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We suffer more often in imagination than in reality.

Seneca

A prominent Roman philosopher and a notable figure in Stoicism, Seneca recognized the impact our thoughts have on our actions and well-being. The Stoics believed that genuine knowledge is rooted in perception, so they advocated against dwelling on negative possibilities and allowing the imagination to manifest anxieties. Through willpower and rational interpretation, Seneca believed individuals and societies could shift their perspectives away from the what-ifs to keep moving forward.

We awaken in others the same attitude of mind we hold toward them.

Elbert Hubbard

Elbert Hubbard was an American philosopher and publisher in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The ideas in his writings varied, leaning by turns more conservative or more radical, but he always retained a strong sense of morality and a fascination with how humans treat one another. Here, he reminds us that the energy we give to others and the ways in which we treat them similarly affect the energy and treatment we receive from them, so it’s always wise to think twice before acting rashly or judging prematurely.

Everything in the world began with a yes.

Clarice Lispector

One of the most influential writers of the 20th century, Clarice Lispector was a Brazilian author and journalist whose work often explored themes of gender, identity, and existentialism. She is known for her experimental writing style, which combined stream-of-consciousness with surrealism and symbolism. This quote, from her 1977 novel “The Hour of the Star,” is a simple yet impactful reminder of the power of optimism.

Your mind will take the shape of what you frequently hold in thought.

Marcus Aurelius

Stoic philosophers believed in the power of mind over matter. Former Roman Emperor and Stoic Marcus Aurelius reflected that in his own work, saying the thoughts that occupy our minds ultimately inform the way we live. In this quote, Aurelius underscores the power of practicing consistent, constructive thinking. When we engage in positive reflection, our minds gravitate toward optimism, empathy, and growth. Dwelling on negativity or worry, however, can lead to a more pessimistic and myopic outlook. Aurelius' wisdom highlights the reciprocal relationship between our thoughts and our mental dispositions, reminding us to cultivate mindful awareness of our thinking patterns and to actively choose to pivot our thoughts in a direction that aligns with the life we desire to live.

My dark days made me strong. Or maybe I already was strong, and they made me prove it.

Emery Lord

In Emery Lord’s 2016 novel “When We Collided,” teenager Vivi Alexander has just moved to the small town of Verona Cove. She’s also recently been diagnosed with bipolar disorder after experiencing a manic episode. Throughout the book, she draws on this experience to help comfort Verona Cove local Jonah, whose father has just died and with whom Vivi grows close. Through Vivi’s words here, Lord reminds us that the challenges we face can draw out our strengths — even those we never knew we had.

Wisely, and slow. They stumble that run fast.

William Shakespeare

In William Shakespeare’s immortal play “Romeo and Juliet,” Friar Laurence gives this advice to the young Romeo, who has decided to marry Juliet despite their families' deep blood feud. The words stand as a warning against Romeo’s recklessness, which ultimately proves fatal for the star-crossed lovers. And it remains good advice for us all: Moving too quickly, without thinking our choices through, can result in careless mistakes at best and avoidable catastrophes at worst. Often, slow and steady really is the best way forward.

I hope you live a life you're proud of. If you find that you're not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again.

Eric Roth

Any list of the greatest screenwriters of all time will likely include names such as Francis Ford Coppola, Nora Ephron, Quentin Tarantino, the Coen Brothers, and Charlie Kaufman. There’s a good chance that Eric Roth will also be in the mix. The prolific screenwriter has been nominated six times for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, for “Forrest Gump” (for which he won the Oscar), “The Insider,” “Munich,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “A Star Is Born,” and “Dune.” The quote above comes from “Benjamin Button,” a movie that was particularly important to Roth as both his parents died while he was writing it, and his emotional state at the time helped shape the film. Roth has said that you don’t necessarily need to write what you know, as the old writing adage goes. Instead, he suggests that you “write what you see and feel and hear. You take from your experience.”

To be careful with people and with words was a rare and beautiful thing.

Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Author Benjamin Alire Sáenz wrote this line in his young adult novel “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe.” The book’s protagonist is 15-year-old Aristotle “Ari” Mendoza, a quiet and lonely boy whose father comes home from the Vietnam War a changed man. At first, Ari is angry at his father’s uncommunicative and withdrawn manner, but as he matures, he is able to see it from a new perspective. Ari reflects, “And loved my father too, for the careful way he spoke. I came to understand that my father was a careful man.” Ari sees there is beauty in understanding the power our words can have.

It shows considerable wisdom to know what you want in life.

P.D. James

English novelist Phyllis Dorothy James, writing as P.D. James, introduced Scotland Yard detective Adam Dalgliesh in her 1962 debut novel “Cover Her Face.” This insightful observation by a secondary character comes at the end of “The Private Patient,” the 14th and final novel in James’ popular series, published nearly half a century later in 2008. The full quote notes that it takes wisdom to determine what you want, “and then to direct all your energies towards getting it.” James could very well have been reflecting on her own lengthy career as a successful novelist when she penned this scene, which offers the reminder that achieving a happy life requires both thoughtful contemplation and focused, sustained action.

Snatching the eternal out of the desperately fleeting is the great magic trick of human existence.

Tennessee Williams

Tennessee Williams was a true titan of 20th-century American drama. At the height of his success, from the early 1940s to the early 1960s, he wrote a number of critically acclaimed and enduring plays, including “The Glass Menagerie,” “A Streetcar Named Desire,” and “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.” His plays were often brutally honest, with characters and themes taken straight from his own life. He explored many weighty aspects of the human experience, including addiction, mental illness, sexuality, loneliness, aging, and death. But Williams was hugely sympathetic to the flawed yet complex characters he created. Upon the playwright’s death in 1983, “The New York Times” perfectly captured his nature in its obituary, calling Williams “a poet of the human heart.”