Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway

"Courage to me is doing something daring, no matter how afraid, insecure, intimidated, alone, unworthy, incapable, ridiculed or whatever other paralyzing emotion you might feel. Courage is taking action...no matter what. So you're afraid? Be afraid. Be scared silly to the point you're trembling and nauseous, but do it anyway!"

"I have a funny side. I have a soft and sympathetic side. I have a serious side, and a seriously romantic side. I have lots of sides; it's the main course I haven't quite figured out."

"I'm not saying that I think one man is better than the other. I'm not saying that either is kinder or wiser or more ambitious, more thoughtful, confident, or able. But the fact is that when I'm with the one, comfort settles into my bones. I feel calm around him, as if the sun is smiling down on me and the world has suddenly become a sweet, safe place to be. I feel good about life―about myself. And it's hard not to want to be near someone who, just by their very nature, makes you feel that way."

"No matter how loud the sirens or how numerous the hazard signs, we all touch the flames at least once to prove they're hot."

"What you perceive as a failure today may actually be a crucial step towards the success you seek. Never give up."

"You will realize one day that all the money in the world cannot buy you happiness. Nor can it make you a person of good character. "

"Life isn't all grand, but it isn't all miserable either.  There's both sweet and sour in every day.  So why focus on the ugly when you can gaze at what's beautiful?  Concentrate on the good."

"I don't so much mind looking back on having lost the election, or having been denied a role in the play, or having had my novel repeatedly rejected, or having been turned down for a date, or recalling laughter at my expense when I attempted some silly challenge.  Those things simply prove that I lived life.  What I do mind, however, is looking back on the lost opportunities where imagined concerns kept me from even trying—lose or win.  I've learned that there is no regret in a brave attempt, only in cowering to fear."

"Just pick a goal and stick to it―no big complicated secret."

"Statistics, likelihoods, and probabilities mean everything to men, nothing to God."

"One way or another, I think we are all destined to learn the same lessons in life. Universal truths are universal truths. They cannot be changed."

"Never give up. It's like breathing—once you quit, your flame dies letting total darkness extinguish every last gasp of hope. You can't do that. You must continue taking in even the shallowest of breaths, continue putting forth even the smallest of efforts to sustain your dreams. Don't ever, ever, ever give up."

"Courage to me is doing something daring, no matter how afraid, insecure, intimidated, alone, unworthy, incapable, ridiculed or whatever other paralyzing emotion you might feel. Courage is taking action...no matter what.  So you're afraid? Be afraid.  Be scared silly to the point you're trembling and nauseous, but do it anyway!"

"A daily dose of daydreaming heals the heart, soothes the soul, and strengthens the imagination."

"Nothing in this world compares to the comfort and security of having someone just hold your hand."

"No one is without troubles, without personal hardships and genuine challenges.  That fact may not be obvious because most people don't advertise their woes and heartaches.  But nobody, not even the purest heart, escapes life without suffering battle scars."