We're in trouble. Anyone who is paying attention or even just vaguely aware of his or her surroundings knows that the world is a dangerous, frightening place. It may not have affected your life directly as of right now, but your life will eventually be touched because all of humanity has been touched. Terrorist attacks and brutal shootings have became almost a daily occurrence, and the world is too concerned with bickering or discussion or attempting to form a plan to actually take the action necessary to make a better future.
The time for talk is already past. It is time to fight back against the fire or else be consumed by the flames. Love only conquers hate when it is paired with positive action; simply saying that love conquers hate will do very little to win that battle. We must morn the travesties on our wounded planet but know that there is still hope for a future if we work -- we work hard and we work together. If you're looking for a little inspiration in that respect, here are 16 quotes that the world could stand to hear:
1. "Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness" - Desmond Tutu.
2. "A little bit of mercy makes the world less cold and more just" - Pope Francis.
3. "The thing that lies at the foundation of positive change, the way I see it, is service to a fellow human being" - Lee Iacocca.
4. "At the end of the day, we must go forward with hope and not backward by fear and division" - Jesse Jackson.
5. "A little more persistence, a little more effort, and what seemed hopeless failure may turn to glorious success" - Elbert Hubbard.
6. "The way to get started is to quit talking and being doing" - Walt Disney.
7. "No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path" - Buddha.
8. "We can be tired, weary and emotionally distraught, but after spending time alone with God, we find that He injects into our bodies energy, power and strength" - Charles Stanley.
9. "Nothing has more strength than dire necessity" - Euripides.
10. "Unity is strength... when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved" - Mattie Stepanek.
11. "Where there is unity there is always victory" - Publillius Syrus.
12. "You don't get unity by ignoring the questions that have to be faced" - Jay Weatherill.
13. "The reason why the world lacks unity, and lies broken and in heaps, is, because man is disunited with himself" - Ralph Waldo Emerson.
14. "You can't cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water" - Rabindranath Tagore.
15. "I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that his justice cannot sleep forever" - Thomas Jefferson.
16. "You may not always have a comfortable life and you will not always be able to solve all of the world's problems at once, but don't ever underestimate the importance you can have because history has shown us that courage can be contagious and hope can take on a life of its own" - Michelle Obama.
