The best things are nearest: breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of God just before you. Then do not grasp at the stars, but do life's plain common work as it comes certain that daily duties and daily bread are the sweetest things of life.

Some day...after I am dead, you may perhaps come to learn the right and wrong of this. I cannot tell you.

I am not afraid of the truth, if any one could tell it me, but I am afraid of parts of it impertinently uttered.

There is but one art, to omit.

Even if the doctor does not give you a year, even if he hesitates about a month, make one brave push and see what can be accomplished in a week.

Make up your mind to be happy. Learn to find pleasure in simple things.

But that is the object of long living, that man should cease to care about life.