All quotes

I will be myself. Mr. Rochester, you must neither expect nor exact anything celestial of me—for you will not get it, any more than I shall get it of you: which I do not at all anticipate.

I care for myself. The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself.

But let me not hate and despise myself too much for these feelings; I know them to be wrong—that is a great step gained; I shall strive to overcome them.

To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

Resolve to remain as strong, as determined and as highly enthused during the darkest night of adversity as you are during the sunniest day of prosperity.

The man who never weakens when things are against him will grow stronger and stronger until all things will delight to be for him.

And when you fall throughout life—and maybe even tonight after a few too many glasses of champagne—fall forward.

Every failed experiment is one step closer to success.

Never be discouraged. Never hold back. Give everything you’ve got.

You hang around a barbershop long enough—sooner or later you will get a haircut.

The demons of depression could find no foothold when he was around

If I am a princess in rags and tatters, I can be a princess inside. It would be easy to be a princess if I were dressed in cloth of gold, but it is a great deal more of a triumph to be one all the time when no one knows it.

Whats'ever 'appens to you--whats'ever--you'd be a princess all the same--an' nothin' couldn't make you nothin' different.

I can say with conviction that the struggle which evil necessitates is one of the greatest blessings. It makes us strong, patient, helpful men and women.

I, too, can work, and because I love to labor with my head and my hands, I am an optimist in spite of all.

But I did not dream that that interview would be the door through which I should pass from darkness into light, from isolation to friendship, companionship, knowledge, love.

At the beginning I was only a little mass of possibilities. It was my teacher who unfolded and developed them.

I slip back many times, I fall, I stand still, I run against the edge of hidden obstacles, I lose my temper and find it again and keep it better, I trudge on, I gain a little, I feel encouraged, I get more eager and climb higher and begin to see the widening horizon.

The greatest achievement was at first and for a time a dream.

I will try, Mother, I truly will. But you must help me, remind me, and keep me from flying out.

It’s highly virtuous to say we’ll be good, but we can’t do it all at once, and it takes a long pull, a strong pull, and a pull all together before some of us even get our feet set in the right way.

Write something for us, and never mind the rest of the world. Try it, dear. I’m sure it would do you good, and please us very much.

You are like a chestnut burr, prickly outside, but silky-soft within, and a sweet kernal, if one can only get at it. Love will make you show your heart one day, and then the rough burr will fall off.

All sorts of mornings are interesting, don’t you think? You don’t know what’s going to happen through the day, and there’s so much scope for imagination.

I make so many mistakes. But then just think of all the mistakes I don’t make, although I might.