Resources and Links

for Parents  |  for Advanced Students  |  for Adult Students

MOTIVATIONAL AND INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES 

                            

“We cannot live for ourselves alone. Our lives are connected by a thousand invisible threads, and along these sympathetic fibers, our actions run as causes and return to us as results.”
Herman Melville (1819–1891) American Author

"If only the whole world could feel the power of harmony."
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) Austrian Composer

"The difference in winning and losing is most often...not quitting."
Walt Disney (1901-1966) American Film Producer, Director, Screenwriter, Entrepreneur...

"When I am traveling in a carriage, or walking after a good meal, or during the night when I cannot sleep; it is on such occasions that ideas flow best and most abundantly."
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) Austrian Composer

 

"Education is not filling a bucket but lighting a fire."
William B. Yeats (1865-1939) Irish Poet and Dramatist

“Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your inner voice.”
Steve Jobs (1955-2011) American Entrepreneur, Inventor & Co-founder, Chairman, & Former CEO of APPLE, Inc.

"Instead of a gem or even a flower, cast the gift of a lovely thought into the heart of a friend."
George MacDonald (1824-1905) Scottish Author, Poet, and Minister

"The first requisite of success is the ability to apply your physical and mental energies to one problem without growing weary."
Thomas Edison (1847-1931) American Inventor and Entrepreneur 

"'Come to the edge,' he said. 
They said: 'We are afraid.' 
'Come to he edge,' he said.
They came.
He pushed them and they flew."
Guillaume Apollinaire (1880-1918) French Poet, Playwright and Art Critic

"Every worthwhile accomplishment, big or little, has its stages of drudgery, and triumph; a beginning, a struggle and a victory."
Mohandas Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) Indian Political & Spiritual Leader, Leading Proponent of Nonviolence

"Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for?"
Robert Browning (1812-1889) English Poet and Playwright

"The significance of a man is not in what he attains but in what he longs to attain."
Kahlil Gibran (1883-1931) Lebanese American Artist, Poet and Writer

"Like a welcome summer rain, humor may suddenly cleanse and cool the earth, the air and you."
Langston Hughes (1902-1967) American Poet, Novelist, Playwright, Short Story Writer, and Columnist

"To climb steep hills requires a slow pace at first."
William Shakespeare (1564-1616) English Poet and Playwright

"All the adversity I've had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles have strengthened me."
Walt Disney (1901-1966) American Film Producer, Director, Screenwriter, Entrepreneur, Philanthropist

"Be careful; think about the effect of what you say.  Your words should be constructive, bring people together, not pull them apart."
Miriam Makeba (1932-2008) South African Singer and Civil Rights Activist

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
Mark Twain (1835-1910) American Author and Commentator

"Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it."
William Arthur Ward (1921-1994) American Author, Educator and Inspirational Speaker

"No passion so effectually robs the mind of all its powers of acting and reasoning as fear."
Edmund Burke (1729-1797) Irish Orator, Philosopher, & Politician

"Education is simply the soul of a society as it passes from one generation to another."
Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874-1936) English Writer

"Little and often makes a lot in time."
German Proverb

"I sincerely believe that there is a time in life for drifting.  There is a time for sitting back and getting in touch with yourself.  Some of our most interesting illuminations and ideas will come when we take time to reflect, time to kick back and cruise awhile."
Rudolfo Anaya (b. 1937) American Novelist, Short Story Writer and Poet

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 –1882), American Essayist, Philosopher, Poet

"Only after the last tree has been cut down.
Only after the last river has been poisoned.
Only after the last fish has been caught.
Only then will you find that money cannot be eaten."
Chief Seattle (1780-1866) Chief of the Suquamish Indians

"We all have dreams.  But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline and effort."
Jesse Owens (1913-1980) American Olympic Champion and 4-Gold Medal Winner at the 1936 Berlin Olympics

