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30 Powerful Racism Quotes to Combat Prejudice and Injustice

Racism is considered the marginalization and/or oppression of people of color based on a socially constructed racial hierarchy that privileges another race. The term is applied in many areas of a society that perpetuates discrimination on the basis of race or strengthen racial inequalities in education, health care, income, and civil rights.Ever since the 20th century, the concept of biological race is considered a cultural invention that has no scientific basis. The progress over the past half-century has been impressive, but the nation still has a long way to go to reach true racial equality.The following racism quotes contain inspiring perspectives to help you reflect and do whatever you can to make the world a better place for you and generations yet to come. Showing that you care about other people’s well-being, that you are an ally in promoting inclusion and equity, are some great actions you can take to help overcome the consequences of racism.It all starts withawareness. Just because racism doesn’t happen among the people you know, itdoesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Passive racism is probably the most insidiousfactor that contributes to the ongoing problem.Here are 30 quotes on racismquotes to help fight prejudice and injustice:There is no such thing as race. None. There is just a human race -- scientifically, anthropologically. TONI MORRISON (more Toni Morrison quotes)Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.JAMES BALDWINPeople who insist on dividing the world into 'Us' and 'Them' never contemplate that they may be someone else's 'Them.' RAY A. DAVISHating people because of their color is wrong. And it doesn't matter which color does the hating. It's just plain wrong. MUHAMMAD ALIIf you have come to help me you are wasting your time. But if you recognize that your liberation and mine are bound up together, we can walk together. LILA WATSON In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist. We must be anti-racist. ANGELA DAVIS (more Angela Davis quotes)None of us is responsible for the complexion of his skin. This fact of nature offers no clue to the character or quality of the person underneath. MARIAN ANDERSON Accomplishments have no color. LEONTYNE PRICEIf you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.DESMOND TUTUAs long as there is racial privilege, racism will never end.WAYNE GERARD TROTMANEvery great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world. HARRIET TUBMAN (more Harriet Tubman quotes)It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences. AUDRE LORDEI refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality… I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final wordMARTIN LUTHER KINGThe very serious function of racism is distraction. It keeps you from doing your work. It keeps you explaining, over and over again, your reason for being.TONI MORRISON It belongs to the very substance of nonviolence never to destroy or damage another person's feeling of self worth, even an opponent's. BERNARD HARING Tolerance, inter-cultural dialogue and respect for diversity are more essential than ever in a world where peoples are becoming more and more closely interconnected. KOFI ANNAN One day our descendants will think it incredible that we paid so much attention to things like the amount of melanin in our skin or the shape of our eyes or our gender instead of the unique identities of each of us as complex human beings. FRANKLIN THOMAS Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future, and renders the present inaccessible. MAYA ANGELOUThose who deny freedom to others, deserve it not for themselves. ABRAHAM LINCOLN (more Abraham Lincoln quotes)Racism is man’s gravest threat to man -- the maximum of hatred for a minimum of reason. ABRAHAM HESCHEL Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness. MARK TWAIN When will our conscience grow so tender that we will act to prevent human misery rather than avenge it? ELEANOR ROOSEVELT We all live with the objective of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same. ANNE FRANK I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality.... I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. (more Martin Luther King Jr. quotes)Whoever debases others is debasing himself. JAMES BALDWINNo matter how big a nation is, it is no stronger than its weakest people, and as long as you keep a person down, some part of you has to be down there to hold him down, so it means you cannot soar as you might otherwise. MARIAN ANDERSON Race and racism is a reality that so many of us grow up learning to just deal with. But if we ever hope to move past it, it can't just be on people of color to deal with it. It's up to all of us -- Black, white, everyone -- no matter how well-meaning we think we might be, to do the honest, uncomfortable work of rooting it out. MICHELLE OBAMA No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite. NELSON MANDELA (more Nelson Mandela quotes)The beauty of anti-racism is that you don't have to pretend to be free of racism to be an anti-racist. Anti-racism is the commitment to fight racism wherever you find it, including in yourself. And it's the only way forward. IJEOMA OLUO The most potent weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed. STEPHEN BIKO

20 Most Inspiring Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes
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20 Most Inspiring Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes

There are few giants in history to match Martin Luther King Jr., and even fewer who had the power to move so many with so few words. The Baptist minister and activist hero of the civil rights movement was an incredible man that brought hope and strength to many, and continues to inspire today. Having felt the sting of segregation in his youth, MLK Jr. also suffered from depression for much of his life. Nevertheless, he overcame that adversity and many other obstacles, not simply excelling academically, but rising to become one of history’s most transformative and inspirational figures.In 1964, King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his instrumental role in pushing for greater racial equality through nonviolent civil disobedience. Behind his booming voice and poignant appeals for racial healing were his driving values of courage, love, forgiveness, and above all, hope.Here are the top 20 most inspiring quotes from Martin Luther King Jr.Top 20 Most Inspiring Martin Luther King Jr. QuotesLove is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.That old law about 'an eye for an eye' leaves everybody blind. The time is always right to do what is right.Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.We must build dikes of courage to hold back the flood of fear.If you can't fly, then run, if you can't walk run, then walk, if you can't walk, then crawl, but by all means keep moving.Hate is too great a burden to bear.Forgiveness is not an occasional act; it is a permanent attitude.I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.Nonviolence is a powerful and just weapon. Indeed it is a weapon unique in history, which cuts without wounding and enables the man who wields it.Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.Let no man pull you so low as to hate him.Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.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.In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.We may have all come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now.We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle. And so we must straighten our backs and work for our freedom. A man can't ride you unless your back is bent.Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.Only in the darkness can you see the stars.We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.We must use time creatively.Those who are not looking for happiness are the most likely to find it, because those who are searching forget that the surest way to be happy is to seek happiness for others.We must substitute courage for caution.

Why Are Albert Einstein Quotes So Inspirational – And What Is His Most Famous Saying?
Leaders

Why Are Albert Einstein Quotes So Inspirational – And What Is His Most Famous Saying?

