Inspirational Quotes

"To endure is greater than to dare; to tire out hostile fortune; to be daunted by no difficulty; to keep heart when all have lost it; to go through intrigue spotless; and to forgo even ambition when the end is gained--who can say this is not greatness." ~ The Virginians by William Makepeace Thackeray His soul was sensitive without being enthusiastic: it was too languid to thrill out of self-consciousness into passionate delight; it went on fluttering in the swampy ground where it was hatched, thinking of its wings and never flying. ~ Middlemarch by George Eliot "Instead of always harping on a man's faults, tell him of his virtues. Try to pull him out of his rut of bad habits. Hold up to him his better self, his REAL self that can dare and do and win out!" ~ Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter "Faith works miracles. At least it allows time for them." ~ The Adventures of Harry Richmond by George Meredith I admire machinery as much is any man, and am as thankful to it as any man can be for what it does for us. But it will never be a substitute for the face of a man, with his soul in it, encouraging another man to be brave and true. ~ Wreck of the Golden Mary by Charles Dickens There are so many of us, and our lots are so different, what wonder that Nature's mood is often in harsh contrast with the great crisis of our lives? We are children of a large family, and must learn, as such children do, not to expect that our hurts will be made much of--to be content with little nurture and caressing, and help each other the more. ~ Adam Bede by George Eliot Friendless I can never be, for all mankind are my kindred, and I am on ill terms with no one member of my great family. ~ Master Humphrey's Clock by Charles Dickens "I have read in your face, as plain as if it was a book, that but for some trouble and sorrow we should never know half the good there is about us." ~ The Haunted Man by Charles Dickens These fellow-mortals, every one, must be accepted as they are: you can neither straighten their noses, nor brighten their wit, nor rectify their dispositions; and it is these people--amongst whom your life is passed--that it is needful you should tolerate, pity, and love: it is these more or less ugly, stupid, inconsistent people whose movements of goodness you should be able to admire--for whom you should cherish all possible hopes, all possible patience. ~ Adam Bede by George Eliot Men who look on nature, and their fellow-men, and cry that all is dark and gloomy, are in the right; but the sombre colours are reflections from their own jaundiced eyes and hearts. The real hues are delicate, and need a clearer vision. ~ Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens