Here’s a list of helpful quotes that I’ve referred to during my life during times of uncertainty, and I’ve had plenty. I’ll add to these as I find more that mean something to me, and maybe to you as well.
“If you want friends, be friendly.” Peace Pilgrim
“If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” My mom used to say this to me, for good reason. I’m still not good at it. It’s from the 1942 Disney film, Bambi. Thumper says, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nothing at all.”
“Don’t do anything you wouldn’t want to read about on the front page of the New York Times.” Also known as the New York Times Rule.
“A ship in a harbor is safe, but that’s not what ships are built for.” John A. Shedd, American author and professor.
“Though nothing can bring back the hour of splendor in the grass, glory in the flower, we will grieve not; rather find strength in what remains behind.” William Wordsworth (Also from one of my favorite movies starring Natalie Wood and Warren Beatty.)
“Remember to play after every storm.” Mattie J.T. Stepanek, motivational speaker who was born with a rare disease and passed at the age of 13 in 2004.
“Believe and act as if it were impossible to fail.” Charles F. Kettering, American inventor, engineer, and businessman.
“Yesterday is but a dream, tomorrow but a vision. But today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness, and every tomorrow a vision of hope. Look well, therefore, to this day. Such is the salutation to the dawn.” A Sanskrit Proverb.
“The night before by the door.” (Gather everything you want to make sure you don’t forget and place it by the door. I don’t know where I heard this, but I used it on my kids during their school years.)
“Life’s too short to worry about dying.” A scrub tech.
“Cowards die many times before their deaths, The valiant never taste of death but once.” (Julius Caesar, Shakespeare).
“The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how much we want something.” Randy Pausch, Carnegie Mellon University, 1960-2008.
“Those who dare to fail miserably can achieve greatly.” Robert F. Kennedy.
“Just know that I would die for you.” Belisia Cabro to her daughter in Junot Díaz’ The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao.
“He who gives himself entirely to his fellow-men appears to them useless and selfish; but he who gives himself partially to them is pronounced a benefactor and philanthropist.” Henry David Thoreau, “Civil Disobedience.”
“Sometimes this whole life seems like nothing but a long goodbye.” David Mallet, poet, songwriter, singer, musician from the song, “A Long Goodbye.”
“Will this matter a year from now?” Richard Carlson, author of What about the Small Stuff? and What about the Big Stuff?
“Don’t trouble trouble ’til trouble troubles you.” John Ray’s 1670 A Handbook of Proverbs
For when the One Great Scorer comes
To write against your name,
He marks-not that you won or lost-
But how you played the game.
Grantland Rice, “Alumunus Football,” Only the Brave and Other Poems
