Love

No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.

Aesop

Before he gained fame as a storyteller, Aesop was an enslaved worker in Greece in the sixth century BCE. After he was granted his freedom, legend has it the Greek fabulist traveled the land sharing narratives that would last through the ages, including “The Boy Who Cried Wolf" and “The Tortoise and the Hare.” This quote summarizes the moral of Aesop’s fable “The Lion and the Mouse.” In the tale, a lion catches a fast-talking mouse who insists that he might someday be useful to the lion. Laughing, the lion does him the kindness of sparing his life. Later, the mouse happens upon the lion shortly after the great beast has been caught in the net of a hunter. The mouse chews through the ropes of the net, setting the lion free and saving his life.
Aesop
Aesop
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Love

And in the end the love you take is equal to the love you make.

Paul McCartney

Singer and songwriter Paul McCartney, one of the Fab Four and a successful solo performer, wrote this lyric for the 1969 Beatles album "Abbey Road." This sentiment is quintessentially Beatles and true to the ‘60s anti-war movement, which urged, “Make love, not war.” This line closes “The End,” the last song recorded collectively by all four Beatles. In 1994, McCartney said of the lyric, “I can’t think of anything much better as a philosophy, because all you need is love.” As the musicians' time together wound down, McCartney sent a closing message to fans: Love is reciprocal, self-replicating, and self-validating — love created is love received.
Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
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Motivation

Comfort can be dangerous. Comfort provides a floor but also a ceiling.

Trevor Noah

Born and raised in South Africa under apartheid, "The Daily Show" host Trevor Noah knows a thing or two about stepping outside his comfort zone. Throughout his career, the comedian has skillfully blended his personal experience with his trademark sense of humor to educate audiences on racial injustice. In this line from his book "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood," Noah points out the risks of remaining in your comfort zone, and how that choice can limit your life. He reminds us that there is only so much that happens inside this safe, unchallenged space, and eventually the ceiling must be lifted in order to experience true freedom.
Trevor Noah
Trevor Noah
South African comedian, writer, and TV host (1984-present)
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Wisdom

One child, one teacher, one pen, and one book can change the world.

Malala Yousafzai

One fateful day changed the scope of Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai’s world. At age 15, while on the way to school on a bus with her friends, she was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman. She survived the injury, and subsequently became a global advocate for women’s education. Malala’s father, Ziauddin, is also an activist for education and encouraged her to get involved from a young age. Even before the shooting, Malala consistently spoke to the press about the injustice of barring girls from school, and her commitment to the cause has never waned. In 2014, she received the Nobel Peace Prize alongside Indian activist Kailash Satyarthi. Malala started the Malala Fund to invest in education activists so young girls like her can have access to a teacher, or a pen, or a book to inspire them to change the world.
Malala Yousafzai
Malala Yousafzai
Pakistani activist and Nobel Prize winner (1997-present)
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Love

There’s not a word yet for old friends who’ve just met.

Paul Williams

For a lyric sung to the sky by a crooked-nosed puppet who’s possibly an alien, this is a striking expression of the joy of connecting. The song, “I’m Going to Go Back There Someday,” was written by composer and songwriter Paul Williams and performed by Gonzo (David Goelz) in "The Muppet Movie." In this context, Gonzo twists the emotional paradox even further, as he’s longingly awaiting a friend he’s yet to meet. Blending hope and grief, he reveals a sense of connection with a kind of presence — a kindred spirit — just beyond his reach. Years later, the presence he longed for finally emerges in the movie "Muppets From Space" — it’s his home planet, reaching out after having tracked him down. His emotional journey reflects a universal desire for connection. It assures us of old friends looking to finally meet us, serving as a reminder that ultimately, we’re never alone.

Paul Williams
Paul Williams
Composer, singer, and actor (1940-present)
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