There are scores of ultra-famous people from history, those figures that all but the most under-informed know by name. These include, to name a few, Abraham Lincoln, Hellen Keller, Winston Churchill, Marilyn Monroe, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. What do these famous folks have in common, when all are famed for decidedly different reasons? For one thing, all of them were quite quotable.RELATED: 128 Leadership Quotes to Inspire You to Become a Better LeaderAnother figure who achieved nearly peerless fame and who remains almost endlessly quotable even 65 years after his death is Albert Einstein. We will share a few of Einstein’s most famous, beloved, amusing, and inspirational quotes below, but first, let’s put this man, arguably the most famous scientist in human history, in context – and then we’ll consider why, exactly, Einstein quotes are so compelling.Albert Einstein, a Bio in Brief(Getty)Born in Germany 1879, as a young man Albert Einstein would also live in Italy and Switzerland, studying at the Swiss Federal Polytechnic School in Zurich between 1896 and 1901, per the official site of The Nobel Prize, which Einstein would win in the field of physics in 1921. Before that, he had not only taught at many renowned universities around Europe, but, among other work in math and physics, he had developed his famous Special Theory of Relativity. It fundamentally changed the approach to physical science that had held sway since the era of Sir Isaac Newton some 200 years prior.Having re-settled in Germany in 1914, only to emigrate from the country forever in 1933 given the rise of Hitler, Einstein would spend the last 22 years of his life living and working in America. He died in Princeton, New Jersey in 1955. RELATED: 50 Inspirational Quotes to Uplift and MotivateHis work, of course, lives on now as it will forever, as do so many of the things the brilliant physicist said. But why are quotes by Albert Einstein so appealing to members of the general public, most of whom can make little to no sense of, say, the Einstein gravitational constant or the Einstein tensor?Perhaps it’s precisely because most of us have no idea what to make of gravitational constants or tensors that we love the often easily relatable quotes of this great thinker. (And in case you’re actually wondering, per the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a tensor is: “a generalized vector with more than three components each of which is a function of the coordinates of an arbitrary point in space of an appropriate number of dimensions.” Clear as day, right?)Why We Find Einstein Quotes So Inspiring(Getty)Albert Einstein achieved more in his life than most of us could do with five lifetimes. His brilliance and his successes are so unparalleled that he’s a purely inspirational figure, not an aspirational one. Few among us seek to compare themselves to Einstein, in other words.Part of the reason so many of his quotes are so inspiring is because this man played such an instrumental role in history and is so widely renowned for his intelligence, but the operative here is that Einstein nonetheless comes across as relatable. RELATED: Euphoria Quotes: The Show’s Most Biting and Powerful Quotes – And What They Say about YouMany of his utterances were funny, many were compassionate, and many were just so human – “Oh, I’ve been there!” you might find yourself thinking, for a moment forgetting that the man who said the relatable words also said things like: “I do not see any reason to assume that the heuristic significance of the principle of general relativity is restricted to gravitation and that the rest of physics can be dealt with separately on the basis of special relativity."5 Inspiring Einstein Quotes to Remember(Getty)Arguably the most famous Einstein quote of all is this one:“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”Why is it such a powerful line? Because it applies to every aspect of life. You can’t end an argument with a friend or loved one by fighting harder. You can’t close a business deal by agreeing less. Nations don’t come to peace without ending wars. And on it goes.Another quote that can be applied far beyond the realm of physics, reaching into the arts, the spiritual, and beyond is:“Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.”Replacing the word “man” with “person” here, next consider this call to the true quality of a person:“Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.”Next, consider this quote in which Einstein unifies so many aspects of human life together, revealing that even the most brilliant man known to science was ever searching for meaning in life:“All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree.”And finally, consider this elegantly simple yet entirely accurate thought:“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.”That sounds like something an actor might say during a TV interview, or that you might see emblazoned on a store-bought greeting card, not exactly like a quote from Albert Einstein. But it is. And it’s all the more significant for being a rather plainspoken truth coming from a man whose mind was anything but plain.The Most Famous Einstein Quote That Albert Einstein Never Said(Getty)There is a quote that makes perfect sense, that does indeed sound Einsteinian, and that is constantly attributed to the great scientist. The thing is he never actually said it. That quote is:“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”Sure, it’s a good point – maybe the famed physicist would even have wished he said it, but per History, he did not. (Einstein also never said: “Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” Which is good, because while the second part of that oft misattributed quote is true, the first part is not.)KEEP READING:13 Self Worth Quotes to Help Build Your Confidence & Self Esteem

13 Self Worth Quotes to Help Build Your Confidence & Self Esteem
Leaders

13 Self Worth Quotes to Help Build Your Confidence & Self Esteem

Fostering healthy self love is an important goal that everyone should strive for. Having a good self image influences all aspects of life, including our mental health and even our social and economic success. When you establish true self esteem, you become your best self, which is the greatest accomplishment of all.RELATED: Inspirational Winnie the Pooh Quotes About Life & FriendshipThat said, finding self love can be challenging. Sometimes we need a reminder to regain self esteem. Whether you suffer from chronic low self esteem or just want to harness more confidence, the following self esteem quotes can inspire you. Read on for a selection of the best self esteem quotes and the way they can inspire you to love yourself better. "The better you feel about yourself, the less you feel the need to show off." - Robert HandOne of the most beloved confidence quotes is this one attributed to Robert Hand. These words show that healthy self love means that a person can love oneself without needing to make a scene about it. True self esteem is quiet and subtle. It’s a humble but reasonable confidence. “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” - Eleanor Roosevelt(Getty)Roosevelt’s words are often quoted for a reason: Her sentiment about self confidence presents low esteem as one’s own weakness. Instead of falling into self pity, this quote implores people to prioritize one's dignity, one’s own life and one’s own beliefs. It’s a reminder that you hold the power when it comes to feeling lesser than in someone else’s eyes. In order to not feel inferior, you must continue to build self respect. “The greatest thing in the world is to know how to belong to oneself.” - Michel de Montaigne(Getty)One of the most cited self-esteem quotes are the words by Michel de Montaigne. They highlight the personal satisfaction of being at peace with oneself. RELATED: The Best Dr Seuss Quotes About Life, Love, Reading and Education for Children & AdultsWhen you’ve finally figured out how to love yourself, you can enjoy a sense of calm and dignity like no other. “You’re always with yourself, so you might as well enjoy the company. - Diane Von Furstenberg(Getty)Furstenberg, as a curator of true beauty within the fashion industry, knows a great deal about having the right mental attitude to accept oneself completely. Her words remind us that we should strive to be good company for ourselves. By finding self worth we can truly enjoy living our own skin. “You can have anything you want if you are willing to give up the belief that you can’t have it.” - Dr. Robert Anthony(Photo by Blake Weyland on Unsplash)This self esteem quote is also about motivation: In order to really believe in yourself you need to purge the limiting thoughts that hold you back. Once you conquer fear and doubt, you can truly do anything you put your mind to. For some, this is a hard task but as you build confidence it becomes easier to discard thoughts that don’t serve you. “Confidence comes not from always being right but from not fearing to be wrong.” - Peter T. McIntyre(Photo by Dolo Iglesias on Unsplash)One's definition of self esteem differs from the next person’s. However, most of us can agree that being willing to make mistakes and take chances is a key component of having confidence. When you have healthy self esteem you’re not hyper focused on what might happen if you fail—you’re more focused on all of the amazing possibilities that can happen in your life instead. “Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.” - Thomas Jefferson(Getty)This self esteem quote from one of our founding fathers explains that with reasonable confidence anything is possible. But when you don’t have the right mindset for achieving your goals—maybe you’re focused on your own weaknesses or negativity—you will never make headway. You must find your self worth or you will never achieve what you wish to. “You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” – Buddha(Photo by Jamie Street on Unsplash)The Buddha was known for his many inspirational self esteem quotes, including many self love quotes, that are often cited today. While it’s only natural to lose confidence from time to time, doing so for a prolonged period of time will only bring the worst loneliness.If you can’t love yourself, you won’t feel at peace. Buddha reminds us with this quote that we are all deserving of our own devotion. "Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world." - Lucille Ball(Getty)As an actress and businesswoman, Ball broke down all the barriers in the entertainment industry. Her achievements provide overwhelming evidence of just how true this quote of hers on confidence and self esteem really is. When you believe, you can achieve. If you can harness a deep self love, anything you want is possible because you know in your soul that it can happen. This knowing influences your actions, allowing you to chase down your dreams. “I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of others, rather than to be false, and to incur my own abhorrence.” - Frederick Douglass(Getty)When you live a life of true integrity and meaning, like Douglass did, having high self esteem follows. Doing the right thing, even when it’s hard, allows you to maintain your honor and keeps you from falling into self-loathing. When you act in a way that’s in line with your values, you can establish more confidence and self worth because you truly love and believe in the person you are. "The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated." - William JamesWhile James doesn't outright say so in his self esteem quote, it can be argued that the craving to be appreciated by oneself is indeed the most important principle of all. When you can appreciate yourself for who you are, flaws and all, you move into a new level of confidence and assurance that’s hard to shake, even in times of adversity. “Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.” – Dale Carnegie(Getty)According to Carnegie, active people are successful people. As with other quotes to boost confidence, this one is all about facing hard things and doing them anyway. Each time you stand up to your fears, doubts or weaknesses you build one more notch of self esteem. Collectively, these experiences add up to true confidence and a belief that you can get through whatever life sends your way. “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” - Henry Stanley Haskins(Photo by Alice Dietrich on Unsplash)This quote is all about harnessing your own powers, remembering that your life circumstances are not as important as the you that experiences your life. Haskins would likely agree that performing self esteem and self care is not a selfish act but rather a necessary act to nourish what lies within—your consciousness or soul—so that you can be your best self. It’s a powerful message to remind you that your internal life is far richer and more meaningful than anything happening on the outside. KEEP READING:The Most Motivational Star Wars Quotes from a Galaxy Far, Far Away

