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We're each of us alone, to be sure. What can you do but hold your hand out in the dark?

Ursula K. Le Guin

As one of the greatest science fiction and fantasy authors of all time, Ursula K. Le Guin certainly held a hand out in the dark. Her work, which includes more than 20 novels and over 100 short stories, pushed the boundaries of gender, sexuality, and race in speculative fiction. She also explored alternative social and political systems, whether in far-future space colonies or the fantastical world of “Earthsea.” In a writing career that spanned almost 60 years and numerous awards, Le Guin touched upon everything from feminism to anthropology to moral development. And no matter how complex the themes, there was always a celebration of life in her work. As she once said, “We don’t live in order to die, we live in order to live.”

Each man's memory is his private literature, and every recollection affects us with something of the penetrative force that belongs to the work of art.
~Aldous Huxley

Success is a collection of problems solved.

I. M. Pei

As an internationally renowned architect, I.M. Pei was well-versed in the power of problem-solving. Two of his most famous building designs, the John F. Kennedy Library and the Hancock Tower in Boston, faced numerous issues along the way, but Pei felt that such challenging projects helped toughen him as an architect, and would stand the test of time. Pei’s words serve as a beacon to us in moments of doubt and difficulty. They remind us that our satisfaction at the finish line actually springs from the hardships we overcame along the way.

The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change.

Carl Rogers

American psychologist Carl Rogers, one of the founding fathers of psychotherapy research, presents this “curious paradox” in his 1961 book “On Becoming a Person: A Therapist’s View of Psychotherapy.” Rogers encourages us to stop focusing our energy on trying to improve ourselves and simply learn to accept who we are, flaws and all. Ironically, it’s often that very acceptance that creates space for personal growth and change.

You never know what worse luck your bad luck has saved you from.

Cormac McCarthy

Cormac McCarthy is widely regarded as one of the greatest living American writers. His 12 novels — many of which have been made into movies — include “All the Pretty Horses,” “The Crossing,” his magnum opus “Blood Meridian,” and “The Road,” which won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. The author is known for his sparse style and what he calls “simple declarative sentences.” Thematically, his work is highly complex, ranging from borderline nihilism to deep examinations of human morals. In his novel “No Country for Old Men,” in which this quote appears, McCarthy tackles the conflicting ideas of fate, luck, and choice.

Happiness is not made by what we own. It is what we share.

Jonathan Sacks

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks was a prominent Jewish leader in Britain for more than 20 years. He was also well known for his public speaking, in which he often emphasized the values of community and compassion, such as in his popular 2017 TED Talk, “How we can face the future without fear, together.” Sacks’ focus on bringing people together and guiding spirituality into the modern era netted him the admiration of Queen Elizabeth II, who knighted him in 2005. Here, he reminds us that true fulfillment isn’t material — it’s based on our connections with the people around us.

Only the truth of who you are, if realized, will set you free.

Eckhart Tolle

Spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle has had a profound impact on the lives of millions of people around the world. His bestselling books “The Power of Now” and “A New Earth” have sold millions of copies and been translated into dozens of languages. Tolle's work focuses on mindfulness, kindness, and living in the present moment. His teachings have inspired countless people to consider their truth and find peace within themselves.

good advice for me.

Do you want to do this thing? Sit down and do it.

Ann Patchett

Ann Patchett is a Pulitzer Prize finalist, a PEN/Faulkner Award winner, and a bookstore owner, and was named one of the world’s most influential people by “TIME” magazine in 2012. It’s no wonder that the author of such complex and luminous novels as “Bel Canto,” “State of Wonder,” “Commonwealth,” and “The Dutch House” claims in her memoir “The Getaway Car” that, “as far as I’m concerned, writer’s block is a myth.” The bestselling author describes the hard work of writing a novel as “like channel swimming: a slow and steady stroke over a long distance in a cold, dark sea.” Patchett pulls no punches in her no-nonsense advice here to aspiring writers — “sit down and do it” — reminding us that the difference between a dream and an accomplishment is the work we bring to it.

We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.
~Franklin Delano Roosevelt

One sees great things from the valley; only small things from the peak.

G.K. Chesterton

The starring character of English writer and philosopher G.K. Chesterton’s first book of short stories, 1911's “The Innocence of Father Brown,” is a priest-turned-detective who combines scientific observation with spirituality. At this moment, Father Brown is explaining to another priest how things can change based on perspective. This quote speaks to the value of humility: Looking down on the world from a lofty height makes things appear small, but when we are down in the valley looking up, we have a much better grasp of what we’re seeing.