BellaOnline Forums Beauty and Self Inspiration Inspiration Quote

Truth is ever to be found in simplicity.

Isaac Newton

One of the most influential scientists in history, Isaac Newton laid the foundation for modern physics, invented the field of calculus, and developed the laws of motion and the theory of gravity. He was also a lifelong philosopher who asked and tried to answer many questions about the universe. Newton was committed to seeking out truths about the world we live in, and he concluded that regardless of the complexities of the universe, "Truth is ever to be found in simplicity, and not in the multiplicity and confusion of things."

Ruins, for me, are the beginning. With the debris, you can construct new ideas.

Anselm Kiefer

Anselm Kiefer is a prolific visual artist. In his decades-long career, he has created countless paintings, installations, sculptures, prints, and photographs, often incorporating material such as lead, clay, and ash into his finished works. A lifelong resident of Germany, he draws inspiration from the history and culture of Europe. He often revisits the same material — say, a wheat field — over and over, so his work becomes a sort of historical record in itself, showing how something can come into being, pass away, and rise again. This is a theme of Kiefer’s work: Everything comes from something, and sometimes ruins are, in fact, just the beginning.

Every individual matters. Every individual has a role to play.

Jane Goodall

For more than 60 years, Jane Goodall studied the social and family life of chimpanzees, and today she is considered the world’s leading expert on these particular primates. But her path wasn’t easy: Her initial studies faced criticism from her primarily male colleagues, many of whom saw her as lacking objectivity. Yet it was her close relationship with the chimpanzees that allowed her to see the animals in a whole new light — and to see them as far more similar to humans than the scientific community typically believed. Goodall’s career has inspired countless others to fight for environmental conservation and animal rights. As this quote reminds us, on this planet — our only home — everyone has the ability to make a difference.

To have become a deeper man is the privilege of those who have suffered.

Oscar Wilde

When Irish author and playwright Oscar Wilde wrote that suffering was a “privilege,” he did so from experience. Wilde, who was convicted and imprisoned for having a sexual relationship with a man, understood that overcoming adversity gives us perspective, appreciation, and understanding. While incarcerated at Reading Gaol in England in 1897, Wilde wrote a letter to his lover, Lord Alfred Douglas, describing the spiritual awakening he experienced in prison. The letter was eventually published in 1905, five years after Wilde’s death, under the title "De Profundis," a Latin term meaning “from the depths.”

Joy is that kind of happiness that does not depend on what happens.

David Steindl-Rast

David Steindl-Rast is a Benedictine monk and co-founder of an interfaith organization called the Center for Spiritual Studies. In 1974, he was awarded the Martin Buber Award for his work in building dialogues between religions. Steindl-Rast is also a popular lecturer best known for his teachings on gratitude: He posits that being grateful is the foundation of happiness, because it reminds us of the joy we already have. His words here encourage us to treasure the gifts that come our way, regardless of what may happen next.

Learning never exhausts the mind.

Leonardo da Vinci

Italian painter and polymath Leonardo da Vinci was a luminary of the Renaissance era — he not only painted such famed works as the “Mona Lisa” and “The Last Supper,” he was also an architect, inventor, and military engineer. In his lifetime, he sketched concepts resembling the modern-day bicycle and a flying machine, and drew some of the first anatomical charts on human record. His words and life’s work remind us that broadening our horizons is healthy: Exploring new fields and skills will only create a richer life.

The bird a nest, the spider a web, man friendship.

William Blake

William Blake was born in 1757 to a large family living in London. He had no formal schooling, but instead roamed the streets and often wandered the surrounding countryside. He was artistically inclined even from a young age, but it wasn’t until he found a community of artists and writers that he published his first book of poems, in 1783. This quote is from the poem “Proverbs of Hell,” in which Blake celebrates the divinity of all things, from the lion’s wrath to the peacock’s pride, the bird’s nest, the spider’s web, and most certainly the friendship of men.

If you hit a wrong note, it’s the next note that you play that determines if it’s good or bad.

Miles Davis

During his nearly 40-year career, jazz legend Miles Davis constantly evolved his style, pushing and challenging the boundaries of jazz music. He experimented with jazz fusion, funk, synthesizers, rock, and African rhythms, while at the same time finding new ways to connect on an emotional level with his audience. He abandoned the more traditional use of vibrato on his trumpet, creating a sound that was closer to the human voice. Like all great jazz musicians, Davis was a master of improvisation. As such, he saw musical mistakes as opportunities — a philosophy he carried into the rest of his life. It’s how we react to so-called mistakes that determine whether the ultimate outcome will be negative or positive. As the great jazz pianist Herbie Hancock said, “Miles was able to turn something that was wrong into something that was right.”

Make glorious, amazing mistakes.

Neil Gaiman

Neil Gaiman — a British fiction writer, graphic novelist, comic creator, and the screenwriter behind iconic tales including "Coraline," "American Gods," and the "Graveyard Book" — is also a prolific diarist and blogger. His eponymous website features a journal section where he posts musings, photos, personal stories, and the sort of wit and wisdom you’d expect from a writer whose literary accolades include multiple awards. This beautiful quote dates to a journal entry from late 2011, where Gaiman wishes his readers not only a happy new year but a year of “glorious, amazing mistakes.” “Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You're doing things you've never done before, and more importantly, you're Doing Something.” A fabulous sentiment — you can’t create and you can’t grow without taking wrong turns.

What you think about day and night forms your character and personality.

Masami Saionji

Masami Saionji is a Japanese spiritual teacher and lecturer who has given talks and led events all over the world, including at the United Nations. In 2019, her work earned her the Luxembourg Peace Prize for Outstanding Peace Activist. Saionji has also authored over 20 books on subjects from managing stress to connecting with the universe. Her teachings highlight the idea that our thoughts can shape our experience of life. We have the power to create our own reality; if we put our minds to it, we can choose peace in every moment.