Ralph Waldo Emerson

“People do not seem to realize that their opinion of the world is also a confession of character.”

“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and to endure the betrayal of false friends. To appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”

“What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say.”

“I cannot remember the books I've read any more than the meals I have eaten; even so, they have made me.”

“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.”

“Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is God's handwriting.”

“Every man has his own courage, and is betrayed because he seeks in himself the courage of other persons.”

“Earth laughs in flowers.”

“Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.”

“Few people know how to take a walk. The qualifications are endurance, plain clothes, old shoes, an eye for nature, good humor, vast curiosity, good speech, good silence and nothing too much.”

“Always do what you are afraid to do.”

“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.”

“Win as if you were used to it, lose as if you enjoyed it for a change.”

“An ounce of action is worth a ton of theory. Don't be too timid and squeamish about your actions.”

“For every thing you have missed, you have gained something else; and for every thing you gain, you lose something.”

“Be silly. Be honest. Be kind.”

“Trust the instinct to the end, though you can render no reason.”

“Treat a man as he is, and he will remain as he is. Treat a man as he could be, and he will become what he should be.”