Max Ehrmann Quotes

And whatever your labours and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

To be without desire is to be content. But contentment is not happiness. And in contentment there is no progress. Happiness is to desire something, to work for it, and to obtain at least a part of it.

Whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding
as it should.

At De Pauw I contracted a disease which I have never shaken off. The disease was idealism. Because of it I did the thing in life I wanted to do — Writing.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

Go Placidly, Amid the noise and Haste & Remember what peace there may be in silence...

You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars. In the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul.

To be with you somewhere within this evening’s mystic shade, To hear your plans and hopes and tell you mine, all unafraid That you’d forget to hold them dear, When I’m away and you’re not here.

You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.

may yet find refuge from the storms of the world in the cheerful house of love.

Success brings hope, hope inspires fresh desire, and desire gives zest to life and joy to labour. This is true whether your days be spent in the palaces of the powerful or in some little green by-way of the world.

Sleep quietly, now that the gates of the day are closed. Leave tomorrow’s problems for tomorrow. The earth is peaceful. Only the stars are abroad; and they will not cause you any trouble.

If you compare yourself to others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.