“It is never too late to be what you might have been.”
George Eliot (1819–1880) English novelist, journalist and translator
New Year quotes
A collection of quotes on the topic of anniversary, new year, news, year.
Best new year quotes
“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.”
Albert Einstein (1879–1955) German-born physicist and founder of the theory of relativity
“It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.”
William Shakespeare (1564–1616) English playwright and poet
“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.”
William James (1842–1910) American philosopher, psychologist, and pragmatist
“With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.”
Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962) American politician, diplomat, and activist, and First Lady of the United States
“Make the most of yourself…. for that is all there is of you.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882) American philosopher, essayist, and poet
“No matter how hard the past, you can always begin again.”
Gautama Buddha (-563–-483 BC) philosopher, reformer and the founder of Buddhism
“It always seems impossible until it's done.”
Nelson Mandela (1918–2013) President of South Africa, anti-apartheid activist
New Year quotes
“I don't know where I'm going from here, but I promise it won't be boring.”
David Bowie (1947–2016) British musician, actor, record producer and arranger
Socrates (-470–-399 BC) classical Greek Athenian philosopher
This is actually a quotation http://books.google.com/books?id=FUIHmRHf8SUC&lpg=PA130&dq=%22not%20on%20fighting%20the%20old%20but%20on%20building%20the%20new%22&pg=PA130#v=onepage&q=%22not%20on%20fighting%20the%20old%20but%20on%20building%20the%20new%22&f=false from a character named Socrates in Way of the Peaceful Warrior: A Book that Changes Lives http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Way_of_the_Peaceful_Warrior, by Dan Millman. <br class="br">Misattributed
“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.”
Sören Kierkegaard (1813–1855) Danish philosopher and theologian, founder of Existentialism
Variant: Life can only be understood going backward, but must be lived going forward.
“And now we welcome the new year, full of things that have never been”
Rainer Maria Rilke (1875–1926) Austrian poet and writer
“Resolution One: I will live for God. Resolution Two: If no one else does, I still will.”
Jonathan Edwards (1703–1758) Christian preacher, philosopher, and theologian
“And suddenly you know: It's time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings”
Meister Eckhart (1260–1328) German theologian
Widely circulated on the internet, but no actual text to tie it back to Eckhart, as of yet.
Ref: en.wikiquote.org - Meister Eckhart / Disputed
“For last year's words belong to last year's language
And next year's words await another voice.”
T.S. Eliot book Four Quartets
Variant: For last year's words belong to last year's language
And next year's words await another voice.
And to make an end is to make a beginning."
()
Source: Four Quartets
“Life can only be understood looking backward. It must be lived forward.”
Eric Roth (1945) American screenwriter
Source: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Screenplay
“If you are brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new Hello.
Paulo Coehlo”
Paulo Coelho (1947) Brazilian lyricist and novelist
Variant: If you’re brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello.
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”
Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962) American politician, diplomat, and activist, and First Lady of the United States
Often attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt without an original source in her writings, for example in the introduction to It Seems to Me : Selected Letters of Eleanor Roosevelt (2001) by Leonard C. Schlup and Donald W. Whisenhunt, p. 2 http://books.google.com/books?id=UeFWjTMcLZYC&lpg=PP1&pg=PA2#v=onepage&q&f=false. But archivists have not been able to find the quote in any of her writings, see the comment from Ralph Keyes in The Quote Verifier above. <br class="br">Disputed
“The will-to-live becomes the will-to-power.”
Reinhold Niebuhr (1892–1971) American protestant theologian
Source: (1932), p.1
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. ”
Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962) American politician, diplomat, and activist, and First Lady of the United States
“The opportunity of your life, it's you.”
Prevale (1983) Italian DJ and producer
Original: (it) L'occasione della tua vita, sei tu.
Source: prevale.net
“One resolution I have made, and try always to keep, is this: ‘To rise above little things’.”
John Burroughs (1837–1921) American naturalist and essayist
“Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.”
Oprah Winfrey (1954) American businesswoman, talk show host, actress, producer, and philanthropist
“Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882) American philosopher, essayist, and poet
Works and Days
1870s, Society and Solitude (1870)
“Strange to see how a good dinner and feasting reconciles everybody.”
