290/365 - Too precious (Laurell K. Hamilton)

“Love is too precious to be ashamed of.”

  - Laurell K. Hamilton

A Stroke of Midnight

289/365 - Quality of thought (Daphne du Maurier)

“Happiness is not a possession

 to be prized, 

it is a quality of thought, 

a state of mind.”

  - Daphne du Maurier

288/365 - Happiness Blinds (Alexandre Dumas)

“I am not proud, 

but I am happy; 

and happiness blinds,

 I think, more than pride.”

- Alexandre Dumas

The Count of Monte Cristo

287/365 - Doing something right (Henry David Thoreau)

“I am a happy camper

 so I guess I’m doing something right. 

Happiness is like a butterfly; 

the more you chase it,

 the more it will elude you, 

but if you turn your attention 

to other things, 

it will come and sit softly 

on your shoulder.”

  - Henry David Thoreau

286/365 - What makes you pretty (Drew Barrymore)

“I think happiness

 is what makes you pretty. 

 Period. 

Happy people are beautiful. 

They become like a mirror 

and they reflect that happiness.”

  - Drew Barrymore

285/365 - Up in Height (Robert Frost)

“Happiness makes up in height
 for what it lacks in length.”

  - Robert Frost

284/365 - Grow as a lotus (Goldie Hawn)

“The lotus is the most beautiful flower, 

whose petals open one by one.

 

 But it will only grow in the mud.

 In order to grow and gain wisdom,

 first you must have the mud ---

 the obstacles of life 

and its suffering. ... 

The mud speaks of the common ground

 that humans share,

 no matter what our stations in life. ...

 Whether we have it all 

or we have nothing, 

we are all faced with the same obstacles:

 sadness, loss,

 illness, dying and death. 

If we are to strive

 as human beings

 to gain more wisdom,

 more kindness 

and more compassion,

 we must have the intention

 to grow as a lotus

 and open each petal

 one by one. ”

- Goldie Hawn

283/365 - Expectations make people miserable (Simone Elkeles)

“Expectations make people miserable, 

so whatever yours are, 

lower them. 

You'll definitely be happier.”

  - Simone Elkeles

How to Ruin Your Boyfriend's Reputation

282/365 - We all pretend it does (Eric Idle)

“Life doesn't make any sense, 

and we all pretend it does. 

Comedy's job

 is to point out

 that it doesn't make sense, 

and that it doesn't make much difference anyway.”
 

- Eric Idle

281/365 - There is a wisdom (Charles Dickens)

“There is a wisdom 

of the head,

 and there is a wisdom

 of the heart.”

  - Charles Dickens

Hard Times

280/365 - What build a marriage (Madeleine l'Engle)

“Love of music, 

of sunsets and sea; 

a liking for the same kind of people; 

political opinions 

that are not radically divergent;

 a similar stance 

as we look at the stars 

and think of the marvelous 

strangeness of the universe - 

these are what build a marriage. 

And it is never

 to be taken for granted.”

  - Madeleine L'Engle

Two-Part Invention: 

The Story of a Marriage

279/365 - As if you could kill time (Henry David Thoreau)

“As if you could kill time 

without injuring eternity.”

- Henry David Thoreau

278/365 - An attitude of gratitude (Brian Tracy)

“Develop an attitude of gratitude, 

and give thanks for everything 

that happens to you,

 knowing that every step forward

 is a step toward achieving something
bigger and better 

than your current situation.”
 

- Brian Tracy

277/365 - First shed our tears (Libba Bray)

“There is an ancient tribal proverb 

I once heard in India. 

It says that before we can see properly

 we must first shed our tears

 to clear the way.”

  - Libba Bray

276/365 - If continued far enough (Ernest Hemingway)

“Madame,

 all stories, 

if continued far enough, 

end in death, 

and he is no true-story teller

 who would keep that from you.”

  - Ernest Hemingway

275/365 - Forgive, Forget (Thomas Stephen Szasz)

“The stupid

 neither forgive nor forget; 

the naive 

forgive and forget; 

the wise

 forgive but do not forget.”

- Thomas Stephen Szasz

274/365 - Usually great talkers (Jean-Jacques Rousseau)

“People who know little

 are usually great talkers, 

while men who know much 

say little.”

- Jean-Jacques Rousseau

273/365 - When a Child asks you something (Harper Lee)

“When a child asks you something, 

answer him,

 for goodness sake. 

But don't make a production of it. 

Children are children, 

but they can spot an evasion

 faster than adults, 

and evasion simply muddles 'em.”

- Harper Lee

To Kill a Mockingbird

272/365 - Throw some things back (Maya Angelou)

“I've learned that you shouldn't go through life

 with a catcher's mitt on both hands;

 you need to be able to throw some things back.”

  - Maya Angelou

271/365 - Do them with enthusiasm (Colette)

“You will do foolish things,

 but do them with enthusiasm.”

- Colette

270/365 - The man of courage (Confucius)

“The man of wisdom 

is never of two minds;
the man of benevolence 

never worries;
the man of courage

 is never afraid.”

  - Confucius

269/365 - Nothing is by chance (Arthur J. Russell)

“All sacrifice and suffering

 is redemptive. 

It is used to either teach the individual 

or to help others. 

Nothing is by chance.”

  - Arthur J. Russell

268/365 - Listen to it carefully (Richard Bach)

“Your conscience

is the measure of the honesty 

of your selfishness.

Listen to it carefully.”

  - Richard Bach

Illusions: 

The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah

267/365 - Everyone looking the same (Scott Westerfeld)

“Perhaps the logical conclusion 

of everyone looking the same

 is everyone thinking the same.”

  - Scott Westerfeld

Uglies

266/365 - Say yes (Stephen Colbert)

“Remember, 

you cannot be both 

young and wise. 

Young people

who pretend to be wise 

to the ways of the world

 are mostly just cynics. 

Cynicism 

 masquerades as wisdom, 

but it is the farthest thing

 from it. 

Because cynics 

don’t learn anything. 

Because cynicism

 is a self-imposed blindness,

a rejection of the world 

because we are afraid

 it will hurt us 

or disappoint us. 

Cynics always say no. 

But saying “yes” 

begins things. 

Saying “yes” 

is how things grow. 

Saying “yes” 

leads to knowledge.

 “Yes”

 is for young people. 

So for as long

 as you have the strength to,

say “yes'.”

  - Stephen Colbert

265/365 - What brings us happiness (Dan Millman)

“The journey 

is what brings us happiness

 not the destination.”

  - Dan Millman

Way of the Peaceful Warrior:

 A Book That Changes Lives

264/365 - What we become (Umberto Eco)

“I believe that what we become

 depends on what our fathers teach us 

at odd moments, 

when they aren't trying to teach us.

 We are formed

 by little scraps of wisdom.”

- Umberto Eco

Foucault's Pendulum

263/365 - Knowing what to overlook (William James)

“The art of being wise 

is knowing what to overlook.”

- William James

262/365 - To focus your energies (William Arthur Ward)

“It is wise to direct your anger

 towards problems --

 not people; 

to focus your energies 

on answers --

 not excuses.”

- William Arthur Ward

261/365 - Together as brothers (Martin Luther King Jr.)

“We must live together

 as brothers 

or perish together 

as fools.”

  - Martin Luther King Jr.