Category Archives: Notable Quotables

“There is that in the glance of a flower which may at times control the greatest of creation’s braggart lords.” — John Muir (1838 – 1914) Scottish-born American naturalist and author from his book “A Thousand-Mile Walk to the Gulf,” published … Continue reading →

  “Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens.” — John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (1892 – 1973) English author & philosopher

“Effective leadership is not about making speeches or being liked; leadership is defined by results not attributes.” — Unknown

“Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the men of old; seek what they sought.” — Matsuo Bashō (1644-1694) Japanese poet of the Edo period

  “Faith is the very first thing you should pack in a hope chest.” — Sarah Ban Breathnach (1947 – ) American author

“I never did give anybody hell. I just told the truth, and they thought it was hell.” — Harry S. Truman (1884 – 1972) 33rd President of the United States

  “A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book.”  — Irish proverb

“How incredible it is that in this fragile existence we should hate and destroy one another.  There are possibilities enough for all who will abandon mastery over others to pursue mastery over nature.  There is world enough for all to … Continue reading →

  “Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” — Marcel Proust (1871 – 1922) French novelist & literary critic

“It’s not that diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but it’s your best friends who are your diamonds.” — Gina Barreca (1957 – ) American academic & humorist

    “People never give up their liberties but under some delusion.”  — Edmund Burke (1729-1797) Anglo-Irish statesman & philosopher

“Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside.” — Mark Twain (1835-1910) 19th Century American author and humorist (pen name for Samuel Langhorne Clemens)

“Why is it when we talk to God we’re praying, but when God talks to us, we’re schizophrenic?” — Lily Tomlin (1939 – ) American actress & comedian

    “We cannot hold a torch to light another’s path without brightening our own.” — Ben Sweetland (1900 – 1987) Author and psychologist

  “Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.” — Albert Einstein  (1879 – 1955) German-born theoretical physicist; developed theory of relativity (Image by Iván Tamás)

    “Confidence in the goodness of another is good proof of one’s own goodness.” — Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) French Renaissance philosopher

“Half the world is composed of people who have something to say and can’t, and the other half who have nothing to say and keep on saying it.” — Robert Frost (1874 – 1963) American poet

  “A baby is God’s opinion that the world should go on.” — Carl Sandburg (1878 – 1967) American poet, biographer, journalist, & Pulitzer prize winner

“An optimist may see a light where there is none, but why must the pessimist always run to blow it out?” — Michel de Saint Pierre (1916 – 1987) French journalist

“A positive attitude may not solve every problem, but it makes solving any problem a more pleasant experience.” — Grant D. Fairley (1959 – ) Business consultant & author

“Desire is the key to motivation, but it’s determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal — a commitment to excellence — that will enable you to attain the success you seek.” — Mario Andretti (1940 – ) … Continue reading →

  “We in America do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate.” — Thomas Jefferson 1743 – 1826) 3rd president of the United States; diplomat, architect, and philosopher (in his papers at the … Continue reading →

“America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.” — Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) American statesman; 16th President: 1861-65; assassinated following Civil War

  “We don’t see things as they are.  We see them as we are.” — Anais Nin (1914-1977) French-born American novelist and dancer

“Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns; I am thankful that thorns have roses.” — Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr (1808 – 1890) French critic & journalist

“If once you forfeit the confidence of your fellow-citizens, you can never regain their respect and esteem.” — Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) American statesman; 16th President of the United States, 1861-65; assassinated following Civil War

  “Be sincere; be brief; be seated.” — Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882 – 1945) 32nd President of the United States

Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you! — Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel) (1904 – 1991) American children’s author, illustrator, and political cartoonist Happiest Birthday wishes to my … Continue reading →

  “Bigotry is the disease of ignorance of morbid minds.  Education and free discussion are the antidotes.” — Thomas Jefferson (1743 – 1826) 3rd president of the United States; diplomat, architect, and philosopher (in a letter to John Adams on … Continue reading →

I think I will simply share a positive thought for “Do a Grouch a Favor Day.”   “I’ve always believed that you can think positive just as well as you can think negative.” — Sugar Ray Robinson (1921-1989) American professional … Continue reading →

  “Love is an attempt to change a piece of a dream world into reality.” — Theodor Reik (1888 – 1969) Austrian psychoanalyst

  “Start off every day with a smile and get it over with.” — W.C. Fields (1880 – 1996) American actor and comedian

  “The only thing better than singing is more singing.” — Ella Fitzgerald (1917 – 1996) American jazz singer (I was humbled and honored during work at one fundraising event to share a dressing room with the “First Lady of … Continue reading →

  “We cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home. “ — Edward R. Murrow (1908 – 1965) American broadcast journalist and war correspondent  

“A good friend is like a four-leaf clover: hard to find and lucky to have.” — Irish proverb I consider myself extraordinarily fortunate. I am blessed with a wealth of good friends. Thank you.

  “Laughter is the closest distance between two people.” — Victor Borge (1909 – 2000) Danish-American comedian & pianist

    “Storms make trees take deeper roots.” — Colonel Sir Claude McDonald (1852 – 1915) British soldier and diplomat    

“Practice hope. As hopefulness becomes a habit, you can achieve a permanently happy spirit.” Norman Vincent Peale (1898 – 1993) American clergyman and author (Quote is from “Positive Thinking Every Day.”)

“Do not condemn the judgment of another because it differs from your own. You may both be wrong.” — Dandamis Brahmin philosopher 4th Century BC