When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.
The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.
It never ceases to amaze me: we all love ourselves more than other people, but care more about their opinions than our own.
Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.
You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.
The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.
The opinion of 10,000 men is of no value if none of them know anything about the subject.
Think of all the years passed by in which you said to yourself “I’ll do it tomorrow,” and how the gods have again and again granted you periods of grace of which you have not availed yourself. It is time to realize that you are a member of the Universe, that you are born of Nature itself, and to know that a limit has been set to your time. Use every moment wisely, to perceive your inner refulgence, or ’twill be gone and nevermore within your reach.
If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.
Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones.
The things you think about determine the quality of your mind. Your soul takes on the color of your thoughts.
Say to yourself in the early morning: I shall meet today ungrateful, violent, treacherous, envious, uncharitable men. All of these things have come upon them through ignorance of real good and ill… I can neither be harmed by any of them, for no man will involve me in wrong, nor can I be angry with my kinsman or hate him; for we have come into the world to work together.
You always own the option of having no opinion. There is never any need to get worked up or to trouble your soul about things you can’t control. These things are not asking to be judged by you. Leave them alone.
Whenever you are about to find fault with someone, ask yourself the following question: What fault of mine most nearly resembles the one I am about to criticize?
Do not be wise in words – be wise in deeds.
Our anger and annoyance are more detrimental to us than the things themselves which anger or annoy us.
A man’s true delight is to do the things he was made for.
You have to assemble your life yourself – action by action.
Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.
Death smiles at us all, all a man can do is smile back.
The inner master, when confronted with an obstacle, uses it as fuel, like a fire which consumes things that are thrown into it. A small lamp would be snuffed out, but a big fire will engulf what is thrown at it and burn hotter; it consumes the obstacle and uses it to reach a higher level.
What we do in life ripples in eternity.
Most of what we say and do is not essential. If you can eliminate it, you’ll have more time, and more tranquillity. Ask yourself at every moment, ‘Is this necessary?’
Adapt yourself to the life you have been given; and truly love the people with whom destiny has surrounded you.
If it is not right do not do it; if it is not true do not say it.
