The Wise Words of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

I met with a true rainmaker on Friday, and was happily reminded of these famous and powerful words by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

“Until one is committed, there is always hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative and creation, there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help that would never have otherwise occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising to one's favor all manner of unforeseen accidents and meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would come his way. Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.”

This prompted me to do a quick web search for other nuggets from this 18th century poet, novelist, playwright and philosopher.


“For a contented life:
Health enough to make work a pleasure.
Wealth enough to support your needs.
Strength to battle with difficulties and overcome them.
Grace enough to confess your sins and forsake them.
Patience enough to toil until some good is accomplished.
Charity enough to see some good in your neighbor.
Love enough to move you to be useful and helpful to others.
Faith enough to make real the things of God.
Hope enough to remove all anxious fears concerning your future.”


“Nothing shows our character more than what we laugh at.”


“We must not hope to be mowers,
And to gather the ripe gold ears,
Unless we have first been sowers
And watered the furrows with tears.
It is not just as we take it,
This mystical world of ours,
Life's field will yield as we make it
A harvest of thorns or of flowers.”


“They are happiest, be they king or peasant, who find peace in their home.”


“Many people take no care of their money till they come nearly to the end of it,
and others do just the same with their time.”


“Treat people as if they were what they should be,
and you help them become what they are capable of becoming.”


I sourced these quotes from a single web site (www.livinglifefully.com).