It was the best of
times, it was the
worst of times.
Charles Dickens

Sometimes a person
has to go back, really
back – to have a sense, an understanding of all that’s gone to make them – before they
can go forward.
Paule Marshall

Until you make peace with who you are, you’ll never be content with what you have.
Doris Mortman

Nothing in the world takes the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more commonplace than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education alone will
not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and Determination alone
are omnipotent.
Calvin Coolidge