You gain strength, courage, and confidence by each experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, “I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.” You must do the thing you think you cannot do.
—Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962) American First Lady, Diplomat, Humanitarian
Do the thing you fear and the death of fear is certain.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist
When you realize that suffering and discomfort are the call to inquiry, you may actually begin to look forward to uncomfortable feelings. You may even experience them as friends coming to show you what you have not yet investigated thoroughly enough.
—Byron Katie (b.1942) American Speaker, Author
Love is a promise, love is a souvenir, once given never forgotten, never let it disappear.
—John Lennon (1940–80) British Singer, Songwriter, Musician, Activist
Exaggerated sensitiveness is an expression of the feeling of inferiority.
—Alfred Adler (1870–1937) Austrian Psychiatrist
The person, who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing, and becomes nothing. He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he simply cannot learn and feel and change and grow and love and live.
—Leo Buscaglia (1924–98) American Motivational Speaker
The only thing we have to fear is fear itself — nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.
—Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945) American Head of State, Lawyer
The biggest disease today is not leprosy or cancer or tuberculosis, but rather the feeling of being unwanted, uncared for, deserted by everybody. The greatest evil is the lack of love and charity, the terrible indifference towards one’s neighbor.
—Mother Teresa (1910–97) Albanian Catholic Humanitarian
The way to love anything is to realize that it may be lost.
—G. K. Chesterton (1874–1936) English Journalist, Novelist, Essayist, Poet
Friendship is the only cement that will ever hold the world together.
—Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924) American Head of State
If you want happiness for an hour — take a nap. If you want happiness for a day — go fishing. If you want happiness for a month — get married. If you want happiness for a year — inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime — help someone else.
—Chinese Proverb
Hope is the feeling we have that the feeling we have is not permanent.
—Mignon McLaughlin (1913–83) American Journalist, Author
Except in cases of necessity, which are rare, leave your friend to learn unpleasant things from his enemies; they are ready enough to tell him.
—Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. (1809–94) American Physician, Essayist
I am treating you as my friend, asking you to share my present minuses in the hope I can ask you to share my future pluses.
—Katherine Mansfield (1888–1923) New Zealand-born British Author
I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try, one more start, with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning.
—J. B. Priestley (1894–1984) English Novelist, Playwright, Socialist
Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go.
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet
Small is the number of them that see with their own eyes and feel with their own hearts.
—Albert Einstein (1879–1955) German-born Physicist
Prayer is a thought, a belief, a feeling, arising within the mind of the one praying.
—Ernest Holmes (1887–1960) American New Thought Writer, Teacher
Feelings are like chemicals; the more you analyze them the worse they smell.
—Charles Kingsley (1819–75) English Clergyman, Academic, Historian, Novelist
To be a human being means to possess a feeling of inferiority which constantly presses towards its own conquest. The greater the feeling of inferiority that has been experienced, the more powerful is the urge for conquest and the more violent the emotional agitation.
—Alfred Adler (1870–1937) Austrian Psychiatrist
The more I think it over, the more I feel that there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people.
—Vincent van Gogh (1853–90) Dutch Painter
Love is an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired.
—Robert Frost (1874–1963) American Poet
To love means loving the unlovable. To forgive means pardoning the unpardonable. Faith means believing the unbelievable. Hope means hoping when everything seems hopeless.
—G. K. Chesterton (1874–1936) English Journalist, Novelist, Essayist, Poet
The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen nor even touched, but just felt in the heart.
—Helen Keller (1880–1968) American Author
Perfect love casts out fear. Where there is love there are no demands, no expectations, no dependency. I do not demand that you make me happy; my happiness does not lie in you. If you were to leave me, I will not feel sorry for myself; I enjoy your company immensely, but I do not cling.
—Anthony de Mello (1931–87) Indian-born American Theologian
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 (1928–2014) American Poet
You cannot make yourself feel something you do not feel, but you can make yourself do right in spite of your feelings.
—Pearl S. Buck (1892–1973) American Novelist, Human Rights Activist
Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.
—Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869–1948) Indian Hindu Political leader
It is impossible to go through life without trust: that is to be imprisoned in the worst cell of all, oneself.
—Graham Greene (1904–91) British Novelist, Playwright, Short Story Writer
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 Novelist, Journalist
In the real world, those of us who are most productive, successful, and satisfied focus not on fixing feelings or manipulating thoughts, but on what needs to be done—and then doing it—no matter what thoughts or feelings arise.
—Dan Millman (b.1946) American Children’s Books Writer, Sportsperson
Don’t walk in front of me, I may not follow. Don’t walk behind me, I may not lead. Walk beside me and just be my friend.
—Albert Camus (1913–60) Algerian-born French Philosopher, Dramatist, Essayist, Novelist, Author
Thoughts are the shadows of our sensations — always darker, emptier, simpler than these.
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) German Philosopher, Scholar, Writer
Life is like music, it must be composed by ear, feeling and instinct, not by rule. Nevertheless one had better know the rules, for they sometimes guide in doubtful cases, though not often.
—Samuel Butler
Folks are usually about as happy as they make their minds up to be.
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–65) American Head of State
The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when he discovers that someone else believes in him and is willing to trust him with his friendship.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
Happiness depends upon ourselves.
—Aristotle (384BCE–322BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher, Scholar
The greater your capacity to love, the greater your capacity to feel the pain.
—Jennifer Aniston (b.1969) American Actress
We’ve got this gift of love, but love is like a precious plant. You can’t just accept it and leave it in the cupboard or just think it’s going to get on by itself. You’ve got to keep watering it. You’ve got to really look after it and nurture it.
—John Lennon (1940–80) British Singer, Songwriter, Musician, Activist