18 Amelia Earhart Quotes to Inspire You to Soar
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18 Amelia Earhart Quotes to Inspire You to Soar

Exactly eighty years after her mysterious disappearance while attempting to circumnavigate the globe, pioneering aviator Amelia Earhart continues to hold a mythic place in the popular imagination. The first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, Earhart's legendary feats are the very emblem of courage -- and of a woman who refused to let fears and adversity ground her dreams.In an age where the skies, both literally and figuratively, were considered the domain of men, Earhart set record after record on her drive to show that women could aspire to all the same heights. In 1923, at the age of 26, Earhart became only the 16th woman in the world to be issued a pilot's license. Five years later, she skyrocketed to fame after becoming the first woman to fly over the Atlantic, as well as the first person to fly over both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.Amelia Earhart flew against prevailing mentalities too, and believed passionately in the capacity of women to be as fearless as men in chasing their dreams and making their own way in the world. As an author, lecturer, poet, and airline industry vice-president, Earhart transformed her hobby into a career, while consistently flouting the conventions of the day that dictated the appropriate roles and behaviors of women.Earhart perished doing what she loved. And while the exact circumstances of her disappearance and death have remained a mystery to this day, what's certain is that she spent her life pursuing her dreams, and serving as a powerful role model for girls and women to do the same.Here are our Top 18 Amelia Earhart Quotes to Inspire You to Soar.Everyone has oceans to fly, if they have the heart to do it. Is it reckless? Maybe. But what do dreams know of boundaries?Never interrupt someone doing something you said couldn’t be done.Some of us have great runways already built for us. If you have one, take off! But if you don’t have one, realize it is your responsibility to grab a shovel and build one for yourself and for those who will follow after you.There's more to life than being a passenger.Never do things others can do and will do if there are things others cannot do or will not do.Worry retards reaction and makes clear-cut decisions impossible.Preparation, I have often said, is rightly two-thirds of any venture.The most effective way to do it, is to do it.Courage is the price that life exacts for granting peace.The more one does and sees and feels, the more one is able to do, and the more genuine may be one's appreciation of fundamental things like home, and love, and understanding companionship.The woman who can create her own job is the woman who will win fame and fortune.Adventure is worthwhile in itself.The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure, the process is its own reward.A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees. The greatest work that kindness does to others is that it makes them kind themselves.I believe that a girl should not do what she thinks she should do, but should find out through experience what she wants to do.Decide whether or not the goal is worth the risks involved. If it is, stop worrying.Women must try to do things as men have tried. When they fail, their failure must be but a challenge to others.No borders, just horizons - only freedom.

