Mark Rothko

I like to surprise myself.

Our care should not be to have lived long as to have lived enough.

We should be taught not to wait for inspiration to start a thing. Action always generates inspiration. Inspiration seldom generates action.

The sun shines and warms and lights us and we have no curiosity to know why this is so; but we ask the reason of all evil, of pain, and hunger, and mosquitoes and silly people.

I hope that while so many people are out smelling the flowers, someone is taking the time to plant some.

Do all the other things, the ambitious things-travel, get rich, get famous, innovate, lead, fall in love, make and lose fortunes…but as you do, to the extent that you can, err in the direction of kindness.

A man always has two reasons for what he does-a good one, and the real one.

There is joy in work. There is no happiness except in the realization that we have accomplished something.

A goal is a dream with a finish line.

The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits.

I grew up in a very masculine environment. So I was around a lot of men, my brothers and their friends. There was just a lot of guys around.

I know the sun rises in the eat and sets in the west, that I am ten fingers and ten toes and ten thousand reasons short of explaining what it is I can’t explain to you. And I know that I will always love you in certainties.

The person who reads too much and uses his brain too little will fall into lazy habits of thinking.

Loving smart means believing in you, your worth and your value.

I realize that advice is worth what it costs – that is, nothing.