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All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.

Walt Disney

In many ways, the creation of Mickey Mouse and Disneyland — ”the happiest place on Earth” — is the embodiment of dreams coming true. Almost everything Walt Disney introduced to the world first began as a dream. A pioneer of feature-length cartoons, he had to develop innovative advancements in cinema sound, technicolor, and cameras to make his ideas a reality. But to bring a vision to life also requires courage, and lots of it. We all have dreams, and like Disney, we may face obstacles on our way to pursuing them — but we should never let fear be one of them.

When we sow a seed, we plant a narrative of future possibility.

Sue Stuart-Smith

Sue Stuart-Smith is an author and prominent psychotherapist who believes gardening can help us process our thoughts and feelings. In her popular book, “The Well-Gardened Mind,” she describes the garden as a powerful space that mirrors our inner world. As we tend to the plants, we tend to ourselves. Within this mindset, the act of sowing and caring for a seed is also a hopeful investment in our own future. The time and labor we put into a garden comes back to us manyfold, not only through the beautiful and delicious plants we can enjoy, but in the healing benefits of slowing our pace, breathing fresh air, and connecting with nature.

The world always seems brighter when you've just made something that wasn't there before.

Neil Gaiman

Award-winning English author Neil Gaiman set out to write a short story for his daughter’s 18th birthday. But after two years, he only had three pages to show for his efforts. Then, over the course of three stressful days, he found a healthy distraction from the stress by diving into the story — and he found an ending, around 20 pages later. This hopeful sentiment was weaved into Gaiman’s reflection on the burst of creativity that produced his story “Sunbird.” Besides reminding people that they still have agency during life’s most challenging times, Gaiman explains that making art forges connections if the work is shared. Perhaps that’s why he has also written novels, graphic novels, comics, journalism, screenplays, and poetry.

We know what we are, but know not what we may be.

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare’s plays often consider themes of change and metamorphosis, and these words from “Hamlet” are no exception. The character Ophelia goes mad after Prince Hamlet kills her father, and her remarks here can refer to both her father’s unexpected death and her own uncertain future. Shakespeare often wrote about personal transformation, in tales of enemies becoming lovers, or poor men becoming rich; he himself rose from a back-alley writer to a royal playwright. His words offer a twofold reminder: to be grateful for what we have in the present, and always hopeful about the possibility ahead.

What do we live for, if not to make life less difficult for each other?

George Eliot

In 19th-century England, a young writer named Mary Ann Evans assumed the pen name George Eliot and began publishing novels that were acclaimed for their realistic character development and compelling plotlines. This quote (originally published with slightly different wording) is from her fourth major work, “Middlemarch,” which is widely considered to be unsurpassed among novels of the Victorian age. The line was picked up and disseminated with slight variations appearing in subsequent publications, but the sentiment remains consistent: To be of service to the people in our lives is one of the most important things we can do with our time.

Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears.

Les Brown

If you have dreams that feel just out of reach because fear keeps you from chasing after them, you’re not alone. As motivational speaker Les Brown warns with this quote, too many of us allow caution to limit our aspirations and potential. Instead of going after what we truly want, we let the fearful whispers of failure hold us back. But that nagging question — “What happens if I don’t make it?” — isn’t as scary as another question: “What happens if I don’t try?”

What I am is good enough if I would only be it openly.

Carl Rogers

As one of the founders of the humanistic psychology movement, Carl Rogers had a pioneering approach to studying the mind. His research focused on understanding the individual’s personality and relationships, and he believed that how we see ourselves affects the way others will see us. Instead of focusing on the dark impulses of humanity like many of his peers, Rogers noted that most people have positive intentions. As seen in this quote, he suggested that by letting people be their authentic selves, we become more accepting of both ourselves and each other.

Nobody has ever measured, not even poets, how much the heart can hold.

Zelda Fitzgerald

Zelda Fitzgerald was a writer, artist, and lively socialite whose beauty captured the attention of author F. Scott Fitzgerald when she was a young debutante in Montgomery, Alabama. Though their marriage was often turbulent, the pair inspired and encouraged each other’s creative work, each serving as a muse for the other. Their love often found its way onto the pages of their writing, such as this line from Zelda Fitzgerald’s 1932 novel “Save Me the Waltz,” which closely parallels her own life and marriage.

Courage is very important. Like a muscle, it is strengthened by use.

Ruth Gordon

An actress turned writer, Ruth Gordon was familiar with courage as a perpetual exercise. After a Broadway debut and a handful of successful films in the 1940s, she took a 22-year absence from movies, preferring the visceral courage of stage acting. After marrying screenwriter Garson Kanin, Gordon dove into new territory once again by collaborating with him on screenplays, netting several Oscar nominations. When she did return to the screen, her quirky characters — in films like "Rosemary's Baby" and "Harold and Maude" — made her a cult favorite. Gordon’s commitment to new ventures inspires us to embrace unfamiliar experiences: The more we do, the less frightening they’ll be, and the more we can grow.

Mind is a flexible mirror, adjust it, to see a better world.

Amit Ray

Perspective can make a world of difference. According to Amit Ray, a spiritual master known for his teachings on meditation, yoga, peace, and compassion, changing your point of view can improve how you see the world. If your mind chooses to see the best in people, it will. But the opposite is true too. If you focus only on the things that go wrong in your day, it will seem like the world is out to get you. In other words, what we experience mirrors our own perspective, and we can adjust it to get a better view.