Appreciate Small Beginnings

"The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn."
                               -Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Without change, something sleeps inside us, and seldom awakens. The sleeper must awaken."
                                                               – Frank Herbert

About Frank Herbert

American author Frank Herbert is the author of Dune, the ecological science-fiction classic that has inspired cult-like devotion among fans. He was born in Tacoma in 1920. He lied about his age to get his first newspaper job in 1939. He was inspired to write Dune after researching an article about sand dunes in Oregon. The book took six years to write and was rejected by 23 publishers. It was a critical success for its exploration of issues of religion, politics, and survival. He died in 1986.

"A day of worry is more exhausting than a week of work."
                                                                      – John Lubbock

About John Lubbock

John Lubbock, the multifaceted British banker, statesman, and scientist, was responsible for the institution of England's monthly Bank Holidays, sometimes referred to as St. Lubbock Days. He was born in 1834 in England. Growing up, he learned science from his father's friend Charles Darwin. He coined the terms Paleolithic and Neolithic to denote the different Stone Ages, and he wrote the well-regarded books Prehistoric Times and Ants, Bees, and Wasps. He died in 1913.

   "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.
             Live the life you've imagined."
         Henry David ThoreauHenry David Thoreau

"If you spend your whole life waiting for the storm,
  you'll never enjoy the sunshine."
                                                            – Morris West

About Morris West

Morris West, the popular Australian writer best known for religious thrillers including The Shoes of the Fisherman and The Devil's Advocate, spent 12 years in a Christian Brothers monastery but left before taking his final vows. He was born in Melbourne in 1916. He wrote his first book while serving in the South Pacific during World War II. After the war, he held such varied jobs as a radio soap-opera writer and Vatican correspondent for London's Daily Mail. He died in 1999.

"People become really quite remarkable
when they start thinking that they can do things.
When they believe in themselves,
they have the first secret of success."
- Norman Vincent Peale

"Within us all there are wells of thought and dynamos of energy which are not suspected until emergencies arise."
                                                                 – Thomas J. Watson

About Thomas J. Watson

American businessman Thomas J. Watson built IBM into a Fortune 500 company. He was born in rural New York in 1874. He sold sewing machines, musical instruments, and cash registers before becoming president of the Computing-Tabulating-Recording company, which merged with IBM in 1924. His paternalistic business style was a model for later Japanese management, and his motto, "THINK," became his company's slogan. Under his leadership, IBM funded the first computers. He died in 1956.

"Don't carry a grudge. While you're carrying a grudge,
               the other guy's out dancing."
                                                                    – Buddy Hackett

"The power of imagination makes us infinite."
                                                                    – John Muir

About John Muir

American naturalist John Muir is remembered as a passionate champion of the natural wonder of Yosemite; he was instrumental in turning the land into a national park. Born in Scotland in 1838, he immigrated with his family to Wisconsin in 1849. He dropped out of college to walk 1,000 miles from Indiana to Florida. After falling in love with Yosemite, he took a job herding sheep nearby. He developed the theory that the valley was created by glaciers, which is now accepted as fact. He died in 1914.

      

"Reading is important — read between the lines. Don't swallow everything."
                                                               – Gwendolyn Brooks

About Gwendolyn Brooks

In 1950, poet Gwendolyn Brooks became the first African-American awarded a Pulitzer Prize. She was born in 1917 in Kansas and grew up in Chicago. Her poetry often evokes the environment of Chicago's tough South Side neighborhood. In later years her work became more overtly political, though she continued to combine an understanding of traditional forms like sonnets and ballads with the rhythm of the blues and experimental verse. She died in 2000.

"Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."
                                                             --Christopher Robin to Winnie The Pooh

"Be aware of wonder. Live a balanced life —
    learn some and think some and draw and
     paint and sing and dance and play and
              work every day some."
                                                                            – Robert Fulghum

About Robert Fulghum

American author Robert Fulghum is best known for his book All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, which dominated the New York Times best-seller list for nearly two years. He was born in 1937 in Texas. In his youth he worked at odd jobs, including ditchdigger, ranch hand, and singing cowboy. After a short career at IBM, he became a Unitarian minister. He has written eight best-selling books of essays. His anecdotes of everyday life encapsulate his down-home philosophy. He lives in Seattle, Washington and on the Greek Island of Crete.