Flannery O’Connor

Novelist, short story writer, and essayist (1925-1964)

Quotes By Flannery O’Connor
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Eckhart Tolle

Spiritual teacher and self-help author (1948-present)

Eckhart Tolle is one of the most successful spiritual teachers and self-help authors of the 21st century. Born in Lünen, Germany, in 1948, Tolle was primarily homeschooled as a child; he later spent time studying at the University of London and University of Cambridge. At age 29, he was suffering...

Eckhart Tolle is one of the most successful spiritual teachers and self-help authors of the 21st century. Born in Lünen, Germany, in 1948, Tolle was primarily homeschooled as a child; he later spent time studying at the University of London and University of Cambridge. At age 29, he was suffering through an extreme bout of depression and anxiety when he experienced a transformative spiritual awakening. His new perspective on life — that we can find peace through living in the present — became the foundation of his teachings.

In 1997, Tolle released his first book, The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment. The seminal self-help guide became an international bestseller after Oprah Winfrey plugged the book on her talk show; his follow-up, A New Earth (2005), saw similar soaring sales after Winfrey featured it in her influential book club. Despite this enormous success, his publisher has said that Tolle practices the detachment from ego that he preaches, taking no interest in the business of his blockbuster books. Tolle lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

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John F. Kennedy

35th U.S. president (1917-1963)

John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born in 1917 into a prominent Massachusetts family. From a young age, Kennedy demonstrated obvious intelligence, but he often struggled to apply himself fully in school. He nonetheless found his footing, eventually graduating from Harvard University, serving in the U.S. Navy, and, after returning home a...

John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born in 1917 into a prominent Massachusetts family. From a young age, Kennedy demonstrated obvious intelligence, but he often struggled to apply himself fully in school. He nonetheless found his footing, eventually graduating from Harvard University, serving in the U.S. Navy, and, after returning home a World War II hero, doing a short stint as a newspaper reporter. At age 29, he won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives; six years later, he was elected to the U.S. Senate.

In 1960, at the age of 43, Kennedy became the youngest person ever elected U.S. president. His leadership inspired the country during one of the most turbulent times in its history. He peacefully resolved the Cuban Missile Crisis, founded the Peace Corps, and put forward legislation that laid the groundwork for the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Unfortunately, he did not live to see the landmark law passed; Kennedy’s life was tragically cut short by his assassination in 1963 in Dallas, Texas.

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