60 Marcus Aurelius Quotes About Life, Death and Leadership
Leaders

60 Marcus Aurelius Quotes About Life, Death and Leadership

The last of the so-called "five good emperors,” Marcus Aurelius kept the Roman Empire safe from the Parthians and Germans between the years 161-180.One of the most respected Roman emperors, Marcus Aurelius is best remembered for his rule driven by reason and his intellectual interest in Stoicism – a philosophy of personal ethics informed by its system of logic.In brief, Stoicism teaches us that by self-restraint, people can develop clear judgment and inner calm. It also emphasizes the fact that the path to happiness is accepting the present moment as it is.Influenced by Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius has written one of the greatest works of philosophy – Meditations. This series of personal writings consists of 12 books and is filled with personal notes and ideas on Stoicism.The death of Marcus Aurelius is considered to be the end of Pax Romana, and eventually the fall of the Western Roman Empire.Here are the Best Marcus Aurelius Quotes About Life, Death, Stoicism and LeadershipMarcus Aurelius quotes about lifeThe happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.When you arise in the morning think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love…Do every act of your life as though it were the very last act of your life.Remind yourself that your task is to be a good human being; remind yourself what nature demands of people. Then do it, without hesitation, and speak the truth as you see it. But with kindness. With humility. Without hypocrisy.Life is short -- the fruit of this life is a good character and acts for the common good.Everything that happens, happens as it should, and if you observe carefully you will find this to be so.To live the good life: We have the potential for it. If we can learn to be indifferent to what makes no difference.How ridiculous and how strange to be surprised at anything which happens in life.Live out your life in truth and justice, tolerant of those who are neither true nor just.We live only now. Everything else is either passed or is unknown.The best revenge is to be unlike him who performed the injury.It is the person who continues in his self-deception and ignorance who is harmed.To love only what happens, what was destined. No greater harmony.No man can escape his destiny, the next inquiry being how he may best live the time that he has to live.Artwork by Daniel CoulmannConcentrate every minute like a Roman...Concentrate every minute like a Roman— like a man— on doing what’s in front of you with precise and genuine seriousness, tenderly, willingly, with justice. And on freeing yourself from all other distractions. Yes, you can— if you do everything as if it were the last thing you were doing in your life, and stop being aimless, stop letting your emotions override what your mind tells you, stop being hypocritical, self-centered , irritable. You see how few things you have to do to live a satisfying and reverent life? If you can manage this, that’s all even the gods can ask of youMarcus Aurelius quotes about deathDo not act as if you were going to live ten thousand years. Death hangs over you. While you live, while it is in your power, be good.Think of yourself as dead. You have lived your life. Now, take what’s left, and live it properly.Nothing happens to anybody which he is not fitted by his own nature to bear. Shame on the soul, to falter on the road of life while the body still perseveres.Stop whatever you’re doing for a moment and ask yourself: ‘Am I afraid of death because I won’t be able to do this anymore?’Statue of Marcus Aurelius, Campidoglio, Rome, ItalyBrief is man’s life and small the nook of the Earth where he lives; brief, too, is the longest posthumous fame, buoyed only by a succession of poor human beings who will very soon die and who know little of themselves, much less of someone who died long ago.About death: Whether it is a dispersion, or a resolution into atoms, or annihilation, it is either extinction or change.Let each thing you would do, say, or intend, be like that of a dying person.Remember: Matter. How tiny your share of it. Time. How brief and fleeting your allotment of it. Fate. How small a role you play in it.It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live.What we do now echoes in eternity.The memory of everything is very soon overwhelmed in time.But death and life, honour and dishonour, pain and pleasure -- all these things, equally happen to good men and bad, being things which make us neither better nor worse. Therefore they are neither good nor evil.Marcus Aurelius quotes about stoicismStay calm and serene regardless of what life throws at you.Reject your sense of injury and the injury itself disappears.Here is a rule to remember in future, when anything tempts you to feel bitter: not ‘This is misfortune,’ but ‘To bear this worthily is good fortune.’Accept whatever comes to you woven in the pattern of your destiny, for what could more aptly fit your needs?Look well into thyself; there is a source of strength which will always spring up if thou wilt always look.Confine yourself to the presentEpithets for yourself: upright, modest, straightforward, sane, cooperative, disinterested… Maintain your claim to these epithets -- without caring if others apply them to you or not.If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.Do not indulge in dreams of having what you have not, but reckon up the chief of the blessings you do possess, and then thankfully remember how you would crave for them if they were not yours.Because a thing seems difficult for you, do not think it impossible.Marcus Aurelius quotes about leadershipThe Baths of Caracalla, Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema (1899)Make sure you’re not made ‘Emperor,’ avoid that imperial stain. It can happen to you, so keep yourself simple, good, pure, saintly, plain, a friend of justice, god-fearing, gracious, affectionate, and strong for your proper work.It is the responsibility of leadership to work intelligently with what is given, and not waste time fantasizing about a world of flawless people and perfect choices.A real man doesn’t give way to anger and discontent, and such a person has strength, courage, and endurance—unlike the angry and complaining. The nearer a man comes to a calm mind, the closer he is to strength.No random actions, none not based on underlying principles.Whenever you are about to find fault with someone, ask yourself the following question: What fault of mine most nearly resembles the one I am about to criticize?Let men see, let them know, a real man, who lives as he was meant to live.That which isn’t good for the hive, isn’t good for the bee.A man’s worth is no greater than the worth of his ambitions.Objective judgement, now, at this very moment. Unselfish action, now, at this very moment. Willing acceptance – now, at this very moment – of all external events. That’s all you need.”Marcus Aurelius quotes from meditationsLandscape with the Colosseum and the Monument to Marcus Aurelius, Oil Painting You have power over your mind -- not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them.The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you together, but do so with all your heart.The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts.Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present.If someone is able to show me that what I think or do is not right, I will happily change, for I seek the truth, by which no one was ever truly harmed. It is the person who continues in his self-deception and ignorance who is harmed.If it is not right do not do it; if it is not true do not say it.I have often wondered how it is that every man loves himself more than all the rest of men, but yet sets less value on his own opinion of himself than on the opinion of others.Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself in your way of thinking.The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.Today I escaped from the crush of circumstances, or better put, I threw them out, for the crush wasn’t from outside me but in my own assumptions.How much time he gains who does not look to see what his neighbor says or does or thinks, but only at what he does himself, to make it just and holy.The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit. The second is to look things in the face and know them for what they are.How much more grievous are the consequences of anger than the causes of it.When you wake up in the morning...When you wake up in the morning, tell yourself: the people I deal with today will be meddling, ungrateful, arrogant, dishonest, jealous and surly. They are like this because they can't tell good from evil. But I have seen the beauty of good, and the ugliness of evil, and have recognized that the wrongdoer has a nature related to my own - not of the same blood and birth, but the same mind, and possessing a share of the divine. And so none of them can hurt me. No one can implicate me in ugliness. Nor can I feel angry at my relative, or hate him. We were born to work together like feet, hands and eyes, like the two rows of teeth, upper and lower. To obstruct each other is unnatural. To feel anger at someone, to turn your back on him: these are unnatural.

Top 35 Most Famous and Inspiring Mahatma Gandhi Quotes
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Top 35 Most Famous and Inspiring Mahatma Gandhi Quotes

