1. "Don't say you don't have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Louis Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson and Albert Einstein." ~H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
2. "You have brains in your head and feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
You're on your own and you know what you know.
And you are the one who'll decide where to go." ~Dr. Seuss
3. "Dedicate your life to a cause greater than yourself, and your life will become a glorious romance and adventure." ~Mack Douglas
4. "The future is sending back good wishes and waiting arms." ~Kobi Yamada
5. "If you aim at nothing, you'll hit it every time." ~B.J. Marshall
6. "So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon seem inevitable." ~Christopher Reeve
7. "One of my best moves is to surround myself with friends who, instead of asking, "Why?" are quick to say, "Why not?" That attitude is contagious." ~Oprah Winfrey
8. "Because of our routines we forget that life is an ongoing adventure." ~Maya Angelou
9. "It's easy to come up with big ideas. Just think of something that everyone agrees would be "wonderful" if it were only "possible"… and then set out to make it possible."
~Armand Hammer
10. "Thousands of perceptions, hunches, ideas and intuitions race through our brains every day. Some are pure genius. Give them the red light for at least long enough to write them down." ~Ralph Ford
11. "Your resources are always far greater than you imagine them to be. Never ask, "Can I do this?" Ask instead, "How can I do this?" ~Dan Zadra
14. "I would rather be ashes than dust; I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dry-rot; I would rather be in a superb meteor, every atom of me in a magnificent glow than in a sleepy and permanent planet; the proper function of man is to live, not to exist; I should not waste my days in trying to prolong them; I shall USE my time." ~Jack London
15. "Never retire! Do what you do and keep doing it. But don't do it on Friday. Take Friday off. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, go fishing…Then Monday to Thursday, do what you've been doing all your life. My point is: Live full and don't retreat."
~Mel Brooks
16. "We are here on earth to good for others. What the others are here for I do not know." ~W. H. Auden
17. "To the world you may be just one person, but to one person you may be the world." ~Josephine Billings
18. "I get up every morning determined both to change the world and to have on hell of a good time. Sometimes this make planning the day difficult." ~E.B. White
19. "If every American donated five hours a week, it would equal the labor of twenty million full-time volunteers."
~Whoopi Goldberg
20. "If success is not not on your terms–if it looks good to the world but doesn't not feel good in your own heart–it is no success at all." ~Anna Quindlen
21. "I don't want to get to the end of my life and find that I lived just the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well." ~Diane Ackerman
22. "Remember that life is short and death is long."
~Fritz Shoulder
23. "The best thing about the future is that is comes only one day at a time." ~Abraham Lincoln
24. "Once social change begins, It cannot be reversed. You cannot uneducate the person who has learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore. We have seen the future, and the future is ours." ~Cesar Chavez
25. "There are fish in the sea better than any that have ever been caught." ~Irish Saying
26. "Whatever your past has been, you have a spotless future." ~Author Unknown
27. "The greatest pain comes from not believing there is a future, not being able to dream about something better." ~Author Unknown.
28. "Get excited and enthusiastic about your own dream. This excitement is like a forest fire…you can smell it, taste it, and see it from a mile away." ~Denis Waitley
29. "Dreams pass into the reality of action. From the actions stems the dream again; and this interdependence produces the highest form of living. ~Anais Nin
30. "The only place where your dream becomes impossible is in your own thinking." ~Robert H. Schuller
31. "The inability to open to hope is what blocks trust, and blocked trust is the reason for blighted dreams."
~Elizabeth Gilbert
32. "People are never more insecure than when they become obsessed with their fears at the expense of their dreams."
~Norman Cousins
33. "No person has the right to rain on your dreams."
~Marian Wright Edelman
34. "Imagine all the people living life in peace. You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us, and the world will live as one." ~John Lennon
35. "The dream was always running ahead of me. To catch up, to live for a moment in unison with it, that was the miracle." ~Anais Nin
36. "Dreams come in a size too big so we can grow into them." ~Josie Bisset
37. "A dream is your creative vision for your life in the future. You must break out of your current comfort zone and become comfortable with the unfamiliar and the unknown."
