Christopher Robin once said to Winnie-the-Pooh, “You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” Immortal characters from literature sparked by the imagination of memorable authors such as A.A. Milne continue to inspire us today.
I was born with a reading list that I will never finish. When I find it difficult to find inspiration within me, I find words of encouragement from a good book. Our favorite authors fuel us from within long after we turned the last pages of their books.
Contemporary writer, Eve Sawyer, insists, “Never underestimate the power of passion.” Benjamin Franklin wisely advised, “If passion drives you, let freedom hold the reins.”
Allow these unforgettable words from literature to inspire you:
We can never give up longing and wishing while we are thoroughly alive. There are certain things we feel to be beautiful and good and we must hunger after them. – George Eliot, The Mill on the Floss
Tell the truth or someone will tell it for you. – Stephanie Klein, Straight Up and Dirty: A Memoir
We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures. – Thorton Wilder, Our Town
The saddest people I’ve ever met in life are the ones who don’t care deeply about anything at all. Passion and satisfaction go hand in hand, and without them, any happiness is only temporary, because there’s nothing to make it last. – Nicholas Sparks, Dear John
Sometimes the fall kills you. And sometimes, when you fall, you fly. – Neil Gaiman, The Sandman
There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor. – Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol
If my life is going to mean anything, I have to live it myself. – Rick Riordan, The Lightning Thief
Maybe everyone can live beyond what they’re capable of. – Markus Zusak, I Am the Messenger
My only advice is to stay aware, listen carefully, and yell for help if you need it. – Judy Blume, Tales of a Mother/Confessor
It matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to become. – J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
The only way out of the labyrinth of suffering is to forgive. – John Green, Looking for Alaska
How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world. – Anne Frank, The Diary of Anne Frank
There are two good things in life: freedom of thought and freedom of action. – Somerset Maugham, Of Human Bondage
Be men, or be more than men. Be steady to your purposes and firm as a rock. – Mary Shelley, Frankenstein
Not all those who wander are lost. – J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings
You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. – Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You’ll Go
I can’t go back to yesterday because I was a different person then. – Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
Do not let the hero in your soul perish in lonely frustration for the life you deserved and have never been able to reach. The world you desire can be won. It exists. It is real. It is possible. It’s yours. – Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged
The mystery of life isn’t a problem to solve, but a reality to experience. – Frank Herbert, Dune
If you don’t try at anything, you can’t fail. It takes backbone to lead the life you want. – Richard Yates, R
evolutionary Road
You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus. – Mark Twain, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court
When we love, we always strive to be better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better, too. – Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist
The reward of a thing well done is to have done it. – Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nominalist and Realist
Don’t Panic. – Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Do not seek happiness for yourself. Seek happiness for all. Through kindness. Through mercy. – David Levithan, Wide Awake
Words from the past continue to inspire our present.
“Every great dream begins with a dreamer,” wrote Harriett Tubman, courageous abolitionist during the Civil War. “Always remember you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.”
Dig deep and discover what inspires you. What makes you feel confident? What motivates you into action?
Allow these words to spark your passion and inspire you.
What words from your favorite books inspire you?
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