Mahatma Gandhi is revered the world over as one of history’s most transformative and inspirational figures. Throughout his life in South Africa and India, Gandhi was a fearless advocate for the rights and dignity of all people. His constant and unwavering promotion of non-violence as a tool to win over hearts and minds has forever left its mark on the world.However, the man known today for his calm, courage and compassion in the face of oppression was not always comfortable before the crowds. Born Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi in Porbandar, India in 1869 – he was later nicknamed "Mahatma," for "great soul" – the spiritual leader and father of Indian independence in fact suffered for much of his life from an acute fear of public speaking. Mahatma Gandhi's glossophobia, as it's known, was so severe that when he faced a judge for his first court case as a young lawyer, he froze and fled from the courtroom in a panic.Over time, Mahatma Gandhi managed not only to overcome his fears, but to turn them to his advantage. His unease at speaking made him an excellent listener, whose humility and empathy allowed him to channel the dreams and aspirations of the masses. His hesitancy with words taught him the power of saying more with less – and today, these words, inflected with the heart and wisdom that have made him an international icon, continue to inspire countless people across the globe.RELATED: Top 20 Most Inspiring Dalai Lama QuotesOne of the most popular phrases attributed to Gandhi is, “An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind.” However, whether he was actually the one to say the words has been debated. Still, there are many wise quotes by Mahatma Gandhi that are worth sharing. Wise Gandhi Quotes To RememberA 'no' uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a 'yes' merely uttered to please, or worse, to avoid trouble.It is the quality of our work which will please God and not the quantity.The only tyrant I accept in this world is the 'still small voice' within me.RELATED: 60 Quotes About Strength To Help You Develop ResilienceIf by strength is meant moral power, then woman is immeasurably man's superior.I do believe that, where there is only a choice between cowardice and violence, I would advise violence… I would rather have India resort to arms in order to defend her honor than that she should, in a cowardly manner, become or remain a helpless witness to her own dishonor. But I believe that nonviolence is infinitely superior to violence.You may never know what results come of your actions, but if you do nothing, there will be no results.Gandhi Quotes About LifeLive as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. We need not wait to see what others do.RELATED: 25 Maya Angelou Quotes To Inspire Your LifeA man is but a product of his thoughts. What he thinks he becomes. I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet.Nobody can hurt me without my permission.More Wise Gandhi QuotesHappiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.An ounce of practice is worth a thousand words.A coward is incapable of exhibiting love; it is the prerogative of the brave.Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.Gandhi Quotes To Inspire YouIn a gentle way, you can shake the world.Service which is rendered without joy helps neither the servant nor the served.If we are to teach real peace in this world, and if we are to carry on a real war against war, we shall have to begin with the children.The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.The future depends on what you do today.If I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning.Gandhi Quotes About HumanityPhoto by Ishant Mishra on UnsplashHate the sin, love the sinner.Glory lies in the attempt to reach one’s goal and not in reaching it.Whenever you are confronted with an opponent, conquer him with love.Permanent good can never be the outcome of untruth and violence.I cannot conceive of a greater loss than the loss of one's self-respect.You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is like an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.More Inspiring Gandhi QuotesPhoto by Prabhakar Thota on UnsplashTo give pleasure to a single heart by a single act is better than a thousand heads bowing in prayer.Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs, but not every man's greed.It's the action, not the fruit of the action, that's important. You have to do the right thing. It may not be in your power, may not be in your time, that there'll be any fruit. But that doesn't mean you stop doing the right thing. You may never know what results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be no result.You don't know who is important to you until you actually lose them.I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent.Forgiveness is more manly than punishment.KEEP READING:50 Inspirational Quotes to Uplift and Motivate

The Most Inspiring Albert Einstein Quotes of All Time
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The Most Inspiring Albert Einstein Quotes of All Time

Albert Einstein is the most influential physicist of the 20th century, and may very well be the most famous scientist who ever lived. He was only 26 years old when, in 1905, he published four papers, electrifying the field of physics and propelling him to global renown. However, his contributions reached beyond science and mathematics. He is also remembered for his wit and his insights into humanity, knowledge and imagination, immortalized in endlessly inspiring Albert Einstein quotes.Among Einstein's famous works was his groundbreaking special theory of relativity, represented by the equation E = mc², which asserted that matter could be turned into energy. Not since mathematician Isaac Newton had one man so drastically altered our understanding of how the universe works.Photo by Harris & Ewing, courtesy of the Library of CongressYet, while Einstein clearly had a knack for science and mathematics from an early age, he didn't excel at everything he put his mind to. He attended elementary and grammar schools in Munich, Germany, where he felt alienated and stifled by the school's rigid pedagogical approach. He was an average pupil who experienced speech challenges, which permanently influenced his view of education and human potential.In fact, it was largely in his private time that Einstein's passion and inquisitiveness for science and mathematics first flourished. And after finishing his studies in Zurich in 1900, it was again in his leisure time, while working at the Swiss Patent Office, that he developed many of his most influential theories.Nobel Prize Winner, Great Thinker & Civil Rights Activist Einstein won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1921, but history soon intervened. The Nazis were on the rise in his native Germany, and the Jewish Einstein was targeted for assassination. He moved in 1933 to the United States, where he worked at Princeton University for the rest of his days. There, he became a central figure in the fight to curtail the use of the atom bomb, and a strong voice against racism and nationalism.In fact, Einstein used his fame to advocate for social justice. The Harvard Gazette notes the physicist's little-known speech at Lincoln University -- the first degree-granting historically Black college -- in which Einstein called racism "a disease of white people." "I do not intend to be quiet about it," he said.[Hungry for more Albert Einstein-isms? Shop "The Ultimate Quotable Einstein"]Einstein's name has become synonymous with genius and creativity. Time magazine named him in 1999 as Person of the Century. "Even now scientists marvel at the daring of general relativity ('I still can't see how he thought of it,' said the late Richard Feynman, no slouch himself)," the magazine wrote. "But the great physicist was also engagingly simple, trading ties and socks for mothy sweaters and sweatshirts. He tossed off pithy aphorisms ('Science is a wonderful thing if one does not have to earn one's living at it') and playful doggerel as easily as equations."Indeed, Einstein is a rare icon, whose wisdom extended beyond science to reveal a man with an almost childlike sense of wonder and a profound love of humanity.Albert Einstein Quotes About Imagination & CuriosityPhoto by Orren Jack Turner, courtesy of the Library of CongressImagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.A man should look for what is, and not for what he thinks should be.I believe in intuitions and inspirations. I sometimes feel that I am right. I do not know that I am.The important thing is to not stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery every day.Photo by Andrew George on UnsplashThe most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. Whoever does not know it and can no longer wonder, no longer marvel, is as good as dead and his eyes are dimmed.I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions.He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed.I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination.Albert Einstein Knowledge & Learning QuotesPhoto by Bakhrom Tursunov on UnsplashGreat spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.It is, in fact, nothing short of a miracle that the modern methods of instruction have not yet entirely strangled the holy curiosity of inquiry.Albert Einstein with his second wife, Elsa, courtesy of the Library of CongressLet us not forget that human knowledge and skills alone cannot lead humanity to a happy and dignified life.Few are those who see with their own eyes and feel with their own hearts.Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth.Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen.Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.Albert Einstein Quotes About Humanity & LifeEinstein receives his certificate of U.S. citizenship (New York World-Telegram and the Sun Newspaper Photograph Collection, Library of Congress)I am by heritage a Jew, by citizenship a Swiss, and by makeup a human being, and only a human being, without any special attachment to any state or national entity whatsoever.All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree.A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it.A hundred times every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving.Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.The great moral teachers of humanity were, in a way, artistic geniuses in the art of living.Photo by My Foto Canva on UnsplashReality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent oneI believe in standardizing automobiles. I do not believe in standardizing human beings.A table, a chair, a bowl of fruit and a violin; what else does a man need to be happy?A human being is part of a whole called by us "universe," a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feeling as something separated 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.”A question that sometimes drives me hazy -- am I or are the others crazy?Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.Photo by Jorge Alejandro on UnsplashI love to travel, but I hate to arrive.All that is valuable in human society depends upon the opportunity for development accorded the individual.Although I am a typical loner in daily life, my consciousness of belonging to the invisible community of those who strive for truth, beauty, and justice has preserved me from feeling isolated.The years of anxious searching in the dark, with their intense longing, their alternations of confidence and exhaustion, and final emergence into light — only those who have experienced it can understand that.A happy man is too satisfied with the present to dwell too much on the future.I speak to everyone in the same way, whether he is the garbage man or the president of the university.Man would indeed be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hopes of reward after death.Einstein Quotes About Science & MathematicsPhoto from Bain News Service, courtesy of the Library of CongressConcern for man and his fate must always form the chief interest of all technical endeavors. Never forget this in the midst of your diagrams and equations.It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer.The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science.Pure mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas.Invention is not the product of logical thought, even though the final product is tied to a logical structure.Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler.Photo by Schloss, courtesy of the Library of CongressDo not worry about your difficulties in mathematics. I can assure you mine are still greater.Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.Gravitation cannot be held responsible for people falling in love. How on earth can you explain in terms of chemistry and physics so important a biological phenomenon as first love? Put your hand on a stove for a minute and it seems like an hour. Sit with that special girl for an hour and it seems like a minute. That's relativity.God does not care about our mathematical difficulties. He integrates empirically.When you are courting a nice girl an hour seems like a second. When you sit on a red-hot cinder a second seems like an hour. That's relativity.Science can flourish only in an atmosphere of free speech.Mathematics are well and good, but nature keeps dragging us around by the nose.Photo by Maks Key on UnsplashIf I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music.The truth of a theory can never be proven, for one never knows if future experience will contradict its conclusions.Out yonder there was this huge world, which exists independently of us human beings and which stands before us like a great, eternal riddle, at least partially accessible to our inspection and thinking. The contemplation of this world beckoned like a liberation...All of science is nothing more than the refinement of everyday thinking.As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain, and as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality.Albert Einstein Quotes About War & PeacePhoto by Doris Ulmann, courtesy of the Library of CongressHail to the man who went through life always helping others, knowing no fear, and to whom aggressiveness and resentment are alien.The world is in greater peril from those who tolerate or encourage evil than from those who actually commit it.I would teach peace rather than war. I would inculcate love rather than hate.I am not only a pacifist but a militant pacifist. I am willing to fight for peace. Nothing will end war unless the people themselves refuse to go to war.He who cherishes the value of cultures cannot fail to be a pacifist.I do not know with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.OFTEN ATTRIBUTED TO EINSTEIN, BUT NEVER CONFIRMEDPhoto by Taton Moïse on UnsplashOlder men start wars, but younger men fight them.Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.He who joyfully marches to music in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would suffice.You cannot simultaneously prevent and prepare for war.Force always attracts men of low morality.The pioneers of a warless world are the young men (and women) who refuse military service.Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted in important affairs.What Einstein Had to Say About FailurePhoto by Harris & Ewing, courtesy of the Library of CongressShow me a satisfied man, and I'll show you a failure.A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.I do not believe that a moral philosophy can ever be founded on a scientific basis. … The valuation of life and all its nobler expressions can only come out of the soul’s yearning toward its own destiny. Every attempt to reduce ethics to scientific formulas must fail. Of that I am perfectly convinced.You never fail until you stop trying.Failing isn't bad when you learn what not to do.The stakes are immense, the task colossal, the time is short. But we may hope - we must hope - that man's own creation, man's own genius, will not destroy him.Failure is success in progress.I have tried 99 times and have failed, but on the 100th time came success.Albert Einstein Ambition QuotesEinstein statue at the National Research Council. Photo by Carol Highsmith, courtesy of the Library of Congress.Try not to become a man of success, but a man of value. Look around at how people want to get more out of life than they put in. A man of value will give more than he receives. Be creative, but make sure that what you create is not a curse for mankind.Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character.Nothing truly valuable arises from ambition or from a mere sense of duty; it stems rather from love and devotion towards men and towards objective things.Well-being and happiness never appeared to me as an absolute aim. I am even inclined to compare such moral aims to the ambitions of a pig.Ever since childhood I have scorned the commonplace limits so often set upon human ambition. Possessions, outward success, publicity, luxury -- to me these have always been contemptible. I believe that a simple and unassuming manner of life is best for everyone; best both for the body and the mind.I feel that you are justified in looking into the future with true assurance, because you have a mode of living in which we find the joy of life and the joy of work harmoniously combined. Added to this is the spirit of ambition which pervades your very being, and seems to make the day's work like a happy child at play.