~Denis Waitley
38. "Always remember that the future comes one day at a time." ~Dean Acheson
39. "One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon – instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today.” ~Dale Carnegie
40. "The secret of making dreams come true can be summarized in four C's. They are Curiosity, Confidence, Courage, and Constancy; and the greatest of these is Confidence." ~Walt Disney
41. "Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly." ~Robert F. Kennedy
42. "Just remember…when you think all is lost, the future remains." ~Bob Goddard
43. "Being fully present is the best guarantee for a bright future." ~Guy Finley
44. "If you believe you can, you probably can. If you believe you won't, you most assuredly won't. Belief is the ignition switch that gets you off the launching pad." ~Denis Waitley
45. "The future depends on what we do in the present." ~Mahatma Gandhi
46. "To the youngsters of today, I say "Believe in the future, the world is getting better; there still is plenty of opportunity." Why, would you believe it, when I was a kid I thought it was already too late for me to make good at anything."
~Walt Disney
47. "Love is the time and space where "I" give myself the right to be extraordinary." ~Julia Kristev
48. "We don't have an eternity to realize our dreams – only the time we are here." ~Susan L. Taylor
49. "You have to have confidence in your ability, and then be tough enough to follow through." ~Rosalynn Carter 50. How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." ~Anne Frank
50. "Action is the antidote to despair." ~Joan Baez
Do you have a favorite quote that inspires you? Please share!
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{ 54 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Tess,
I’m a dreamer! These are perfect for me. I love quotes. Thank you so much. Funny thing is that I’m totally in love with the very first one ~ “Don’t say you don’t have enough time.” I often feel like there’s not enough time. My aim is to undo that belief so this quote is especially perfect for me. Wishing you a lovely new year. Like the new tag line too.
.-= Sandra Lee´s last post…Free Yourself with Free Writing =-.
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Sandra,
I love that one as well. I think for me it means cut the excuses. Happy New Year to you as well. It’s going to be great!
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Thank you Tess for sharing! Wonderful post! Keep up the Victorious Mindset my amazing friend! God Bless!
.-= Chip Esajian´s last post…Does the News Suck the Life Out of You =-.
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Wow, Tess! Quote heaven. I especially like the one from E. B. White. Not only can I relate, but he’s a favorite of mine. I have this old black and white image of him writing at a table, taken in his very sparse and tiny seaside home. Very minimalist. I love the feeling I get each time I look at it. One of my favorite quotes that I think could fit in with your dreamer’s theme is an oldie but goodie from Gandhi: “Live as if you were to die tomorrow; learn as if you were to live forever.” Wishing you a very happy (and dream-filled) new year!
.-= Patty – Why Not Start Now?´s last post…One Word Madness & One New Group =-.
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Patti,
Yes that’s a good one and I love the way you describe your photograph. Thank you!
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It’s not who you are that holds you back, it’s who you think you’re not. — Anonymous
Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goals. — Henry Ford
Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep. — Scott Adams
Grace isn’t a little prayer you chant before receiving a meal. It’s a way to live. — Frank A. Clark
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I love the one on Grace. I’m looking for a new prayer of grace. Thanks for sharing these quotes!
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Tess,
You’ve created a list of awesome quotes here. I especially liked these two:
10. “Thousands of perceptions, hunches, ideas and intuitions race through our brains every day. Some are pure genius. Give them the red light for at least long enough to write them down.” ~Ralph Ford
43. “Being fully present is the best guarantee for a bright future.” ~Guy Finley
I never tire of being inspired by a great quote. Thank you!
.-= Angela Artemis´s last post…How a Psychic Detective “Sees Without Seeing” =-.
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Yes Angela no. 10 is so you! And Guy Finley…I can’t say enough about him.
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Tess,
Thank you for sharing. I enjoyed them all and have put a link in my latest post back to your site. Here is one of my favorites to add.
Experience is not what happens to a man; it is what a man does with what happens to him – Aldous Huxley
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Chris,
Your welcome and thank you for the link love and quote as well. You made my day.
