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My dear Laelius and Scipio, we must stand up against old age and make up for its drawbacks by taking pains.

there is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things, because the innovator has for enemies all those who have done well under the old conditions, and lukewarm defenders in those who may do well under the new

The past material conditions of life have gone for ever; no will of man can recall them.

The more man acts and makes actual what was latent in him, the nearer does he bring the distant Yet-to-be.

For life is immortal youthfulness, and it hates age that tries to clog its movements--age that belongs not to life in truth, but follows it as the shadow follows the lamp.

It is for our self to know that it must be born anew every moment of its life.

The length of man's life, which is endless to the brave and busy, is scorned by his ambitious thought.

There is no cutting of the Gordian knots of life; each must be smilingly unravelled.

Great evils are in some cases only to be met by resistance; they cannot be wept down, but must be battled down.

We are responsible for what we are; and whatever we wish ourselves to be, we have the power to make ourselves.

We have it in our power to begin the world over again

If we would put some slight stress on ourselves at the beginning, then afterwards we should be able to do all things with ease and joy.

The world is advanced only by those who more than fill their present places.

The object of all life is development; and everything that lives has an inalienable right to all the development it is capable of attaining.

There is no instant step from disorder to order.

Our supreme task is the resumption of our onward, normal way.

Hate has four letters, but so does love. Enemies has seven letters, but so does friends. Lying has five letters, but so does truth. Failure has seven letters, but so does success. Cry has three letters, but so does joy. Negativity has ten letters, but so does positivity. You always have a choice, so choose the better side of it.

If you want to change the world sometimes you have to slide down the obstacle head first.

Never suffer an exception to occur till the new habit is securely rooted in your life.

Excitements, ideas, and efforts, in a word, are what carry us over the dam.

The transformation, moreover, is a chronic one: the new level of energy becomes permanent.

It is notorious that a single successful effort of moral volition, such as saying 'no' to some habitual temptation, or performing some courageous act, will launch a man on a higher level of energy for days and weeks, will give him a new range of power.

Our duty is to cleanse, to reconsider, to restore, to correct the evil without impairing the good, to purify and humanize every process of our common life without weakening or sentimentalizing it.