50 Inspirational Quotes to Uplift and Motivate
Leaders

50 Inspirational Quotes to Uplift and Motivate

Whether it’s a day you wish you’d stayed in bed, or you just happen to be searching for a little more direction to get the world straight and develop success in your day-to-day life, sometimes all it takes is a few words of wisdom from fellow human beings to push you in the right direction. Learn a little from those who have lived life to the fullest - a successful outcome may only be a quote away! And don’t forget, motivation determines the course of our lives, and if you could use some help manifesting your desires, these quotes may help you jumpstart the happy life you envisioned for yourself. No matter what situation you’re dealing with, you’re sure to find an inspirational quote (or three) in the list below that speaks power to your current challenges and helps you lift your chin up just a little higher. Sometimes, the only limit to success is the limit you set yourself - so enjoy the quotes below!Live by these inspirational wordsWords are more powerful than many would like to admit to themselves. So why not use this power for good? Since we could all do with a little inspirational boost every now and then, using words to anchor us and help us to live well should be a no-brainer. The following quotes are all noble anchors.“Nothing is impossible. The word itself says ‘I’m possible!’” - Audrey Hepburn“Spread love everywhere you go.” - Mother Teresa“Belief creates the actual fact.” - William James“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” - Albert Einstein“Keep your face always toward the sunshine, and shadows will fall behind you.” - Walt Whitman“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” - Winston Churchill"You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great." - Zig Ziglar“At the end of the day, whether or not those people are comfortable with how you’re living your life doesn’t matter. What matters is whether you’re comfortable with it.” - Dr. Phil“People tell you the world looks a certain way. Parents tell you how to think. Schools tell you how to think. TV. Religion. And then at a certain point, if you’re lucky, you realize you can make up your own mind. Nobody sets the rules but you. You can design your own life.” - Carrie Ann Moss“I’m going to be gone one day, and I have to accept that tomorrow isn’t promised. Am I OK with how I’m living today? It’s the only thing I can help. If I didn’t have another one, what have I done with all my todays? Am I doing a good job?” - Hayley Williams“If you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.” - Roald DahlThe very best inspirational quotes for deeper meaningLife is a hustle; we get so busy sometimes that it’s easy to forget that magic underlies everything we do. When you need to re-centre, dig a little deeper, and make contact with the source within, these quotes are for you.“Be courageous. Challenge orthodoxy. Stand up for what you believe in. When you are in your rocking chair talking to your grandchildren many years from now, be sure you have a good story to tell.” - Amal Clooney“You make a choice: continue living your life feeling muddled in this abyss of self-misunderstanding, or you find your identity independent of it. You draw your own box.” - Duchess Meghan“You define your own life. Don’t let other people write your script.” - Oprah Winfrey“For me, becoming isn’t about arriving somewhere or achieving a certain aim. I see it instead as forward motion, a means of evolving, a way to reach continuously toward a better self. The journey doesn’t end.” - Michelle Obama“I care about decency and humanity and kindness. Kindness today is an act of rebellion.” - Pink“When it comes to luck, you make your own.” - Bruce Springsteen“If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one!” - Dolly Parton“Wake up determined, go to bed satisfied.” - Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson“Take the attitude of a student, never be too big to ask questions, never know too much to learn something new.” - Augustine Og Mandino“I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions.” - Stephen R. Covey“Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.” - Vince Lombardi Uplifting quotes for positive thinkingMost of us have a routine that we adhere to on a daily basis in order to get us from point A to point B without wasting time, energy, or needless worry. But how many of us schedule time for some daily inspiration? While Mark Twain quotes are a respectable source of uplifting wisdom, many others can also help ground us in the wonder of the day-to-day.“Stay away from those people who try to disparage your ambitions. Small minds will always do that, but great minds will give you a feeling that you can become great too.” - Mark Twain“Do not allow people to dim your shine because they are blinded. Tell them to put some sunglasses on.” - Lady Gaga"Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration." - Thomas Edison“There can be no deep disappointment where there is not deep love.” - Martin Luther King Jr“We generate fears while we sit. We overcome them by action. Fear is nature's way of warning us to get busy.” - Dr. Henry Link“I’m not going to continue knocking that old door that doesn’t open for me. I’m going to create my own door and walk through that.” - Ava DuVernay“In a gentle way, you can shake the world.” - Mahatma Gandhi“Learning how to be still, to really be still and let life happen—that stillness becomes a radiance.” - Morgan Freeman“All you need is the plan, the road map, and the courage to press on to your destination.” - Earl Nightingale“Live your beliefs and you can turn the world around.” - Henry David Thoreau“Our lives are stories in which we write, direct and star in the leading role. Some chapters are happy while others bring lessons to learn, but we always have the power to be the heroes of our own adventures.” - Joelle Speranza“I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear.” - Rosa Parks“The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity.” - Amelia EarhartMeaningful and motivational quotes for the dayEven the most motivated among us can use a little pick-me-up every now and again to help set us back on course and keep our eye on the prize. After all, our attitude determines almost everything! No one said it was easy, least of all anyone who’s ever accomplished anything. So here’s a great idea: use the following inspirational quotes moving forward, and they may just help you crystallize your intentions and set off down the road of action to find the light tomorrow. “When you have a dream, you’ve got to grab it and never let go.” - Carol Burnett“There is nothing impossible for those who will try.” - Alexander the Great“If you make your internal life a priority, then everything else you need on the outside will be given to you and it will be extremely clear what the next step is.” - Gabrielle Bernstein“What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson“I am experienced enough to do this. I am knowledgeable enough to do this. I am prepared enough to do this. I am mature enough to do this. I am brave enough to do this.” - Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez“Weaknesses are just strengths in the wrong environment.” - Marianne Cantwell“Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news. The good news is that you don’t know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is!” - Anne Frank“We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us.” - Joseph Campbell“Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time.” - Ruth Bader(Getty)“We are not our best intentions. We are what we do.” - Amy DickinsonBest inspirational quotes for hard timesMost of us are extremely well acquainted with the reality that life is fraught with challenges of all stripes, and that these challenges occur rather continually at times. When times are hard, it becomes necessary to turn inward and seek inspiration. Once again, the lived experiences of others can be an invaluable resource at times like these. From Nelson Mandela quotes to nuggets of wisdom spoken by people you’ve never heard of, hearing the right words at the right time can be a game-changer.“The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.” - Michael Altshuler“I just want you to know that if you are out there and you are being really hard on yourself right now for something that has happened … it’s normal. That is what is going to happen to you in life. No one gets through unscathed. We are all going to have a few scratches on us. Please be kind to yourselves and stand up for yourself, please.” - Taylor Swift(Getty)“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” - Malala Yousafzai“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” - Nelson Mandela“I want to be in the arena. I want to be brave with my life. And when we make the choice to dare greatly, we sign up to get our asses kicked. We can choose courage or we can choose comfort, but we can’t have both. Not at the same time.” - Brene Brown“It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.” - Aristotle “Not having the best situation, but seeing the best in your situation is the key to happiness.” - Marie Forleo“Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.” - Maya Angelou(Getty)“Find out who you are and be that person. That’s what your soul was put on this earth to be. Find that truth, live that truth, and everything else will come.” - Ellen DegeneresYou gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’ You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” - Eleanor RooseveltThe bottom lineIt’s perfectly natural to lose inspiration from time to time, as we go through the motions, and as we travel from one task to the next. Next time you need a little boost, consider referring back to this list of inspirational quotes to help you realign with your truest self. Or, if you liked these and want some more, maybe these motivational quotes are just what the doctor ordered.

35 Strength Quotes That Will Have You Flexing Those Metaphysical Muscles
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35 Strength Quotes That Will Have You Flexing Those Metaphysical Muscles