"Even a slow walker will arrive."
African Proverb

"Hope is the dream of a man awake."
French Proverb

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader."
John Quincy Adams(1767-1848) 6th President of the United States, Served in both the Senate and the House of Representatives

"That it will never come again is what makes life so sweet."
Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) American Poet

"I believe in the flesh and the appetites. 
Seeing hearing and feeling are miracles, and each part and tag of me is a miracle."
Walt Whitman (1819–1892) American Poet, Essayist and Journalist

"The way to fulfillment is through recognition of the wholeness linking man and the universe."
Buddha (circa 563 BCE -483 BCE) Founder of the Buddhist Religion

"I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish that He didn't trust me so much."
Mother Teresa (1910-1997) Catholic Nun, Nobel Peace Prize 1979

"If you find it in your heart to care for somebody else, you will have succeeded."
Maya Angelou (b. 1928) American Author, "America's most visible black female autobiographer"

"Whether you and I and a few others will renew the world someday remains to be seen.  But within ourselves we must renew it each day."
Herman Hesse (1877-1962) German and Russian-born Swiss Author, Nobel Prize in Litterature 1946

"A human being is part of the whole, called by us 'universe'. A part limited in time and space.  He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separate from the rest – a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness.  This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. - Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.  Nobody is able to achieve this completely, but the striving for such achievement is in itself a part of the liberation and a foundation for inner security."
Albert Einstein (1879–1955), Theoretical physicist

"I have come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element.  It is my personal approach that creates the climate.  It is my daily mood that makes the weather.  I possess tremendous power to make life miserable or joyous.  I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration.  I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal.  In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis is escalated or de-escalated, and a person humanized or de-humanized.  If we treat people as they are, we make them worse.  If we treat people as they ought to be, we help them become what they are capable of becoming."
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) German Writer, Poet and Dramatist

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.” 
Nelson Mandela  (b. 1918) Former South African President, Nobel Peace Prize 1993

"When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on."
Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) Third President of the United States

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”
C.S. Lewis (1898–1963), British Author

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words,
but to live by them."
John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) 35th President of the United States

"True greatness is starting where you are, using what you have, doing what you can."
Arthur Ashe (1943-1993)  American Professional Tennis Player and Winner of Three Grand Slam Titles

"The strongest warriors are these two...time and patience." 
Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) Russian Writer, Essayist and Dramatist

"In a moment of decision the best thing you can to is the right thing.  The worst thing you can do is nothing."
Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919) 36th President of the United States

"Truly to sing, that is a different breath." 
Rainer Maria Rilke (1875-1926) Bohemian–Austrian Poet and Art Critic

"To get the full value of joy, you must have someone to divide it with."
Mark Twain (1835-1910) American Humorist, Satirist, Lecturer and Writer 

"Skill to do comes of doing."
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) American Author, Poet and Philosopher

"Music is the shorthand of emotion." 
Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) Russian Author

"The secret of getting ahead is getting started."
Mark Twain (1835-1910) American Author and Humorist

"No great thing is created suddenly."
Epictetus (55-135) Greek-born Roman Slave and Stoic Philosopher

"Anyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm."
Publilius Syrus (c. 1st Cent. B.C.), Syrian-born Latin Writer of Maxims

When you have to make a choice and don't make it, that is in itself a choice."
William James (1842-1910), American Author and Psychologist

"Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter."
Mark Twain (1835-1910), American Author and Humorist

“Music in the soul can be heard by the universe.”
Lao Tzu (lived in the 6th century BC) Founder of Taoism

''Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.''
Albert Einstein (1879-1955), German-born American Physicist

"When you run out of willpower, you can call on stubbornness." -
Henri Matisse (1869-1954) French Artist, Draftsman, Printmaker and Sculptor

"Music is enough for lifetime, but lifetime is not enough for music."
Rachmaninov (1873-1943), Russian Composer, Pianist and Conductor

''Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.''
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), Painter, Sculptor, Scientist, Mathematician, Engineer, Inventor...

