We can all use some positivity and guidance as we begin a new school year this September. Why not take some advice from some of the greatest writers, actors, athletes and thinkers of all time?
Here are 31 little bits of wisdom to guide you through your next year of studies, friendships, loves, losses and dreams.
1. Author A.A Milne in "Winnie the Pooh." Remember that you're a fantastic person, and no one can take that away from you!
2. DC Comics in "Superman." See past the superficial and create unity around you.
3. Confucius. Keep it simple and focus on what matters. Don't let yourself be overwhelmed.
4. Nobel Prize-winning physicist Albert Einstein. Live with purpose. Don't let people or things around you get you down.
5. Author Theodor Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss). Don't live to please everyone. Embrace those who enjoy your company and to hell with the haters.
6. Microsoft CEO Bill Gates. Don't wallow in failure. Instead, learn from it.
7. Musician John Lennon. Don't underestimate the importance of happiness. As long as you're happy, who cares what you do?
8. Composer Eric Whitacre. Nerves, stress and the pressure to perform are a part of life. You don't have to conquer these feelings; just learn to live with them.
9. Singer Frank Sinatra. Don't respond to negativity with more negativity. Just put your head down and prove your critics wrong.
10. Actress and humanitarian Audrey Hepburn. There are more important things than outward appearance. No amount of makeup can cover an ugly personality.
11. Writer Marquise de Sevigne. Friendships take work. Use disagreements as opportunity to come out better on the other side
12. Dr. Seuss. Don't conform for the sake of pleasing others. Mold yourself into the person that you want to be.
13. Philosopher Aristotle. Be a free thinker and don't accept everything you hear as truth. Be critical and evaluate what you believe in.
14. Musician Bob Marley. Enemies cause you pain, and love requires sacrifice. No relationship is easy, so choose people who deserve your dedication.
15. Actor Robin Williams. Don't associate yourself with toxic people. It's better to be alone and love yourself than surrounded by people that make you hate yourself.
16. Douglas Adams in "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." Don't spin your wheels and stress. Take a deep breath, center yourself and make a plan.
17. Martial artist Bruce Lee. There is no love without friendship. Passion alone does not form relationships of value.
18. Writer and philosopher Ayn Rand. Malice and spite does not drive success. Strive to improve yourself!
19. Author George Bernard Shaw. Have a flexible and accepting mind. Entertain new and controversial thoughts.
20. The Buddha Siddhartha Gautama. You are not successful unless you are happy in life. Happiness comes not from things you acquire, but from experiences you have.
21. Author George Orwell. For better or worse, the formative years of schooling contain some of life's greatest moments. Don't let it pass you by.
22. Bill Gates. Everyone is so amazing and unique that one person cannot be compared to the other. Don't even bother trying.
23. Former President John Adams. Formal education provides us with a foundation, but only through real-world experience do we truly mature.
24. Author Victor Hugo. Education opens our eyes to so many amazing things. It literates us from ignorance and allows us to flourish.
25. Albert Einstein. It is our intangible qualities that make us special.
26. Bill Gates. Flattery doesn't help anyone. We grow through being challenged, critiqued and corrected.
27. Author Douglas Adams in "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." Sometimes life will upset the pans you've made, but Plan B may be better than you've ever imagined.
28. Author and theologian C.S. Lewis. Friends love each other for the little quirks and peculiarities that they share. Don't hide them; embrace them.
29. Politician and social reformer Nelson Mandela. Proper education is what supports society, not war, laws or oppression.
30. Albert Einstein. Get outside your comfort zone. You never know if it will end in success unless you try.
