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You must believe that your past is not your future.

Gayle Carson

It is all too easy to become weighed down by the regrets, losses, or difficult memories of the past. But, as business and leadership expert Gayle Carson insists here, we can’t let the past define us. This quote reminds us that we have the power to overcome old patterns and pain in order to create the life we want and deserve. Where we have been does not dictate where we are going, and with determination and positivity, we can chart a new course for ourselves at any time in our lives.

Judge each day not by the harvest you reap but by the seeds you plant.

William A. Ward

In today’s hustle culture it’s easy to feel sometimes that achievement and productivity are the only standards by which our value is measured. But it’s crucial to remember that every success starts with a small step, an initial investment, a simple plan. With this quote, motivational writer William A. Ward speaks to the importance of patience, urging us to find satisfaction and pride in even our smallest strides.

Courage is more exhilarating than fear and in the long run it is easier.

Eleanor Roosevelt

During her tenure as First Lady from 1933 to 1945, Eleanor Roosevelt redefined the nation’s idea of how the President’s wife should pass her time. She called weekly press conferences with women journalists, personally wrote a nationally syndicated newspaper column sharing her thoughts on the issues of the time, fought for civil rights, and sought to help refugees in the midst of World War II. In a time when wives, especially political wives, were meant to be quiet supporters of their husbands, she was a bold pioneer, leading by example to show all the good that women can do in the world.

We travel, some of us forever, to seek other states, other lives, other souls.

Anaïs Nin

Anaïs Nin carved out a provocative niche for herself in the literary world of the 20th century, writing novels and short stories that she published herself, painstakingly typesetting the printing press and decorating the bindings for each book. On the whole, her work was largely ignored by the public until the 1960s, when feminism and surrealism (themes that dominated Nin’s writing) gained traction in the popular culture of the time. While some critics panned her writing as self-indulgent, others praised her for her psychological insights. She is best known for her published diaries, written from 1931 to 1974, in which she chronicled her personal journey of self-discovery as she sought other states, other lives, and other souls.

Pain nourishes courage. You can't be brave if you've only had wonderful things happen to you.

Mary Tyler Moore

Actress Mary Tyler Moore inspired a generation of women with her groundbreaking television characters that interwove feminism into mainstream pop culture. Moore's work on the timeless and culturally significant "Mary Tyler Moore Show" — in which she portrayed a single, career-oriented news producer working in a male-dominated environment — revolutionized TV roles for women and challenged society’s restrictive gender norms. Her quote here speaks to fictional and real-life trailblazers alike, whose paths are often riddled with harrowing pitfalls. Luck and complacency may be nice and easy on a personal level, but the ability to overcome adversity has the real power to influence others in a meaningful and life-changing way.

If you feel you are in a black hole, don't give up. There's a way out.

Stephen Hawking

In 2015, at the Hawking Radiation Conference in Stockholm, Stephen Hawking delivered this now-famous quote. While this was certainly an inspiring slice of advice, Hawking was very much focused on physics. To be precise, he was focused on the peculiar phenomenon of how the physical state of something disappearing into a black hole appears to be completely lost — which, according to the known laws of the universe, shouldn’t be possible. (Something entering a black hole should, in theory, come out somewhere.) Hawking suggested two possibilities to explain this, and here’s where things get trippy. Either information entering a black hole is translated into a “hologram” on the edge of the black hole itself, or it passes through and enters an alternative universe. So, yes, don’t give up because there’s always a way out — even if the exit leads to an entirely different reality.

Letting your mind play is the best way to solve problems.

Bill Watterson

Cartoonist Bill Watterson is the creator of "Calvin and Hobbes," the popular comic strip about a six-year-old boy and a tiger who do nothing but play. So it’s no surprise he sees that freedom as an important element of creativity. “I’ve been amazed at how one idea leads to others if I allow my mind to play and wander,” he said in a 1990 commencement speech at Kenyon College. Indulging your curiosity and childlike sense of wonder can open up creative paths that lead to surprising solutions. Next time you find you’ve hit a wall, try approaching the problem as a six-year-old might: with imagination, no pressure, and lots of flexibility.

You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.

John Wooden

Possessing an unparalleled humility, legendary college basketball coach John Wooden used his patented "Pyramid of Success" to give his young, impressionable players the tools to succeed at both basketball and life. Wooden turned a fledgling UCLA athletics program into a powerhouse that won 10 NCAA national titles, and all the while he maintained that true success wasn't based on accolades, but rather on being your best self. This quote speaks to Wooden's ideology; he lived life by what he called a "Seven Point Creed," which shunned egoism and prioritized helping others. It's a reminder that the greatest reward isn't necessarily wealth or fame, but being there for others, regardless of whether you receive anything in return.

Just because things hadn't gone the way I had planned didn't necessarily mean they had gone wrong.

Ann Patchett

Author Ann Patchett's self-inspired essay "What Now?" — the work in which these reaffirming words appear — offers hope to those who find themselves at a crossroads. Patchett describes being thrust into many unfamiliar situations but finding fulfillment throughout those unexpected journeys, much like many of the characters endured in "Bel Canto," a gritty yet tender novel for which she received critical acclaim. This quote is a reminder that our path in life is always changing, and curveballs can offer some of our greatest lessons and joys. While we may set out to accomplish certain goals, there's no greater tool than having an open mind and a willingness to accept wherever the road may take us.

Being successful doesn't mean anything in and of itself. It just means that you're successful.

Greta Gerwig

Few modern filmmakers shine brighter than Greta Gerwig, though she'd be the first to admit there's more to life than success. Gerwig (who began her career as an actor) is the visionary director and writer behind acclaimed films such as 2019’s "Little Women," 2012’s "Frances Ha," and 2017’s "Lady Bird," in which this quote appears. While many of her films have been nominated for awards, it's their immeasurable societal impact that proves more rewarding. These sage words — penned by Gerwig and spoken by actress Laurie Metcalf's character Marion MacPherson to her daughter, Lady Bird — are a reminder that achievements don't necessarily equate to happiness, nor do they define a life. Whether you're a big shot or small fry, true joy is in the eye of the beholder, and it doesn't matter how successful you are so long as you feel fulfilled.