“When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.”

“The Divine Energy is listening to us when we speak to other people, but also when we are still and silent and able to accept solitude as a blessing.”

Paulo Coelho book Manuscript Found in Accra

“Be patterns, be examples in all countries, places, islands, nations wherever you come; that your carriage and life may preach among all sorts of people, and to them; then you will come to walk cheerfully over the world, answering that of God in everyone; whereby in them you may be a blessing, and make the witness of God in them to bless you.”

George Fox (1624–1691) English Dissenter and founder of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)

“if i could be assured of your destruction, i would in the interest of the public, cheerfully accept my death.”

Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930) Scottish physician and author

“And we will be ready, at the end of every day will be ready, will not say no to anything, will try to stay awake while everyone is sleeping, will not sleep, will make the shoes with the elves, will breathe deeply all the time, breathe in all the air full of glass and nails and blood, will breathe it and drink it, so rich, so when it comes we will not be angry, will be content, tired enough to go, gratefully, will shake hands with everyone, bye, bye, and then pack a bag, some snacks, and go to the volcano.”

Dave Eggers (1970) memoirist, novelist, short story writer, editor, publisher

“God bless each and everyone of you.”

Ted Cruz (1970) American politician

“Accept the children the way we accept trees—with gratitude, because they are a blessing—but do not have expectations or desires. You don’t expect trees to change, you love them as they are.”

Isabel Allende (1942) Chilean writer

“If everyone were not so indolent they would realise that beauty is beauty even when it is irritating and stimulating not only when it is accepted and classic.”

Gertrude Stein (1874–1946) American art collector and experimental writer of novels, poetry and plays

“Why is life so difficult? Why can't we be just ourselves and have everyone accept us the way we are?”

Beatrice Sparks (1917–2012) American writer

“It’s very important to be able to accept things, you know. Gracious acceptance is an art – an art which most of never bother to cultivate. We think that we have to learn how to give, but we forget about accepting things, which can be much harder than giving.”

Alexander McCall Smith (1948) British writer