Samuel Pepys (1633–1703) English naval administrator and member of parliament
9 November 1665 http://books.google.com/books?id=azIEAAAAQAAJ&q=%22Strange+to+see+how+a+good+dinner+and+feasting+reconciles+everybody%22&pg=PA120#v=onepage <br class="br">Diary <br class="br">Source: The Diary of Samuel Pepys: A Selection
“It's a magical world, Hobbes, ol' buddy… Let's go exploring!”
Bill Watterson (1958) American comic artist
Source: It's a Magical World: A Calvin and Hobbes Collection
“Each age has deemed the new-born year
The fittest time for festal cheer.”
Walter Scott (1771–1832) Scottish historical novelist, playwright, and poet
“Stay committed to your decisions, but stay flexible in your approach.”
Anthony Robbins (1960) Author, actor, professional speaker
“Don't be afraid to give up the good to go for the great”
John D. Rockefeller (1839–1937) American business magnate and philanthropist
Earliest citation found in Google Books is from 1993 https://books.google.com/books?id=bdTko5oHTd4C&pg=PA25&dq=%22give+up+the+good+to+go+for+the+great%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiH2e_QivXLAhUps4MKHdf0A9wQ6AEIHTAA#v=onepage&q=%22give%20up%20the%20good%20to%20go%20for%20the%20great%22&f=false, where it is attributed to country-music singer Kenny Rogers. Not found attributed to Rockefeller until 2006 https://books.google.com/books?id=F7OGT9WTiPQC&pg=PA24&dq=%22give+up+the+good%22+%22go+for+the+great%22+rockefeller&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjw_rb9ivXLAhXrmoMKHbgHBqkQ6wEIHjAA#v=onepage&q=%22give%20up%20the%20good%22%20%22go%20for%20the%20great%22%20rockefeller&f=false. <br class="br">Disputed <br class="br">Variant: Don't be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.
“May all your troubles last as long as your New Year's resolutions.”
Joey Adams (1911–1999) American comedian, newspaper columnist
“First you take a drink, then the drink takes a drink, then the drink takes you.”
F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896–1940) American novelist and screenwriter
Variant: First you take a drink, then the drink takes a drink, then the drink takes you.
“If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude.”
Maya Angelou (1928–2014) American author and poet
“Too much of anything is bad, but too much Champagne is just right.”
F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896–1940) American novelist and screenwriter
“Every great dream begins with a dreamer.”
Harriet Tubman (1820–1913) African-American abolitionist and humanitarian
“it's wrong to be right; it's right to be wrong.”
Paul Arden (1940–2008) writer
“You are never too old to set another goal, or to dream a new dream.”
Clive Staples Lewis (1898–1963) Christian apologist, novelist, and Medievalist
Unknown, but also attributed to Les Brown, a motivational speaker. Commonly attributed to C.S. Lewis, but never with a primary source listed.
Misattributed
“At a dinner party one should eat wisely but not too well, and talk well but not too wisely.”
W. Somerset Maugham (1874–1965) British playwright, novelist, short story writer
Unidentified page
A Writer's Notebook (1946)
“Never tell your resolution beforehand.”
John Selden (1584–1654) English jurist and scholar of England's ancient laws and constitution, and of Jewish law
Wisdom.
Table Talk (1689)
“And suns grow meek, and the meek suns grow brief,
And the year smiles as it draws near its death.”
William Cullen Bryant (1794–1878) American romantic poet and journalist
October. A Sonnet http://www.gutenberg.org/files/16341/16341-h/16341-h.htm#page115 (1866)
“There is no knowledge that is not power.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882) American philosopher, essayist, and poet
Old Age
1870s, Society and Solitude (1870)
“Deep breaths are very helpful at shallow parties.”
Barbara Walters (1929) American broadcast journalist, author, and television personality
How to Talk With Practically Anybody About Practically Anything (1970).
“Life is not living, but living in health.”
Vita non est vivere, sed valera vita est.
Martial book Epigrammata
VI, 70.
Variant translations:
It is not life to live, but to be well.
Life's not just being alive, but being well.
Epigrams (c. 80 – 104 AD)
Ellen Goodman (1941) American journalist and writer
Attributed
“Tomorrow, is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Write a good one.”
Brad Paisley (1972) American country music singer
Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790) American author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, inventor, civic activist, …