The great blessings of mankind are within us and within our reach; but we shut our eyes, and, like people in the dark, we fall foul upon the very thing e search for, without finding it.
—Seneca the Younger (Lucius Annaeus Seneca) (c.4 BCE–65 CE) Roman Stoic Philosopher, Statesman, Tragedian
May you always have work for your hands to do.
May your pockets hold always a coin or two.
May the sun shine bright on your windowpane.
May the rainbow be certain to follow each rain.
May the hand of a friend always be near you.
And may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.
—Irish Blessing
If thou covetest riches, ask not but for contentment, which is an immense treasure.
—Sa’Di (Musharrif Od-Din Muslih Od-Din) (c.1213–91) Persian Poet
Each child brings his own blessing into the world.
—Yiddish Proverb
If you desire many things, many things will seem but a few.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
Whoever is not in his coffin and the dark grave, let him know he has enough.
—Walt Whitman (1819–92) American Poet, Essayist, Journalist
If only the people who worry about their liabilities would think about the riches they do possess, they would stop worrying. Would you sell both your eyes for a million dollars … or your two legs … or your hands … or your hearing? Add up what you do have, and you’ll find that you won’t sell them for all the gold in the world. The best things in life are yours, if you can appreciate yourself.
—Dale Carnegie (1888–1955) American Self-Help Author
Welcome everything that comes to you, but do not long for anything else.
—Andre Gide (1869–1951) French Novelist
Thank God every morning when you get up that you have something to do which must be done, whether you like it or not.
—Charles Kingsley (1819–75) English Clergyman, Academic, Historian, Novelist
We are no longer happy so soon as we wish to be happier.
—Walter Savage Landor (1775–1864) English Writer, Poet
A sound mind in a sound body, is a short, but full description of a happy state in this World: he that has these two, has little more to wish for; and he that wants either of them, will be little the better for anything else.
—John Locke (1632–1704) English Philosopher, Physician
Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.
—Alexander Pope (1688–1744) English Poet
May God grant you many years to live,
For sure He must be knowing
The earth has angels all too few
And Heaven is overflowing.
—Irish Blessing
A priest blesses his own bread first.
—Greek Proverb
The basis of optimism is sheer terror.
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet, Playwright
Money and time are the heaviest burdens of life, and the unhappiest of all mortals are those who have more of either than they know how to use.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
God alone fully understands what each one of us needs; we make mistakes continually and pray for things which would be harmful to us if we received them. Afterwards we see our mistakes and realize that God is good and wise in not giving us these things, even though we plead ever so earnestly for them.
—Ole Hallesby (1879–1961) Norwegian Theologian, Preacher
Greed lessens what is gathered.
—Arabic Proverb
How can they say my life is not a success? Have I not for more than sixty years got enough to eat and escaped being eaten?
—Logan Pearsall Smith (1865–1946) American-British Essayist, Bibliophile
One of the blessings of being rich is the blessing to be charitable
—Indian Proverb
He who is greedy is always in want.
—Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus) (65–8 BCE) Roman Poet
A man can refrain from wanting what he has not, and cheerfully make the best of a bird in the hand.
—Seneca the Younger (Lucius Annaeus Seneca) (c.4 BCE–65 CE) Roman Stoic Philosopher, Statesman, Tragedian
You say grace before meals. All right. But I say grace before the concert and the opera, and grace before the play and pantomime, and grace before I open a book, and grace before sketching, painting, swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing and grace before I dip the pen in the ink.
—G. K. Chesterton (1874–1936) English Journalist, Novelist, Essayist, Poet
He who receives a benefit with gratitude repays the first installment on his debt.
—Seneca the Younger (Lucius Annaeus Seneca) (c.4 BCE–65 CE) Roman Stoic Philosopher, Statesman, Tragedian
Blessed are those who can please themselves.
—African Proverb
May God bless you to live as long as you want to; and want to as long as you live!
—Scottish Proverb
Birds sing after a storm; why shouldn’t people feel as free to delight in whatever sunlight remains to them?
—Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy (1890–1995) American Socialite, Philanthropist
Happiness is not being pained in body or troubled in mind.
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826) American Head of State, Lawyer
I may not amount to much, but at least I am unique.
—Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–78) Swiss-born French Philosopher
Just to be is a blessing. Just to live is holy.
—Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907–72) American Jewish Rabbi
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