and journeyed to the holy mountain Arunachala, in Tiruvannamalai, where he would remain for the rest of his life.

“Happiness is your nature. It is not wrong to desire it. What is wrong is seeking it outside when it is inside.” Sri Ramana Maharshi

Sri Krishna Pattabhi Jois

Sri K. Pattabhi Jois (July 26, 1915 – May 18, 2009) was an Indian yoga teacher who developed the popular and gymnastic style of yoga referred to as Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga or Ashtanga Yoga. In 1948, Jois established the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute (now known as the Shri K Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute) in Mysore, India.

“Yoga is 99% practice and 1% knowledge.” Sri Krishna Pattabhi Jois

“The full ashtanga system practiced with devotion leads to freedom within one’s heart.” Sri Krishna Pattabhi Jois

“Yoga is for internal cleansing, not external exercising. Yoga means true self-knowledge.” Sri Krishna Pattabhi Jois

“So whether you do your first downward dog at 14 or 44, it’s not your history but your presence on your mat that counts.” Sri Krishna Pattabhi Jois

Stephen Covey

Stephen Richards Covey (October 24, 1932 – July 16, 2012) was an American educator, author, businessman, and keynote speaker. His most popular book was The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. His other books include First Things First, Principle-Centered Leadership, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Families, The 8th Habit, and The Leader In Me — How Schools and Parents Around the World Are Inspiring Greatness, One Child at a Time. He was a professor at the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University at the time of his death.

“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” Stephen Covey

“Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” Stephen Covey

“I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions.” – Stephen Covey

Steve Jobs

Steven Paul Jobs (February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011) was an American entrepreneur, marketer, and inventor, who was the co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Apple Inc.

“Don’t let the noise of others opinions drown out your inner voice.”  Steve Jobs

“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” Steve Jobs

“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” Steve Jobs

“My favorite things in life don’t cost any money. It’s really clear that the most precious resource we all have is time.” Steve Jobs

Dr. Steve Maraboli

Steve Maraboli (born 18 April 1975) is an internet radio commentator, motivational speaker and author.

“The people in my circle? Those that make me feel blessed; not stressed.” Dr. Steve Maraboli

“When I accept myself, I am freed from the burden of needing you to accept me.” Dr. Steve Maraboli

“Letting go means to come to the realization that some people are a part of your history, but not a part of your destiny.” Dr. Steve Maraboli

Thich Nhat Hanh

Thích Nhất Hạnh (born as Nguyen Xuan Bao on October 11, 1926) is a Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk, teacher, author, poet and peace activist. He lives in the Plum Village Monastery in the Dordogne region in the South of France, travelling internationally to give retreats and talks. He coined the term Engaged Buddhism in his book Vietnam: Lotus in a Sea of Fire. A long-term exile, he was given permission to make his first return trip to Vietnam in 2005.

“I am determined to practice deep listening. I am determined to practice loving speech.” Thich Nhat Hanh

“Know that life can only be found in the present moment.” Thich Nhat Hanh

“At any moment, you have a choice, that either leads you closer to your spirit or further away from it.” Thich Nhat Hanh

“If we are not fully ourselves, truly in the present moment, we miss everything.” Thich Nhat Hanh

“If you love someone, the greatest gift you can give them is your presence” Thich Nhat Hanh

“Our own life has to be our message.” Thich Nhat Hanh

“People say walking on water is a miracle, but to me walking peacefully on earth is the real miracle.” Thich Nhat Hanh

“The most precious gift we can offer anyone is our attention.  When mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers.”  Thich Nhat Hanh

“If we are peaceful, if we are happy, we can smile and blossom like a flower, and everyone in our family, our entire society, will benefit from our peace.” Thich Nhat Hanh

“To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don’t need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself.” Thich Nhat Hanh

“The secret of Buddhism is to remove all ideas, all concepts, in order for the truth to have a chance to penetrate, to reveal itself.” Thich Nhat Hanh

“A community practicing understanding and loving kindness may be the most important thing we can do for the survival of the Earth.” Thich Nhat Hanh

Thomas Dreier

Thomas Dreier (May 5, 1884 – September 4, 1976) was an American editor, writer, advertising executive, and business theorist. The Thomas Dreier Reading Room at Peter H. Armacost Library, Eckerd College is named in his honor.