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Tess,
These quotes are wonderful! As you may know, I absolutely love quotes. That’s why I put together the Zen Mama’s Book of quotes. They’re so much more than just a sentence. Quotes are like poetry to me! Here are three favorites:
Happiness is like a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.
~Nathaniel Hawthorne
Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.
~Thich Nhat Hanh
If we all did the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves. ~Thomas A. Edison
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Betsy,
Love ‘em all, very powerful, especially Edison’s. Thanks.
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Hello Tess,
This is definitely a list to bookmark and refer to again and again – I love quotes!
35 really made me smile, I had never heard it before, and number 50 is excellent, thank-you!
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Yes Kate, both were new to me as well. Great, new and powerful for the new year.
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What a fantastic round-up! I also love this one:
“Where your pleasure is, there is your treasure; where your treasure, there is your heart; where your heart, there is your happiness.” – Saint Augustine
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Thank you for sharing the beautiful quote.
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Thank you for a FABULOUS collection of quotes, Tess. LOVE it!
I especially adore #3, following which I had a huge LOL at #16. Oh, and #35 is just beautiful. Actually, I could go on and on
.-= Naomi Estment´s last post…Search the Sun =-.
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35 is resonating with everyone. C. Reeve is my hero! Loved him.
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What a wonderful list, love 1 and 2 , 45 jumped out as did and 47- a new one for me, thanks for the intro to ~Julia Kristev
Two of my faves:
“Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.
Eleanor Roosevelt
.-= Suzie Cheel´s last post…Abundance Books- The Architecture of Abundance =-.
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Suzie,
Yes my favs are 1 and 2. It’s why I put them first. Thanks for your support as always.
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Tess – dear dear Tess!
Where do I start? Let me just print this list out and keep it with me =)
I love #1 because my favorite thing to tell people when they say, “I don’t have time…” is to reply, “we make time for what we value…” At least that gets them thinking…I know it got me thinking when I first heard it over a decade ago!
I also love #11: Ask “How Can I do this” – when I’m not exactly sure how I can do something, I ask and release. Amazing what a good night sleep will do – especially if my subconscious is conspiring with the Universe to figure out the HOW
#45 is simply brilliant…but then Ghandi was a modern shinning beacon of hope, light, and love. The best way to predict the future is to create it
Off to print the list!!
Thanks Tess!!
xxoo
.-= Peggy´s last post…Smiles =-.
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PS: My favorite quote is “If you are unwilling to impose your own terms upon life, then you must be willing to accept what life offers you.” ~ TS Elliot
.-= Peggy´s last post…Smiles =-.
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Hi Peggy,
I hope you’re having a happy day. Thanks for sharing the quote.
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Thanks Peggy, I love that you’re printing it…me too! LOL
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Wonderful collection, Tess. Having faith in the truth behind any great quote, has us realize it as great action in our lives.
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Hi Rob,
Yes I agree and Happy New Year!
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What a wonderful list.
My favourite one is: “Whatever your past has been, you have a spotless future.”
My alltime favourite inspirational quote, the one I repeat to myself when the efforts I am making toward my “big goal” seem infinitesimal and insignificant is this:
“[S]he who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.” ~Confucius
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Never heard it before. Love it! I’m collecting enough from the readers to create another list!
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There are some real gems here, Tess — a bookmark-worthy post, to be certain! Thanks for taking time to compile them all.
I love the Oprah Winfrey one; I’ve structured my recent life around that notion, and she’s right, the attitude of “why not?!” IS contagious.
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Megan,
Yes, yes yes go Oprah what a difference she’s made in my life.
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I love the 18th quote you used. Waking up each day determined, is such a great way to start everyday. I noticed a huge difference when I started doing that.
Thanks for taking the time to find these and share them with us.
.-= Bryce Christiansen´s last post…The Best of Balanced WorkLife Blog 2010 =-.
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Yes Bryce, so much wisdom in so few words!
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What a great list of quotes, Tess. I couldn’t even manage to pick a favorite. Awesome!
.-= Nea | Self Improvement Saga´s last post…My Not-So-Religious Approach to Appreciating the World’s Religions =-.
