inspirational Editor's Pick Quotes

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." — Ralph Waldo Emerson
Attributed to Emerson in Promotion of Pharmaceuticals : Issues, Trends, Options (1993) pg 74, and also Thoreau elsewhere, but no instance of the quote can be found before 1990, so the authorship of the quote is disputed. Add Category or Author

"I love you not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you. I love you not only for what you have made of yourself, but for what you are making of me. I love you for the part of me that you bring out." — Roy Croft
The poem this is attributed to, by Roy Croft, is nearly identical to a German-language poem by Eric Fried titled "Ich liebe dich" ("I Love You"). Little is known about either poem, so it is difficult to say if Croft actually wrote this poem or if he translated Fried's poem and ended up with the credit. Often the quote is attributed to "Anonymous" or Elizabeth Browning, as well. Add Category or Author

"The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain." — Dolly Parton
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"Life is 10% of what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it." — Charles Swindoll
Strengthening Your Grip - October 15, 1998 (Hardcover) Add Category or Author

"If the ladder is not leaning against the right wall, every step we take just gets us to the wrong place faster." — Stephen R. Covey
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"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." — Reinhold Niebuhr
The Serenity Prayer (c. 1942) Though earlier variants may have existed, Niebuhr was the first to state this so succinctly, and also the first to copyright it. Since then, it has been adopted by Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12 step groups. Add Category or Author

"True love stories never have endings." — Richard Bach
This was reportedly stated by Bach, a best-selling author. After his marriage ended, he also reportedly stated, "[My wife] and I are no longer married. Soul mates, to me, don't define themselves by legal marriage." Add Category or Author

"One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: that word is love." — Sophocles
As quoted in Civilization's quotations: life's ideal (2002) pg. 49 No contextual information is available, beyond the fact that this quote is attributed to the tragic Greek playwright Sophocles. Add Category or Author

"There is more to life than increasing its speed." — Mahatma Gandhi
As quoted in Once Upon A Dream (2004) pg. 163 Add Category or Author

"Behold the turtle. He makes progress only when he sticks his neck out." — James Conant
As quoted in Gleanings in bee culture (1949) Volume 77; Volume 77 Reportedly spoken while Conant was lecturing at Harvard University. Add Category or Author

"Treat people as if they were what they should be and you help them become what they are capable of becoming." — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
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"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." — Soren Kierkegaard
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"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." — Anais Nin
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"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go." — T.S. Eliot
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"I have learned to use the word impossible with the greatest caution." — Werner Braun
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"My life is my message." — Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma : Life of Gandhi 1869-1948 (1968) Reel 13 Response to a journalist's question about what his message to the world was. Add Category or Author

"Falling in love is not at all the most stupid thing that people do — but gravitation cannot be held responsible for it." — Albert Einstein
As quoted in Albert Einstein, The Human Side: New Glimpses From His Archives (1979), pg. 56 Written by Einstein in the margin of a letter, written to him, in German. Add Category or Author

"Be more concerned with your character than with your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are." — John Wooden
As quoted in How to Be Like Coach Wooden: Life Lessons from Basketball's Greatest Leader (2006) pg. 5 As both a basketball player and a basketball coach, Wooden was frequently noted for his quotes on character, teambuilding, and success. Add Category or Author

"Your time is limited, don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma, which is living the result of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinion drowned your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition, they somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary." — Steve Jobs
Stanford University commencement address (12 June 2005) During Jobs's address to the students and faculty, he spoke of his dropping out of college and how important the choices he made while still a dropout were to his eventual success. Add Category or Author

"Life consists not in holding good cards, but in playing those you hold well" — Josh Billings
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"When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, "I used everything you gave me." — Erma Bombeck
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