When you picture a strong person, your very first thoughts may be of a bodybuilder flexing muscles honed by countless hours in the gym. However, upon reflection you’ll realize that true human strength often has little to do with muscle mass, rep counts, or weights lifted into the air. Sure, your indomitable will may have allowed you to push past all the adversity you found in the gym to gain strength and increase your physical capacity, but in truth, true strength has everything to do with perseverance and bravery. Ironically, human strength often has much to do with being gentle. Here’s a quick anecdote to prove it.Arnold Shows the WayArnold Schwarzenegger, former governor of California, world-renowned movie star, and of course the most famous bodybuilder of all time, won the title of Mr. Olympia a stunning seven times. He perfectly demonstrated true strength when a fan sent him this Tweet: “I know this is pandering but, I’ve been depressed for months and haven’t hit the gym during that time. Mr. Schwarzenegger can you please tell me to get off my lazy ass and hit the gym? I swear to everything I hold dear that I will snap out of it and go.” Schwarzenegger’s response, according to BBC? “I’m not going to be that hard on you. Please don’t be that hard on yourself. We all go through challenges, we all go through failure. Sometimes life is a workout. But the key thing is you get up. Just move a little. Roll out of bed and do some pushups or go for a walk. Just do something. One step at a time, I hope you feel better and get back to the gym. But don’t beat yourself up, because that’s just useless talk. It doesn’t get you closer to the gym. And don’t be afraid to ask for help. Good luck.”This man, one of the strongest souls and most massive characters, one renowned for physical strength, he instead showed the power of the human spirit and counseled self-care, kindness and compassion instead, not tough love. And guess what? It worked. That depressed and lethargic gentleman reportedly got himself right back to the gym and felt better than ever. How to build up emotional and spiritual strength and resilience?If we can first agree that strength is not a physical quality so much as more of a metaphysical manner, then we can move ahead to discussing how it is best built up and maintained. It all starts with a mindset.In spite of overwhelming obstacles you perceive in your way, in spite of the broken places you perceive inside yourself, in spite of your fear of all that may go wrong out there in the world, you can and indeed must decide that you are going to be a brave man or woman and stand firm against the challenges you face.Easier said than done? Sure. But take heart, it’s not about any of us becoming heroes overnight or thinking that the only way to succeed is by getting it right every single time: it’s about finding just enough inner strength to take that first step of the journey. It’s about doing the right thing as often as we can and not giving up on all of it if we fail now and then. And it’s about knowing that, often, in difficulty lies opportunity. Sometimes, to simply survive is to succeed. Life is the summation of all of our choices and actions, and if on the balance you did your best most of the time, and you did right more often than not, you will have lived a life of strength and goodness. Being strong doesn’t mean going it aloneStrong people are often depicted as solitary, stoic, go-it-alone types, but that conception is really best left to books and movies. In reality, the strong help those that they can and are not too proud to ask for help when they need it.You are not alone on life’s journey, so why act like it? There’s no loss of face in turning to others whether you need a whole lot of help or just a bit of motivation.So if a few motivational quotes help you feel stronger and better able to face new challenges or cope with those already extant in your life, by all means read and re-read them each and every day. Motivation is, after all, not a one-time thing: it’s not a shove that starts us rolling, but a steady push that keeps us going. The more we can learn to stay motivated, the more confident we’ll feel. And if you think all confident people – or, more to the point, those who seem confident – were simply born that way, then think again. For most people, confidence is learned, honed, and developed. It is achieved, you might say, rather than innate. Reading some confidence quotes written or spoken by those to whom you look up can help you build up your own self-confidence, often because you will see just how much these seemingly towering figures are just like you.Once you have learned how to get and stay motivated and you are confident enough in your abilities and inherent self-worth, guess what? That’s right: that’s strength already. Believing in yourself and being ready to charge ahead toward your goals means you have the emotional fortitude needed to manifest those things in life that will make your life satisfying and meaningful. Famous and affirming quotes about strength that will help you see how strong you really areGo ahead and draw some personal power from these 35 quotes about strength spoken or written so well."Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm." – Abraham Lincoln(Getty)“"With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts."– Eleanor Roosevelt"A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles." – Christopher Reeve(Getty)“Do not judge me by my success, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.” — Nelson Mandela. “If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” — Martin Luther King, Jr.(Getty)“We need women who are so strong they can be gentle, so educated they can be humble, so fierce they can be compassionate, so passionate they can be rational, and so disciplined they can be free.” — Kavita Ramdas"For what it’s worth: It’s never too late to be whoever you want to be. I hope you live a life you’re proud of, and if you find you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start over again." – F. Scott Fitzgerald(Bettmann / Contributor / Getty)“We will either find a way, or make one.” — Hannibal BarcaA brave man acknowledges the strength of others.” — Veronica Roth(Axelle/Bauer-Griffin / Contributor / Getty)"One has to understand that braveness is not the absence of fear but rather the strength to keep on going forward despite the fear.” – Paulo Coelho"You never know how strong you are, until being strong is your only choice." Bob Marley(Evening Standard / Stringer / Getty)"What makes you different or weird, that's your strength." Meryl Streep"Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently." Maya Angelou(Getty)“The human capacity for burden is like bamboo — far more flexible than you’d ever believe at first glance.” Jodi Picoult “The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.” Mahatma Gandhi(Dinodia Photos / Contributor / Getty)“When we long for life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure.” Peter Marshall"The undertaking of a new action brings new strength." Richard Evans“Mastering others is strength, mastering yourself is true power.” Lao Tzu(Getty)“It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.” Edmund Hillary“Shallow men believe in luck. Strong men believe in cause and effect.”Ralph Waldo Emerson(Otto Herschan Collection / Stringer / Getty)“There is a stubbornness about me that never can bear to be frightened at the will of others. My courage always rises at every attempt to intimidate me.” Jane Austen(Getty)“When you have exhausted all possibilities, remember this: you haven’t.” Thomas A. Edison“We do not have to become heroes overnight. Just a step at a time, meeting each thing that comes up, seeing it is not as dreadful as it appeared, discovering we have the strength to stare it down.” Eleanor Roosevelt(Getty)“You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” Marcus Aurelius(Hulton Archive / Stringer / Getty)“We don’t even know how strong we are until we are forced to bring that hidden strength forward.” Isabel Allende“It is good to love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is well done.”Vincent Van Gogh(Getty)“I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles.” Audrey Hepburn(Getty)“The harder you fall, the heavier your heart; the heavier your heart, the stronger you climb; the stronger you climb, the higher your pedestal.”Criss Jami“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.” Hellen Keller(Getty)“Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.”Arnold Schwarzenegger“The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places.” Ernest Hemingway(Lloyd Arnold / Contributor / Getty)“It’s your reaction to adversity, not adversity itself that determines how your life’s story will develop.” Dieter F. Uchtdorf(George Frey / Stringer / Getty)“This is no time for ease and comfort. It is time to dare and endure.” Winston Churchill(Getty)“It is really wonderful how much resilience there is in human nature. Let any obstructing cause, no matter what, be removed in any way, even by death, and we fly back to first principles of hope and enjoyment.” Bram Stoker(Bettmann / Contributor / Getty)“Rock bottom became the solid foundation in which I rebuilt my life.” J.K. Rowling(Gareth Davies / Contributor / Getty)"When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid." Audre LordeWhat many strength quotes have in commonDid you notice a common thread running through easily half of these compelling quotes about strength? It is indeed that so many of those quoted spoke about characteristics you may at first associate with the opposite of strength.Note all the attention paid to fear, failure, and weakness – true strength comes when we achieve in spite of such faults. Note how often adversity and challenges are mentioned instead of each and success – no one respects anyone who has faced no challenges in life, even if they are but challenges created for one’s own self, also known as goals and achievements.From famed writers and artists to politicians of ancient times and modern to great religious and spiritual leaders and beyond, the same themes emerge when people speak about strength, and most of them revolve around the idea that true strength looks nothing like perfection or repeated success, but rather it looks like persistence that leads to achievement after repeated failure.Take to heart one more quote. It is often misattributed to one of the most famous philosophers of all time, Aristotle, whereas in fact the actual quote comes from Will Durant, who was at least writing about philosophy in his aptly named 1920s book The Story of Philosophy, via Medium. The quote is: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”And taken on its own, it’s a great quote – it’s an admirable and, better yet, an actionable affirmation we can use to motivate ourselves each and every day. But the quote is also a fine one because of the long-term perspective it can help us gain in our lives. Thinking about a quality as a habit makes it seem more attainable and more maintainable as well. In other words, you may not feel strong today or tomorrow, but you might next week or next month and maybe you will feel that way all of next year and the year after that.And just maybe, looking back over the years, you will feel you were strong more often than not, and that should make you feel rather excellent.