Fred Rogers, aka, Mr. Rogers, is a hero of mine. I often turn to his wisdom – two books dedicated to his thoughts sit on my desk. Here are ten of my favorite quotes.
10. “Love isn’t a state of perfect caring. It is an active noun like struggle. To love someone is to strive to accept that person exactly the way he or she is, right here and now.”
9. “As human beings, our job in life is to help people realize how rare and valuable each one of us really is, that each of us has something that no one else has — or ever will have — something inside that is unique to all time. It’s our job to encourage each other to discover that uniqueness and to provide ways of developing its expression.”
8. “In times of stress, the best thing we can do for each other is to listen with our ears and our hearts and to be assured that our questions are just as important as our answers.”
7. “Whether we’re a preschooler or a young teen, a graduating college senior or a retired person, we human beings all want to know that we’re acceptable, that our being alive somehow makes a difference in the lives of others.”
6. “Real strength has to do with helping others.”
5. “There is no normal life that is free of pain. It’s the very wrestling with our problems that can be the impetus for our growth.”
4. “How great it is when we come to know that times of disappointment can be followed by joy; that guilt over falling short of our ideals can be replaced by pride in doing all that we can; and that anger can be channeled into creative achievements . . . and into dreams that we can make come true.”
3. “The greatest gift you ever give is your honest self.”
2. “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ To this day, especially in times of ‘disaster,’ I remember my mother’s words, and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers — so many caring people in this world.”
1. “There are three ways to ultimate success: The first way is to be kind. The second way is to be kind. The third way is to be kind.”
Shalom, Paul