Rabindranath Tagore was a Bengali writer gifted in many mediums, from short stories and essays to songs and plays. In 1913, he became the first non-European writer in history to be awarded a Nobel Prize for literature. Three years later, Tagore published “Stray Birds,” a collection of 326 philosophical verses and brief poems that includes this line. Despite his talents, Tagore understood that the best human trait is a modest and unassuming nature, which enables us to listen well, form unexpected bonds, and learn from others.

William Shakespeare’s plays often consider themes of change and metamorphosis, and these words from “Hamlet” are no exception. The character Ophelia goes mad after Prince Hamlet kills her father, and her remarks here can refer to both her father’s unexpected death and her own uncertain future. Shakespeare often wrote about personal transformation, in tales of enemies becoming lovers, or poor men becoming rich; he himself rose from a back-alley writer to a royal playwright. His words offer a twofold reminder: to be grateful for what we have in the present, and always hopeful about the possibility ahead.

An old and oft-repeated proverb warns us that “curiosity killed the cat” — in other words, there is danger in unnecessary investigation and inquisitiveness. One man who willfully ignored this advice was Albert Einstein, one of the greatest scientists of all time. As Einstein saw it, curiosity and constant questioning are among the most vital and desirable characteristics of the human mind; he referred to curiosity as “holy” on more than occasion. This quote comes from a 1955 interview he gave to "Life" magazine, in which he went on to say, “One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery each day.” 

Cesar Chavez spent his life fighting for the American workforce, and in particular Latin American farm workers. A civil rights activist and labor leader, he co-founded (along with Dolores Huerta) the National Farm Workers Association, which became the powerful United Farm Workers labor union. This line is part of a prayer Chavez wrote for farm workers in which he empathized with their struggle. He underlined the importance of serving others, writing, "give me honesty and patience, so that I can work with other workers."