Quindlen, Anna (b.1953), American author, journalist, and opinion columnist
Think of life as a terminal illness, because, if you do, you will live it with joy and passion, as it ought to be lived.
The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself.
I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think interior decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves.
But never fear, gentlemen; castration was really not the point of feminism, and we women are too busy eviscerating one another to take you on.
A man who builds his own pedestal had better use strong cement.
If your success is not on your own terms, if it looks good to the world but does not feel good in your heart, it is not success at all.
A finished person is a boring person.
Voices that loud are always meant to bully. Do not be bullied. Acts of bravery don’t always take place on battlefields. They can take place in your heart, when you have the courage to honour your character, your intellect, your inclinations, and, yes your soul by listening to its clean, clear voice of direction instead of following the muddied messages of a timid world.
Don’t ever confuse the two, your life and your work. That’s what I have to say. The second is only a part of the first.
It’s so much easier to write a resume than to craft a spirit.
All of us want to do well. But if we do not do good, too, then doing well will never be enough.
You cannot be really first-rate at your work if your work is all you are.