Catherine the Great

One does not always do the best there is. One does the best one can. – Catherine the Great

The title of Queen rang sweet to my ears, child though I was. … This idea of a crown began running in my head then like a tune, and has been running a lot in it ever since.

All punishments by which the human body might be maimed are barbarbarism.

I sincerely want peace, not because I lack resources for war, but because I hate bloodshed.

I may be kindly, I am ordinarily gentle, but in my line of business I am obliged to will terribly what I will at all.

The more a man knows, the more he forgives.

Apparently there is nothing that cannot happen today.

In order to succeed you must fail so you know what to do better the next time.

Don’t worry about things you cannot alter.

You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about! You’re crazy!

Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

People have to talk about something just to keep their voice boxes in working order so they’ll have good voice boxes in case there’s ever anything really meaningful to say.

Don’t hurry, don’t worry. You’re only here for a short visit. So be sure and smell the flowers.

Without risk, there isn’t any living communication.

The man who goes alone can start today; but he who travels with another must wait till that other is ready.

A mistake is to commit a misunderstanding.

Insight emerges out of silence.

There is nothing so stable as change.

Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing monkey bars. You have to let go at some point in order to move forward.

To be a leader, you must stand for something, or you will fall for anything.