“If we are ever to enjoy life, now is the time, not tomorrow or next year.” – Thomas Dreier

Thomas Edison

Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847 – October 18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. Dubbed “The Wizard of Menlo Park”, he was one of the first inventors to apply the principles of mass production and large-scale teamwork to the process of invention, and because of that, he is often credited with the creation of the first industrial research laboratory.

“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” Thomas Edison

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Thomas Edison

“I find my greatest pleasure, and so my reward, in the work that precedes what the world calls success.” Thomas Edison

“It is astonishing what an effort it seems to be for many people to put their brains definitely and systematically to work.” Thomas Edison

“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” Thomas Edison

Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson (April 13 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American Founding Father, the principal author of the Declaration of Independence (1776), and the third President of the United States (1801–1809). He was a spokesman for democracy, and embraced the principles of republicanism and the rights of the individual with worldwide influence. At the beginning of the American Revolution, he served in the Continental Congress, representing Virginia, and then served as a wartime Governor of Virginia (1779–1781). In May 1785, he became the United States Minister to France and later the first United States Secretary of State (1790–1793) serving under President George Washington. In opposition to Alexander Hamilton’s Federalism, Jefferson and his close friend, James Madison, organized the Democratic-Republican Party, and later resigned from Washington’s cabinet. Elected Vice President in 1796 in the administration of John Adams, Jefferson opposed Adams, and with Madison secretly wrote the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions, which attempted to nullify the Alien and Sedition Acts.

“In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.” Thomas Jefferson

“Walking is the best possible exercise. Habituate yourself to walk very far.” Thomas Jefferson

“It is neither wealth nor splendor; but tranquility and occupation which give you happiness.” Thomas Jefferson

“Whenever you do a thing, act as if all the world were watching.” Thomas Jefferson

Unknown Author

“A person that feels appreciated will always do more than what is expected”  Unknown Author 

“Energy is contagious Positive and Negative alike. Be mindful of who and what you allow in your space.” Unknown Author

“Yoga takes you into the present moment, the only place where life exists.” Unknown Author

“The man who does more than he is paid for will soon be paid for more than he does” Unknown Author

“Meditation, because some questions can’t be answered by Google.” Unknown Author

“Your life is a result of the choices you make… If you don’t like your life it is time to start making better choices.” Unknown Author

“Your Greatness is not what you have but what you give” Unknown Author

“In a world of people who couldn’t care less, be someone who couldn’t care more.” Unknown Author

“You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading the last one.” Unknown Author

“Love people, not things. Use things not people.” Unknown Author

Vernon Howard

Howard was born near Haverhill, Massachusetts and began his writing career, in the 1940s, as an author of humor and children’s books. He began speaking on the principles of personal development in the late 1950s while living in southern California. In the 1960s, he began writing books that focused on spiritual and psychological growth. These writings emphasized the importance and practice of self-awareness.

“You have succeeded in life when all you really want is only what you really need.”  Vernon Howard

Virginia Woolf

Adeline Virginia Woolf (25 January 1882 – 28 March 1941) was an English writer and one of the foremost modernists of the twentieth century.

“My mind works in idleness. To do nothing is often my most profitable way.” – Virginia Woolf

Warren Buffett

Warren Edward Buffett (born August 30, 1930) is an American business magnate, investor and philanthropist. He was the most successful investor of the 20th century. Buffett is the chairman, CEO and largest shareholder of Berkshire Hathaway, and consistently ranked among the world’s wealthiest people. He was ranked as the world’s wealthiest person in 2008 and as the third wealthiest in 2011. In 2012 Time named Buffett one of the world’s most influential people.

