The journey is the reward.
—Chinese Proverb
The good life, as I conceive it, is a happy life. I do not mean that if you are good you will be happy; I mean that if you are happy you will be good.
—Bertrand A. Russell (1872–1970) British Philosopher, Mathematician, Social Critic
How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
There are some people who live in a dream world, and there are some who face reality; and then there are those who turn one into the other.
—Douglas Hugh Everett (1916–2002) British Physical Chemist, Academic
Give me a stock clerk with a goal and I’ll give you a man who will make history. Give me a man with no goals and I’ll give you a stock clerk.
—James Cash Penney (1875–1971) American Entrepreneur
A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.
—Anonymous
The first of all qualities of a general is courage.
—David McCullough (1933–2022) American Historian
Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, or what’s a Heaven for?
—Robert Browning (1812–89) English Poet
Thought is action in rehearsal.
—Sigmund Freud (1856–1939) Austrian Psychiatrist, Psychoanalytic
Love is generally confused with dependence; but in point of fact, you can love only in proportion to your capacity for independence.
—Rollo May (1909–94) American Philosopher
Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs.
—Henry Ford (1863–1947) American Businessperson, Engineer
We have ancient habits to deal with, vast structures of power, indescribably complicated problems to solve. But unless we abdicate our humanity altogether and succumb to fear and impotence in the presence of the weapons we have ourselves created, it is as possible and as urgent to put an end to war and violence between nations as it is to put an end to poverty and racial injustice.
—Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929–68) American Civil Rights Leader, Clergyman
An ounce of action is worth a ton of theory.
—Friedrich Engels (1820–95) German Socialist Political Philosopher
Most people would rather die than think, in fact, most do.
—Bertrand A. Russell (1872–1970) British Philosopher, Mathematician, Social Critic
Picasso’s mother held great ambitions for him when he was a child. She instructed him: If you become a soldier, you’ll be a general. If you become a monk, you’ll end up as Pope”. Instead,” Picasso quipped, “I became a painter and became a Picasso”.
—Pablo Picasso (1881–1973) Spanish Painter, Sculptor, Artist
We live in deeds, not years:
In thoughts, not breaths;
In feelings, not in figures on a dial.
We should count time by heart-throbs. He most lives
Who thinks most, feels the noblest, acts the best.
—Philip James Bailey (1816–1902) English Poet
Somehow I can’t believe that there are any heights that can’t be scaled by a man who knows the secrets of making dreams come true. This special secret, it seems to me, can be summarized in four Cs. They are curiosity, confidence, courage, and constancy, and the greatest of all is confidence. When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionably.
—Walt Disney (1901–66) American Entrepreneur
He who would learn to fly one day must first learn to stand and walk and run and climb and dance; one cannot fly into flying.
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) German Philosopher, Scholar, Writer
First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.
—Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869–1948) Indian Hindu Political leader
The day the Lord created hope was probably the same day he created Spring.
—Bert Williams (1876–1922) American Entertainer, Actor
I would like to explain the meaning of compassion, which is often misunderstood. Genuine compassion is based not on our own projections and expectations, but rather on the rights of the other: irrespective of whether another person is a close friend or an enemy, as long as that person wishes for peace and happiness and wishes to overcome suffering, then on that basis we develop genuine concern for his or her problem. This is genuine compassion. Usually when we are concerned about a close friend, we call this compassion. This is not compassion; it is attachment. Even in marriage, those marriages that last only a short time do so because of attachment—although it is generally present—but because there is also compassion. Marriages that last only a short time do so because of a lack of compassion; there is only emotional attachment based on projection and expectation. When the only bond between close friends is attachment, then even a minor issue may cause one’s projections to change. As soon as our projections change, the attachment disappears—because that attachment was based solely on projection and expectation. It is possible to have compassion without attachment—and similarly, to have anger without hatred. Therefore we need to clarify the distinctions between compassion and attachment, and between anger and hatred. Such clarity is useful in our daily life and in our efforts towards world peace. I consider these to be basic spiritual values for the happiness of all human beings, regardless of whether one is a believer or a nonbeliever.
—The 14th Dalai Lama (b.1935) Tibetan Buddhist Religious Leader, Civil Rights Leader, Philosopher, Author
Computers are useless. They can only give you answers.
—Pablo Picasso (1881–1973) Spanish Painter, Sculptor, Artist
Having once decided to achieve a certain task, achieve it at all costs of tedium and distaste. The gain in self-confidence of having accomplished a tiresome labor is immense.
—Arnold Bennett (1867–1931) British Novelist, Playwright, Critic
Always listen to the experts. They’ll tell you what can’t be done and why. Then do it.
—Robert A. Heinlein (1907–88) American Science Fiction Writer
When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on.
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826) American Head of State, Lawyer
If you’re going through hell, keep going.
—Winston Churchill (1874–1965) British Head of State, Political leader, Historian, Journalist, Author
The state of your life is nothing more than a reflection of your state of mind.
—Wayne Dyer (1940–2015) American Self-Help Author
To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.
—Paulette Mitchell
The challenge is not to manage time, but to manage ourselves.
—Stephen Covey (1932–2012) American Self-help Author
Most things which are urgent are not important, and most things which are important are not urgent.
—Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890–1969) American Head of State, Military Leader