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Hi Nea,
Thank you as well. Happy New Year.
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18 is one of my favorites – to have a blast making a difference!
Another favorite is from The Shack: “Don’t forget that in the midst of all your pain and heartache, you are surrounded by beauty, the wonder of creation, art, your music and culture, the sounds of laughter and love, of whispered hopes and celebrations, of new life and transformation, of reconciliation and forgiveness”
— William Paul Young
I’ve started keeping my quotes on Quotables – a site to share/save quotes.
.-= Marci´s last post…7 Guilt-free Ways to Create Energizing Goals =-.
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Marci,
I haven’t read that book and have been told too. I’m going to get it from the library tomorrow. Love what you shared.
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Tess today I was just thinking to myself how I would love to be a ’spot opt’ for Joan Baez, and here’s her quote at #50. I have been follow spot for many famous singers, but her and Dillon…that would be a “dream” for me!
Speaking of the 60’s I have carried this quote with me for a long time now:
“In such ugly times, the only true protest is beauty.”___Phil Ochs
Out of your selection #24 has been relevant for me lately and #46 is so relevant for my daughters and the rest of the youth of this world…god willing they will embrace a “magical wonderland”.
Thanks!
Rand
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Must of been having a flashback…meant Dylan.
Peace!…uh be with you.
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Thanks for stopping by and I like the quote you shared!
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Printed this off to put at the breakfast table….great post Thank you
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Thanks Patricia. I love to print my favorite blog posts out as well. It’s great for further reflection and journal writing.
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Hi Tess,
These are all so wonderful. Thanks for putting this together for all of us. I’m so grateful for this amazing blog! Bless you Tess!
.-= Dandy´s last post…Live out of your imagination- not your history! =-.
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Dandy,
I sooo appreciate you and your compliment. xo
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selfimpovement is not only way to satisfaction but actual quest for personal freedom.
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Hey Tess, what a fantastic collection of quotes you have put together. There are so many good ones there I wouldn’t be able to pick a favourite, I loved this one “Dreams pass into the reality of action. From the actions stems the dream again; and this interdependence produces the highest form of living. ~Anais Nin
Thanks Tess.
.-= Steven Aitchison´s last post…Coldness is a State of Mind =-.
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Tess, I loved reading these. Pure inspiration. I feel like I have wings right now.
Such a lovely and powerful collection of inspiring quotes.
One of my favorites is:
“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” – Anais Nin
It reminds me that everyone can blossom no matter how long they may stay in their bud,
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Hi Tess, great quotes. Number 39 is often so true, but I see flowers everywhere! I also like my own personal favourite: Risk! Risk anything! Care no more for the opinions of others, for those voices. Do the hardest thing on earth for you. Act for yourself. Face the truth.
Katherine Mansfield
Happy New Year to you.
Enjoy the journey.
Mandy
.-= Mandy Allen´s last post…A New Year Begins =-.
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Tess,
This is an impressive list! I am definitely a dreamer and the first two quotes more or less sum up my philosophy!!
Tess, thank you for working so hard and creating such meaningful, and useful, material. I am grateful.
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Tess,
These are wonderful and will be referred to again and again!
I am a huge fan of quotes, myself.
Love number 11, but can’t really pick a favorite! There is a quote that would fit every mood, isn’t there?
Thanks!!!
Jen
.-= Little Lessons Under the Big Sky´s last post…The Color of My Den =-.
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Rock on, mom! I love number 14. So hard to pick just one. The essence of them all us to live FULLY and Blaze on! Kristy
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“In the book of life, the answers aren’t in the back.” Charlie Brown
.-= Holly´s last post…Exercise Your Way Through Menopause =-.
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Dearest Tess, consider me highly and completely inspired by so many of these.
I like the Oprah one about asking why NOT?? Why not indeed!
What wonderful reminders that dreams happen through action and attitude.
Wonderful post! Thanks so much.
xxoo
.-= Jannie Funster´s last post…Laguna Gloria- Austin Texas =-.
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This is the sexist dream list i have seen in a while..Nice job.
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