seek first to understand, then to be understood. - stephen covey | "hope" is the thing with feathers / that perches in the soul / and sings the tune without the words / and never stops at all - emily dickinson | the ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convienience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. - martin luther king, jr. | nothing is as real as a dream. the world can change around you, but your dream will not.  responsibilities need not erase it. duties need not obscure it. because the dream is within you, no one can take it away. - tom clancy | if you want to achieve excellence, you can get there today. as of this second, quit doing less-than-excellent work. - thomas watson | there is no failure except in no longer trying. there is no defeat except from within, no really insurmountable barrier save our own inherent weakness of purpose. - kin hubbard | always retain your values, principles, and beliefs. they will guide your actions with more surety than whim, emotion, or desire. - wess roberts | do not look where you fell, but where you slipped. - african proverb | have no fear of perfection - you'll never reach it. - salvador dali | never, never, never, never give up. - winston churchill | nothing splendid was ever created in cold blood. heat is required to forge anything. every great accomplishment is the story of a flaming heart. - arnold h. glasgow | the creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn. - ralph waldo emerson | men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing happened. - winston churchill | there are many kinds of smiles, each having a distinct character. some announce goodness and sweetness, others betray sarcasm, bitterness, and pride; some soften the countenance by their languishing tenderness, others brighten by their spiritual vivacity. - johann kaspar lavater | nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.  education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.   persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. the slogan 'press on' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race. - calvin coolidge | time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity. - henry van dyke | if lovers are dreamers, then i've been walking in my sleep. - unknown | people are like stained-glass windows. they sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light within. - elizabeth kubler-ross | there’s no thrill in easy sailing / when the sky is clear and blue / there’s no joy in merely doing / things which anyone can do / but there is some fulfillment / that is mighty sweet to take / when you reach a destination / you thought you couldn’t make. - unknown | don't walk in front of me, i may not follow; don't walk behind me, i may not lead; walk beside me and be my friend. - unknown | when you get into a tight place and everything goes against you till it seems as though you could not hold on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn. - harriet beecher stowe | the poorest man is not without a cent, but without a dream. - unknown | remember your yesterdays, dream your tomorrows, live your todays. - anonymous | to mean something to somebody is one of the greatest satisfactions in life. - validivar | a friend is a person who knows all about you and still loves you just the same. - unknown | the best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen, nor touched...but are felt in the heart. - helen keller | once upon a time / i dreamt i was a butterfly / suddenly, i awoke / now, i do not know whether i was then a man dreaming i was a butterfly / or whether i am now a butterfly dreaming that i am a man. - chuang-tzu | i expect to pass through this life but once. therefore, if there be any kindness i can show, or any good thing i can do for another human being, let me do it now, for i shall not pass this way again. - william penncome | i am only one / but still i am one / i cannot do everything / but still i can do something / and because i cannot do everything / i will not refuse to do the something that i can do. - edward everett hall | learn to see, hear, and think for yourself. - malcolm x | speak when you are angry, and you will make the best speech you will ever regret. - ambrose bierce | animals are such agreeable friends -- they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms. - george eliot | come to the edge / we can't, we are afraid / come to the edge / we can't, we will fall / and they came to the edge / and he pushed them / and they flew. - appolinaire |