Anna Quindlen (b. 1952)

Quotes

• You cannot be really first-rate at your work if your work is all you are.

• All of us want to do well. But if we do not do good, too, then doing well will never be enough.

• Think of life as a terminal illness, because, if you do, you will live it with joy and passion, as it ought to be lived.

• I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think interior decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves.

• Voices that loud are always meant to bully. Do not be bullied. Acts of bravery don't always take place on battlefields. They can take place in your heart, when you have the courage to honor your character, your intellect, your inclinations, and, yes your soul by listening to its clean, clear voice of direction instead of following the muddied messages of a timid world.

• If your success is not on your own terms, if it looks good to the world but does not feel good in your heart, it is not success at all.