''We must be the change we wish to see in the world.''
Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948), Political and Spiritual Leader of India

"La musique avant toute chose."
Paul Verlaine (1844-1896), French Poet

"Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it."
Michelangelo (1475-1564), Italian Renaissance Painter, Sculptor, Architect, Poet and Engineer

"After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music."
Aldous Huxley (1894-1963), English Author (from "Music at Night", 1931)

"Music is the mediator between the spiritual and the sensual life."
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827), Composer

"Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and cannot remain silent."
Victor Hugo (1802-1885), French Poet, Writer

"Dig the well before you are thirsty."
Chinese Proverb

"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds."
Albert Einstein (1879–1955), Theoretical physicist

"When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life so that when you die,
the world cries and you rejoice."
Cherokee Expression

"Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy, it is the wine of a new procreation, and I am Bacchus who presses out this glorious wine for men and makes them drunk with the spirit."
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827), Composer (quoted in Marion M Scott, Beethoven, 1934)

"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. (1929-1968), Clergyman, Activist and Prominent Leader in Civil Rights Movement

“Many of life's failures are men who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”
Thomas Edison (1847–1931), American inventor and businessman

"Self-trust is the first secret of success."
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 –1882), American essayist, philosopher, poet

"What we love, we shall grow to resemble."
Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) French Theologian

"Long-range goals keep you from being frustrated by short-term failures."
James Cash (J.C.) Penney (1875-1971) American Businessman

"Life begets life. Energy creates energy. It is by spending oneself that one becomes rich."
Sarah Bernhardt (1844 – 1923), French stage actress

"We don't beat the reaper by living longer; we beat the reaper by living well and living fully."
Randy Pausch (1960-2008) American Educator - Author and Subject of "Last Lecture"

Try not to become a person of success but a person of value.
Albert Einstein (1879-1955), German-born American Physicist

"Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere."
Albert Einstein (1879-1955), German-born American Physicist

“Humor is man’s greatest blessing.”
Mark Twain (1835–1910), American humorist, satirist, lecturer and writer

"Every time I've made a big decision in my life, it's been about letting in the possibility that maybe I could do something that I actually wanted to do and not let people tell me that I should compromise, or that it's too big
of a dream."
Stephanie Savage, Contemporary Canadian Screenwriter

“All who have meditated on the art of governing mankind have been convinced that the fate of empires
depends on the education of youth.”
Aristotle (384 BC–322 BC), Greek philosopher

"Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead."
Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888), American author

"Your worth consists in what you are and not in what you have."
Thomas Edison (1847-1931), American Inventor and Entrepreneur

"Diligence is the mother of good fortune; idleness, its opposite, never led to good intention's goal."
Migues de Cervantes (1547-1616) Spanish poet, dramatist and author

"Remember no one can make you feel inferior without your consent."
Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962), First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, author, speaker

“It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.”
Albert Einstein (1879–1955), Theoretical physicist

"The person who works and is never bored is never old. Work and interest in worthwhile things are the
best remedy for age."
Pablo Casals (1876-1973), Spanish Catalan Composer, Cellist and Conductor

"Holding onto anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one getting burned."
Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha) (568-488 BC), Indian Philosopher and Founder of Buddhism

“It's hard to beat a person who never gives up.”
Babe Ruth (1895–1948), American Major League baseball player

"I would rather be ashes than dust! I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it
should be stifled by dry rot. I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than
a sleepy and permanent planet. The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days
in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time."
Jack London (1876–1916), American author

“It is the Artist’s lofty mission to shed light into the very depths of the human heart.”
Robert Schumann (1810–1856), German composer, writer, and music critic

“Music washes away from the soul, the dust of everyday life.”
Berthold Auerbach (1812–1882), German-Jewish poet and author

“Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I'll understand.”
Chinese Proverb