“Chains of habit are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken.”  Warren Buffett

“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.” Warren Buffett

“There seems to be some perverse human characteristic that likes to make easy things difficult.” Warren Buffett

“The first rule is not to lose. the second rule is not to forget the first rule.” Warren Buffett

Wayne Dyer

Wayne Walter Dyer (born May 10, 1940) is an American self-help author and motivational speaker. His first book Your Erroneous Zones (1976) is one of the best-selling books of all time, with an estimated 35 million copies sold.

“Simply put, you believe that things or people make you unhappy, but this is not accurate. You make yourself unhappy.”  Wayne Dyer

“How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours.” Wayne Dyer

“Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it’s always your choice.” Wayne Dyer

“When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself.” Wayne Dyer

“See the light in others, and treat them as if that is all you see.” Wayne Dyer

“Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.” Wayne Dyer

“You cannot be lonely if you like the person you’re alone with.” Wayne Dyer

“You have everything you need for complete peace and total happiness right now.” Wayne Dyer

“Circumstances do not make a man, they reveal him.” Wayne Dyer

William Morris

William Morris (24 March 1834 – 3 October 1896) was an English textile designer, poet, novelist, translator, and socialist activist. Associated with the British Arts and Crafts Movement, he was a major contributor to the revival of traditional British textile arts and methods of production. His literary contributions helped to establish the modern fantasy genre, while he played a significant role in propagating the early socialist movement in Britain.

“The true secret of happiness lies in the taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life.”  – William Morris

“…the true secret of happiness lies in the taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life…” – William Morris

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare (26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English poet, playwright, and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world’s pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England’s national poet and the “Bard of Avon”. His extant works, including some collaborations, consist of about 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and a few other verses, of which the authorship of some is uncertain. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.

“The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.” William Shakespeare

“Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.” William Shakespeare

“I would challenge you to a battle of wits, but I see you are unarmed!” William Shakespeare

“Don’t waste your love on somebody, who doesn’t value it.” William Shakespeare

Winston Churchill

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 and again from 1951 to 1955. Widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the 20th century, Churchill was also an officer in the British Army, a historian, a writer (as Winston S. Churchill), and an artist. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature, and was the first person to be made an honorary citizen of the United States.

“You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.”  Winston Churchill

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. Winston Churchill

“Continuous effort – not strength or intelligence – is the key to unlocking our potential.” Winston Churchill

“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” Winston Churchill

“It is no use saying, ‘We are doing our best.’ You have got to succeed in doing what is necessary.” Winston Churchill

“We occasionally stumble over the truth but most of us pick ourselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened.” Winston Churchill

“A fanatic is one who can’t change his mind and won’t change the subject.” Winston Churchill

Yogi Bhajan

Harbhajan Singh Khalsa (born as Harbhajan Singh Puri) (August 26, 1929 – October 6, 2004), also known as Yogi Bhajan and Siri Singh Sahib, was a spiritual leader and entrepreneur who introduced Kundalini Yoga to the United States. He was the spiritual director of the 3HO (Healthy, Happy, Holy Organization) Foundation, with over 300 centers in 35 countries, and the first chief executive or “Siri Singh Sahib” of Sikh Dharma of the Western Hemisphere, charged in 1971 by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee with starting a Sikh religious ministry in the West.

“When ego is lost. You become infinite, kind, beautiful.” Yogi Bhajan

Zig Zigler

Hilary Hinton “Zig” Ziglar (November 6, 1926 – November 28, 2012) was an American author, salesman, and motivational speaker.

“Take time to be quiet” Zig Zigler

“Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.” Zig Zigler

“You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win.” Zig Zigler

“You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.” Zig Zigler

“When you catch a glimpse of your potential, that’s when passion is born.” Zig Zigler

“It is true that integrity alone won’t make you a leader, but without integrity you will never be one.” Zig Zigler

“You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.” Zig Zigler