The philosopher Seneca contributed largely to an ancient Roman school of thought called Stoicism: the idea that, in life, some things are under our control, and others are not. Seneca’s quote here reminds us that we cannot dictate circumstance, but we can work hard and train in our chosen vocation so that when opportunity presents itself, we’re ready.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt took office in the throes of the Great Depression, with millions of Americans poor and unemployed. In his inaugural address in March 1933, from which this quote is taken, Roosevelt vowed to rehabilitate the economy and reminded American citizens of their nation’s history of endurance. FDR proved this throughout his presidency, and his simple but powerful advice has echoed through the years. The importance of this truism is hard to overstate: Time and again, it is fear itself and not the challenges or obstacles in our path that stop us from reaching our fullest potential.

Post-Impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh regularly exchanged letters with his brother Theo, and this quote comes from one such letter from October 1882. The young Vincent had recently left his parents’ house and moved to The Hague in The Netherlands, where he was finally able to take daily drawing classes. In fact, Theo sent Vincent his first set of oil paints that summer, and Vincent fully dove into color. This quote applies to both painting and life. You can’t create something magnificent on a whim; great achievements are usually the result of working one step at a time.