Earth, Teach Me
Earth teach me quiet ~ as the grasses are still with new light.
Earth teach me suffering ~ as old stones suffer with memory.
Earth teach me humility ~ as blossoms are humble with beginning.
Earth teach me caring ~ as mothers nurture their young.
Earth teach me courage ~ as the tree that stands alone.
Earth teach me limitation ~ as the ant that crawls on the ground.
Earth teach me freedom ~ as the eagle that soars in the sky.
Earth teach me acceptance ~ as the leaves that die each fall.
Earth teach me renewal ~ as the seed that rises in the spring.
Earth teach me to forget myself ~ as melted snow forgets its life.
Earth teach me to remember kindness ~ as dry fields weep with rain.
An Ute Prayer

"Little drops of water wear down big stones."
Russian Proverb

“If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has
imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”
Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862), American author and philosopher

“Men succeed when they realize that their failures are the preparation for their victories.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 –1882), American essayist, philosopher, poet

“Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.”
Albert Einstein (1879–1955), theoretical physicist

"If you keep knocking, the door has to open."
Native American proverb

“Success is not to be measured by the position someone has reached in life, but the obstacles he has overcome while trying to succeed.”
Booker T. Washington (1856–1915), American educator, author and leader of the African-American community

“When one door closes another door opens; we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us.”
Helen Keller (1880–1968), American author, activist and lecturer

"Treat the earth well.
It was not given to you by your parents,
it was loaned to you by your children.
We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors,
we borrow it from our Children."
Ancient Indian Proverb

“No great man ever complains of want of opportunity.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 –1882), American essayist, philosopher, poet

“Never stand begging for what you have the power to earn.”
Miguel de Cervantes, (1547–1616), Spanish novelist, poet, and playwright

"A person who won't read has no advantage over one who can't read."
Mark Twain (1835-1910), American Author and Humorist

O, with what freshness,
what solemnity and beauty,
is each new day born;
as if to say to insensate man,
'Behold!
thou hast one more chance!
Strive for immortal glory!'
Harriett Beecher Stowe, (1811– 1896), American author and abolitionist

"Just do it."
Nike, Inc. (founded, 1962, officially became Nike, Inc. in 1978

"Wisdom is oftentimes nearer when we stoop than when we soar."
William Wordsworth (1770-1850) English Romantic Poet

There isn't a person anywhere that isn't capable of doing more than he thinks he can.”
Henry Ford (1863–1947), American founder of the Ford Motor Company

“The individual activity of one man with backbone will do more than a thousand men with a mere wishbone.”
William Boetcker (1873 – 1962) American religious leader and influential public speaker

“That which we persist in doing becomes easier to do; not that the nature of the thing itself is changed,
but that our power to do is increased.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 –1882), American essayist, philosopher, poet

“The best thing about the future is that it only comes one day at a time.”
Abraham Lincoln (1809–April 1865), sixteenth President of the United States

“Whether you think you can or think you can't, you are right.”
Henry Ford (1863–1947), American founder of the Ford Motor Company

“There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.”
William Shakespeare (1564– 1616), English poet and playwright

“None of us will ever accomplish anything excellent or commanding except when he listens to this
whisper which is heard by him alone.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 –1882), American essayist, philosopher, poet

No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit.”
Helen Keller (1880–1968), American author, activist and lecturer

“To different minds, the same world is a hell, and a heaven.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson, (1803 –1882), American essayist, philosopher, poet

"Really great people make you feel that you, too, can be great."
Mark Twain (1835-1910), American Author and Humorist

“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; but remember that what you now have was once among the things only hoped for.”
Epicurus (341 BCE– 270 BCE), ancient Greek philosopher

“Clear your mind of can't.”
Samuel Johnson (1709-1784), English author

“We judge of man's wisdom by his hope.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 –1882), American essayist, philosopher, poet

“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.”
Walt Disney (1901–1966), multiple Academy Award-winning American film producer, director, animator

“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.”
Helen Keller (1880–1968), American author, activist and lecturer

