“On every occasion turn to yourself and ask what power you have for making a proper use of it.”
“When you are dazzled by an appearance, guard yourself so you are not carried away by it.”
“Keep death and exile before your eyes every day; by doing so you will never harbor a base thought.”
“If anyone tells you that a certain person speaks ill of you, do not defend yourself, but say: “He was ignorant of my other faults.””
“When someone does you wrong, consider that he acts according to his opinion of what is right.”
“Never say of anything, “I have lost it,” but “I have returned it.””
“If you want to be a writer, write.”
“Remember that you are an actor in a drama of such sort as the author chooses; if short, then a short one; if long, a long one.”
“Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood.”
“Nature and books belong to the eyes that see them.”
“The only gift is a portion of thyself.”
“A friend may well be reckoned the masterpiece of nature.”
“The ancestor of every action is a thought.”
“We aim above the mark to hit the mark.”
“Shallow men believe in luck. Strong men believe in cause and effect.”
“Hitch your wagon to a star.”
“What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.”
“Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”
“We had the experience but missed the meaning.”
“Not the intense moment isolated, with no before and after, but a lifetime burning in every moment.”