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When you love you wish to do things for. You wish to sacrifice for. You wish to serve.

Ernest Hemingway

Ernest Hemingway is known for his spare, “masculine” prose, and for his war novels: "A Farewell to Arms," from which this quote is taken, takes place during World War I. So his use here of the words “serve” and “sacrifice” is intentional. The line is taken from a conversation between American paramedic Lieutenant Frederic Henry and an Italian priest. The priest has asked Frederic whether he loves God; Frederic has replied, “I am afraid of him in the night sometimes.” “You should love Him,” the priest tells him, to which Frederic says, perhaps morosely, “I don’t love much.” The priest disagrees, illustrating the degree of Frederic’s love with the description above. In these ways, the priest — and perhaps Hemingway himself — seems to say, loving well is akin to serving one’s country. To love well is to be selfless.

For fast-acting relief, try slowing down.

Jane Wagner

It’s all too easy to get swallowed up by the hustle and bustle of our daily responsibilities, whether it’s a hectic work week or a busy social schedule. But with these words, comedy writer Jane Wagner reminds us of the importance of taking a break and takin care of ourselves. Wagner, a veteran screenwriter who penned this line for her wife and longtime collaborator, comedian Lily Tomlin, points out an ironic truth: Often the quickest way to feel better is pausing to take a deep breath, and simply slowing down.

Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life.

Rachel Carson

Rachel Carson is best remembered as the author of the 1962 book “Silent Spring,” which is often regarded as the starting point of the modern environmental movement, helping people to see, from a scientist’s perspective, the impacts that human activity has on the world. She followed “Silent Spring” with “The Sense of Wonder,” a love letter to nature and the state of awe we can all enjoy when we immerse ourselves in it. The book was published posthumously in 1964 after Carson passed away from breast cancer, and its message, encapsulated beautifully in this quote, endures to this day.

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena.

Theodore Roosevelt

In a speech given at the University of Paris in 1910, Theodore Roosevelt sang the praises of anyone who “strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again,” fervently dismissing those who stand back and critique the efforts of people attempting to do something difficult. Having ended his tenure as President of the United States in 1909, Roosevelt had faced many critics and persevered. He saw himself as a man in the arena and, as he said in his speech in Paris, felt that “[he] who spends himself in a worthy cause… shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.”

It takes courage to grow up and turn out to be who you really are.

E.E. Cummings

Born in 1894 in Massachusetts, E.E. Cummings always knew he wanted to be a poet. When the First World War started, he was deployed in France and, despite the circumstances, fell in love with Paris. His poetic letters expressed this feeling and his preference for the company of French soldiers, which not only raised suspicions with the Americans, but led to his imprisonment as he was believed to be a spy. While some could easily be discouraged by this experience, Cummings used it to write his novel "The Enormous Room" in 1922 while living in Paris, where he returned after the war. This brief glance into the poet’s life suggests that the quote above was somewhat of a mantra for Cummings. When you feel discouraged, it can be comforting to remember that the easiest way is not always the right way, and staying true to who you are always pays off in the end.

Whatever it is you’re seeking won’t come in the form you’re expecting.

Haruki Murakami

Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami’s advice here, from his 2005 book "Kafka on the Shore," reflects his own experience in life. Murakami was at a baseball game in 1978 when a slugger came up to bat. The player hit a double, and at that very moment, Murakami was inspired to write his first novel. He started it as soon as he got home that night, and today Murakami is an internationally acclaimed, bestselling author. He didn’t go to that game thinking about writing a book, though; it was an unexpected result. We can follow his lead by continually getting out and experiencing life — you never know when inspiration will strike.

It does not require many words to speak the truth.

Chief Joseph

When Chief Joseph began his 1879 address in Washington, D.C., with these words, he was setting the stage for an entreaty to the U.S. government to allow his people, the Nez Percé American Indian tribe, to return to their land in the Pacific Northwest. His quote here was an effort to show that two differing groups — white people and Indigenous Americans — could understand each other and see one another’s points of view. They are words worth living by on a personal level as well: To forge relationships based on love and understanding, we need to speak from the heart and with honesty.

The reward for conformity is that everyone likes you but yourself.

Rita Mae Brown

Author Rita Mae Brown's groundbreaking 1973 novel "Rubyfruit Jungle" defied societal expectations of the time with its explicit and positive portrayal of lesbianism. That book was a semi-autobiographical account of Brown's own formative years, and it resonated with others who felt a similar pressure to conform by repressing their sexuality. Though Brown's writings are generally feminist in nature, this plea for authenticity holds true for anyone and everyone. Happiness is achieved not by hiding or changing our nature to fit the mold, but by embracing the qualities that make each of us unique.

You can't lead the people if you don't love the people. You can't save the people, if you don't serve the people.

Cornel West

Before he became an influential philosopher, activist, and social critic, Cornel West was born in 1953 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. After graduating magna cum laude from Harvard in just three years, he went on to obtain his Ph.D. in philosophy at Princeton. Brother West, as he is affectionately known to many, has written 20 books exploring philosophy, politics, cultural theory, literature, and music, among other topics. His most famous work is his 2010 memoir, “Brother West: Living and Loving Out Loud.” He has devoted his life to continuing the work of Martin Luther King Jr., promoting truth, love, and justice. This quote beautifully encapsulates how he approaches leadership and activism from a place of deep compassion.

It is a simple matter of what you will do when the chips are down, my friend.

Zadie Smith

This quote comes from Zadie Smith’s debut novel, the award-winning “White Teeth,” about two unlikely friends, both veterans of World War II. Smith has since gone on to write four more novels and three essay collections, the most recent of which, “Intimations,” was written during the early months of the Covid-19 lockdown and released in July 2020. Smith's fluid prose has led critics to compare her work to that of such disparate writers as Charles Dickens and Salman Rushdie, but she has made a name for herself in being incomparable. Currently working as a tenured professor at New York University, she continues to inspire readers with her insightful writing, putting words on the page even when the chips are down.