No matter what looms ahead, if you can eat today, enjoy the sunlight today, mix good cheer with friends today, enjoy it and bless God for it. Do not look back on happiness—or dream of it in the future. You are only sure of today; do not let yourself be cheated out of it.
—Henry Ward Beecher (1813–87) American Clergyman, Writer
Each of us has a day … when he has to accept, finally, the fact that he is a man.
—Jean Anouilh (1910–87) French Dramatist
Unless I accept my faults, I will most certainly doubt my virtues.
—Hugh Prather (b.1938) American Christian Author, Minister, Counselor
Whatever task you undertake, do it with all your heart and soul. Always be courteous, never be discouraged. Beware of him who promises something for nothing. Do not blame anybody for your mistakes and failures. Do not look for approval except the consciousness of doing your best.
—Bernard M. Baruch (1870–1965) American Financier, Economic Consultant
Resolve to be thyself: and know, that he who finds himself, loses his misery.
—Matthew Arnold (1822–88) English Poet, Critic
The fundamental problem most patients have is an inability to love themselves, having been unloved by others during some crucial part of their lives.
—Bernie S. Siegel (b.1932) American Physician, Writer
Blessed is he who expects no gratitude, for he shall not be disappointed.
—William Bennett (b.1943) American Politician, Political Theorist, Government Official
You can succeed if nobody else believes it, but you will never succeed if you don’t believe in yourself.
—William J. H. Boetcker (1873–1962) American Presbyterian Minister
Life, I fancy, would very often be insupportable, but for the luxury of self-compassion.
—George Gissing (1857–1903) English Novelist
Be content with what you are, and wish not change; nor dread your last day, nor long for it.
—Martial (40–104) Ancient Roman Latin Poet
People remain what they are, even when their faces fall to pieces.
—Bertolt Brecht (1898–1956) German Poet, Playwright, Theater Personality
The work praises the man.
—Irish Proverb
Shall a man go and hang himself because he belongs to the race of pygmies, and not be the biggest pygmy that he can?
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–62) American Philosopher
Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections, but instantly set about remedying them—every day begin the task anew.
—Francis de Sales (1567–1622) French Catholic Saint
I can’t write a book commensurate with Shakespeare, but I can write a book by me.
—Walter Raleigh (1552–1618) English Courtier, Navigator, Poet
As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
The courage to be is the courage to accept oneself, in spite of being unacceptable.
—Paul Tillich (1886–1965) American Lutheran Theologian, Philosopher
Do not let your peace depend on the hearts of men; whatever they say about you, good or bad, you are not because of it another man, for as you are, you are.
—Thomas a Kempis (1379–1471) German Religious Priest, Writer
The one important thing I have learned over the years is the difference between taking one’s work seriously and taking one’s self seriously. The first is imperative and the second is disastrous.
—Margot Fonteyn (1919–91) English Classical Ballet Dancer
No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
—Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962) American First Lady, Diplomat, Humanitarian
No man can climb out beyond the limitations of his own character.
—John Morley, 1st Viscount Morley of Blackburn (1838–1923) British Political Leader, Writer, Editor, Journalist
I am only one; but still I am one. I cannot do everything; but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.
—Edward Everett Hale (1822–1909) American Unitarian Clergyman, Writer
What people expect to happen is always different from what actually happens. From this comes great disappointment; this is the way the world works.
—Buddhist Teaching
Of all afflictions, the worst is self-contempt.
—Berthold Auerbach (1812–82) German Novelist
Of all the young men in America only a few hundred can get into major league baseball, and of these only a handful in a decade can get into the Hall of Fame. So it goes in all human activity … Some become multimillionaires and chairmen of the board, and some of us must be content to play baseball at company picnics or manage a credit union without pay.
—William Feather (1889–1981) American Publisher, Author
Your problem is you’re … too busy holding onto your unworthiness.
—Ram Dass (1931–2019) American Hindu, New Age Pioneer
There is overwhelming evidence that the higher the level of self-esteem, the more likely one will treat others with respect, kindness, and generosity. People who do not experience self-love have little or no capacity to love others.
—Nathaniel Branden (1930–2014) American Psychotherapist
It is only fools who keep straining at high C all their lives.
—Charles Dudley Warner (1829–1900) American Essayist, Novelist
You have to deal with the fact that your life is your life.
—Alex Haley (1921–92) American Novelist, Biographer
Interest in the lives of others, the high evaluation of these lives, what are they but the overflow of the interest a man finds in himself, the value he attributes to his own being?
—Sherwood Anderson (1876–1941) American Novelist, Short Story Writer
Friendship with oneself is all-important, because without it one cannot be friends with anyone else in the world.
—Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962) American First Lady, Diplomat, Humanitarian
She lacks confidence, she craves admiration insatiably. She lives on the reflections of herself in the eyes of others. She does not dare to be herself.
—Anais Nin (1903–77) French-American Essayist
It isn’t important to come out on top, what matters is to be the one who comes out alive.
—Bertolt Brecht (1898–1956) German Poet, Playwright, Theater Personality
The chief duty I long to accomplish great and noble tasks, but it is my chief duty to accomplish humble tasks as though they were great and noble. The world is moved along, not only by the mighty shoves of its heroes, but also by the aggregate of the tiny pushes of each honest worker.
—Helen Keller (1880–1968) American Author
We would have to settle for the elegant goal of becoming ourselves.
—William Styron (1925–2006) American Novelist, Essayist, Writer
I … know what I do, and am unmoved by men’s blame, or their praise either.
—Robert Browning (1812–89) English Poet
If you make friends with yourself you will never be alone.
—Maxwell Maltz (1899–1975) American Surgeon, Motivational Writer
I have had more trouble with myself than with any other man I’ve met.
—Dwight L. Moody (1837–99) Christian Religious Leader, Publisher
Too many people overvalue what they are not and undervalue what they are.
—Malcolm S. Forbes (1919–1990) American Publisher, Businessperson
Be what you are and become what you are capable of becoming.
Take charge of your life – become the person you would like to be.
—Unknown
We expect more of ourselves than we have any right to, in virtue of our endowments
—Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. (1809–94) American Physician, Essayist
Public opinion is a weak tyrant, compared with our private opinion – what a man thinks of himself, that is which determines, or rather indicates his fate.
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–62) American Philosopher
Learn to … be what you are, and learn to resign with a good grace all that you are not.
—Henri Frederic Amiel (1821–81) Swiss Moral Philosopher, Poet, Critic
I have done what I could do in life, and if I could not do better, I did not deserve it. In vain have I tried to step beyond what bound me. Despite my years, I am still trying.
—Maurice Maeterlinck (1862–1949) Belgian Poet, Playwright, Essayist
The worst loneliness is not to be comfortable with yourself.
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist
To wish to act like angels while we are still in this world is nothing but folly.
—Teresa of Avila (1515–82) Spanish Carmelite Nun, Mystic
There is a proper balance between not asking enough of oneself and asking or expecting too much.
—May Sarton (1912–95) American Children’s Books Writer, Poet, Novelist
Of all the infirmities we have, the most savage is to despise our being.
—Michel de Montaigne (1533–92) French Essayist
Self-love is not opposed to the love of other people. You cannot really love yourself and do yourself a favor without doing other people a favor, and vice versa.
—Karl Menninger (1893–1990) American Psychiatrist
I’m not OK, you’re not OK—and that’s OK.
—William Sloane Coffin (1924–2006) American Presbyterian Clergyman, Peace Activist