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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

The smallest deed is better than the grandest intention.

Anonymous

This oft-repeated quote reminds us that while our thoughts and aims may be noble, it is our actions that speak loudest. Though the source of this quote remains anonymous (despite having been attributed to everyone from John Burroughs to Oscar Wilde), it has endured for decades thanks to the fundamental truth of its message. No matter how lofty our plans may be, they make little impact if we don’t eventually act on them.

We go through life. We shed our skins. We become ourselves.

Patti Smith

Patti Smith’s life went through many different chapters: First a factory assembly-line worker and a spoken-word poet, she rose to a successful career as a singer-songwriter and wrote a series of autobiographical books later in life. Her first of these, “Just Kids,” written about her experience as a struggling artist in 1960s New York City, earned a National Book Award and a place on “The New York Times” bestseller list. Smith is considered a female pioneer of punk rock, lighting the way for other women in that male-dominated world. Her growth as a multidisciplinary artist reminds us that change is good for the human spirit, and evolving to discover our most authentic selves can bring bounties we can’t even imagine.

All that you’ve loved is all you own.

Tom Waits

Ranked 55th on "Rolling Stone's" "Greatest Songwriters of All Time" list, Tom Waits has penned tracks for the Eagles, Bruce Springsteen, and Rod Stewart, plus his own 17 albums. Years before he became a Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, Waits threaded this line into “Take It With Me,” a ballad from his 1999 album “Mule Variations.” Accompanied by a soft piano melody, he reminds listeners that our interactions with material goods are fleeting — what defines us are the experiences we collect. To Waits, the fondness we form for people and places stays etched in our souls forever.

Only when we are no longer afraid do we begin to live.

Dorothy Thompson

One of the most famous and fearless American journalists of the 20th century, Dorothy Thompson was an early advocate for women’s suffrage, and later used her observations on the ground in 1930s Germany to warn of the rise of Nazism. Thompson’s courage in telling important stories serves as a beacon for the rest of us: If we can get past fear, our experience of life expands enormously.

You are the sky. Everything else is just the weather.

Pema Chödrön

Pema Chödrön has studied Tibetan Buddhism since 1974, and has authored several books interpreting Buddhist philosophy for Western readers. She focuses especially on self-compassion and the choice to lean into life’s fluctuations, rather than trying to control them. Her words here encourage us to ground ourselves when we get overwhelmed by our circumstances. If we remember that all feelings eventually pass, like a storm that gives way to clear skies, we can gain agency in any situation.

I don't watch this show (a bit late) but I know that laughter is the best medicine.

You can’t laugh and be afraid at the same time — of anything.

Stephen Colbert

Stephen Colbert is perhaps best known for his parodic Comedy Central show “The Colbert Report,” which focused on politics and current events. Yet Colbert, who now hosts "The Late Show" on CBS, is also beloved for bringing humanity to his comedy; he has addressed subjects including his mother’s passing in 2013, and the Paris terrorist attacks of 2015. Colbert has said that his performances have been the key to winning his longtime battle with anxiety. His approach to comedy serves as a good rule of thumb for the rest of us: Laughter really is the best medicine.

The world belongs to the enthusiast who keeps cool.

William McFee

William McFee was a 20th-century British writer known for his novels set at sea, an apt choice considering McFee himself was born on his father’s ship and later worked as a ship engineer. McFee served in the British Navy during World War I, publishing several novels and nonfiction works from his various postings. After 20 years at sea, he turned to a full-time career as a writer. Journalist Christopher Morley once praised the engineer’s touch he saw in McFee’s writing, calling him “patient, dogged, [and] purposeful.” McFee’s words here remind us to balance our passions with a level head: Marrying drive with patience and diligence remains the best way to move toward our goals.

True love is inexhaustible; the more you give, the more you have.

Antoine de Saint-Exupery

French writer and aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, author of the classic 1943 novel “The Little Prince,” wrote often on themes of love, suffering, and connection. Saint-Exupéry himself was known for his long, complex marriage to writer and artist Consuelo de Saint-Exupéry, who inspired the character of the Rose in “The Little Prince.” In the book, the Prince and the Rose eventually realize that while they do love each other, they show it in different ways. With this line, Saint-Exupéry reminds us that true love should always feel nourishing.

Vision is the art of seeing things invisible.

Jonathan Swift

This observation comes from celebrated satirist Jonathan Swift’s 1706 collection of essays and one-liners, “Thoughts on Various Subjects.” With this clever turn of phrase, Swift muses that vision is the ability to see not just what’s in front of us, but possibilities, dreams, and triumphs that haven’t happened yet — because that is the first step in being able to pursue them.