Words by Wise People

I love quotes. I adore them. I received a quote book as a gift when I graduated from high school and I still read through it. I think most writers are obsessed with words and quotes by people we admire. I may be wrong, but every writer I know can't get enough of the beautiful ways other people express themselves.

Here are some of my favorites:

"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again because there is no effort without error and shortcomings; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at best knows in the end, the triumph of high achievement; and who at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly; so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat." - Teddy Roosevelt (of course! I named my blog after this one!)

"Make it work." - Tim Gunn (this is my life's motto)

“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” - Ernest Hemingway (I love him)

“Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut.” - Ernest Hemingway (have I mentioned that I love him?)

“Courage is grace under pressure.”  - Ernest Hemingway (because I really do)

“Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.” - Dr. Seuss

“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” - Oscar Wilde

“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: "What! You too? I thought I was the only one.” - C.S. Lewis

“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” - Maya Angelou

“Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” - Apple

“The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference.” - Elie Wiesel (EVERYONE should have to read Night. It should be a prerequisite to life.)

"I am careful not to confuse excellence with perfection. Excellence, I can reach for; perfection is God's business." - Michael J. Fox (I KNEW Marty McFly was a smart guy!)

"A great man is one sentence." Clare Boothe Luce to JFK when his approval rating dropped 20 points. Lesson: You can't be everything to everyone, but you can be known for doing one thing spectacularly well.

"All great things are simple, and many can be expressed in single words: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope." - Winston Churchill (He's totally one of those people I wish I could meet and have a cup of coffee ((or tea!)) with.)

"If I said half as many nasty things as I thought, I would be friendless, penniless, and emotionally satisfied." - Me