"Be not disturbed at being misunderstood; be disturbed rather at not being understanding."
Chinese Proverb

“In the long run, men hit only what they aim at. Therefore, they had better aim at something high.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 –1882), American essayist, philosopher, poet

“Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.”
Dale Carnegie (1888–1955), American writer and lecturer

“Everything that is done in the world is done by hope.”
Martin Luther (1483–1546), German monk, theologian, Father of Protestantism

“Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.”
Harriett Beecher Stowe (1811– 1896), American author and abolitionist

"Days are scrolls: write on them only what you want remembered."
Bchya Ibn Pakuda, 11th Century Jewish Philosopher and Rabbi

“In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.”
Albert Einstein (1879–1955), theoretical physicist

"Happiness and freedom begin with a clear understanding of one principle. Some things are within your control, and some things are not. It is only after you have faced up to this fundamental role and learned to distinguish between what you can and can't control that inner tranquility and outer effectiveness become possible." Epictetus (c. 55-135 A.D.) Greek-born Roman Slave and Stoic Philosopher

"Let everyone sweep in front of his own door and the whole world will be clean."
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) German Writer, Poet and Dramatist

"Even a mistake may turn out to be the one thing necessary to a worthwhile achievement."
Henry Ford (1863-1947) American Industrialist and Founder of Ford Motor Company

"Just as iron rusts from disuse, even so does inaction spoil the intellect."
Leonardo Da Vinci (1452-1519) Italian Renaissance Painter and Sculptor

"Four things come not back: the spoken word, the sped arrow, the past life and the neglected opportunity."
Arabian Proverb

"Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions."
Albert Einstein (1879-1955) German-born American Physicist

"One of the functions of intelligence is to take account of the dangers that come from trusting solely to the intelligence."
Lewis Mumford (1895-1990) American Historian and Philosopher

"Humankind has not woven the web of life.
We are but one thread within it.
Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.
All things are bound together.
All things connect."
Chief Seattle (c. 1786–1866), Leader of the Suquamish and Duwamish Native American tribes

"Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goal. My strength lies solely in my tenacity."
Louis Pasteur (1822-1895), French Physician, Chemist and Microbiologist

"Humility is an experience of the commonality of all human beings. It leads to a balanced outlook on human nature that takes into account all the strengths and failings each of us is subject to. To be truly humble requires taking an honest look at ourselves, and coming to clearly know our abilities and weaknesses. When our personal evaluation is honest, we can respect who we are, and this deep acceptance of our nature leads to a wider understanding and greater respect for others. We are motivated to help others with their problems and to support them in cultivating their capabilities. We see that we all share similar goals of happiness and fulfillment; we are all subject to similar problems and difficulties."
Tarthang Tulku (born 1934), Tibetan teacher (lama), lives in America, works to preserve Tibetan art & culture

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”
C.S. Lewis (1898–1963), British author

"Long-range goals keep you from being frustrated by short-term failures."
James Cash (J.C.) Penney (1875-1971), American Businessman

"If any man seeks for greatness, let him forget greatness and ask for truth, and he will find both."
Horace Mann (1796-1859) American Educator

"There is nothing wrong with idealism, no matter what the cynics say."
Thomas Winship (1921-2002), American Newspaper Editor

"Love keeps the cold out better than a cloak."
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807- 1882) American Poet

"We are shaped and fashioned by what we love."
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832), German Poet, Dramatist and Novelist

"The right person is the one who seizes the moment."
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832), German Poet, Dramatist and Novelist

"All growth depends upon activity.
There is no development physically or intellectually without effort, and effort means work."
Calvin Coolidge (`872-1933), 30th President of the United States

"Each day grow older, and learn something new."
Solon (c. 630 - c. 500 B.C.), Greek Statesman and Reformer

“The question is not what you look at, but what you see.”
Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862), American author and philosopher


SHARE YOUR FAVORITE QUOTE