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Stay hungry, stay foolish.

Steve Jobs

Some might look at Steve Jobs’ early career and label him foolish. The future Apple co-founder was known as a school prankster, initially dropping out of college despite obvious intelligence. But his curiosity led him to garage tinkering with computers along with his high school classmate Steve Wozniak, and they founded Apple Computers shortly after. Though Jobs was squeezed out of the company early on, his return in the 1990s — and the innovation that followed — is considered the main driver behind Apple’s current reign over the tech world. Jobs’ path serves as a beacon to those of us whose creativity may not fit the mold. What some consider foolish may actually lead us to our best ideas and richest experiences.

Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy

A lot of good things don't get made because of too much thinking.

Agnes Martin

Artist Agnes Martin is often associated with the minimalism movement, having painted many a sparse landscape inspired by her native Saskatchewan and the New Mexico desert. Her signature work is largely abstract, focused on muted colors and geometric shapes, and reflects her grounded approach to painting, which she has described as “going into a field of vision as you would cross an empty beach to look at the ocean.” With the quote above, Martin urges us to let our ideas drive us forward, and not to let overthinking hold us back.

Patience is also a form of action.

Auguste Rodin

French artist Auguste Rodin understood well the inherent virtue of patience. He is known for his expressive sculptures — most famously “The Thinker,” completed in 1904. Rodin spent long hours carefully crafting his creations from bronze and marble. His masterpieces, as well as his words above, remind us that slowing down and taking time for contemplation are also crucial parts of moving forward.

“There are five important things for living a successful and fulfilling life: never stop dreaming, never stop believing, never give up, never stop trying, and never stop learning.”
- Roy T. Bennett

"Keep your face always toward the sunshine, and shadows will fall behind you."

Optimism is a happiness magnet.

Mary Lou Retton

Displaying incredible perseverance, Mary Lou Retton overcame injury and etched her name into the annals of history in 1984 as the first U.S. Olympic gymnast to win individual all-around gold. Retton's feat — accomplished on home soil at the Los Angeles Summer Games — won the heart of a nation and even earned her a coveted spot on Wheaties cereal boxes. In her post-athletic career, she pivoted toward sharing the philosophies behind her success, including the power of positivity. Maintaining a can-do attitude is contagious, and will attract opportunity, joy, and the kind of people who can boost us up.

A person without imagination is like a teabag without hot water.

Alan Fletcher

Known as the godfather of British graphic design, Alan Fletcher was one of the leading pioneers of independent design after World War II. His trailblazer mentality was evident in his education, as he attended four separate art schools, each more forward-thinking than the last. He is known for his playful use of color and clever witticisms — rare elements in British graphic design at the time, which have since become modern industry staples. Fletcher’s lively sense of innovation encourages us to always think outside the box: Without imagination, we might never discover our true purpose and potential.

That's what literature is: a story that does more than tell a story, a story that manages to reflect in some way the multilayered texture of life itself.

As the sun makes ice melt, kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust, and hostility to evaporate.”