Friday, December 18, 2009

Eleanor Roosevelt - One of the Great People of the 20th Century

People who love quotes know that Albert Einstein, Mark Twain and Ralph Waldo Emerson are among the richest sources of wisdom. But how many people know that Eleanor Roosevelt (1884 - 1962) is one of the most often-quoted people in history?

Yes, she was the First Lady to Franklin D. Roosevelt from 1933 to 1945. But she was also a prominent speaker, author, politician and human rights advocate all her life. She was instrumental in forming the United Nations, and President Truman appointed her the U. S. Delegate to the U.N. General Assembly.

Some of my favorite quotes...

"When you are genuinely interested in one thing, it will always lead to something else."

"Character building begins in our infancy and continues until death."

"To handle yourself, use your head; to handle others, use your heart." 

"The basic thing which contributes to charm is the ability to forget oneself and be engrossed in other people."

"Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart."

"Surely, in the light of history, it is more intelligent to hope rather than fear, to try rather than not to try."

"It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness."

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."

5 comments:

Sean said...

While I can't say I've ever been inspired by a president's wife, others certainly are. And now, the government is honoring these women with a special $10 gold coin series issued by the US Mint: http://usmint.gov/mint_programs/firstSpouse/

Eleanor Roosevelt gets her coin in 2014.

Unknown said...

Thanks for the heads-up! Got it on my calendar...

Meredith Bell said...

It took a mature, wise person to speak these important truths. Thanks for putting them together in one place. Eleanor Roosevelt is a role model in so many ways for all of us.

Anonymous said...

These quotes from Mrs. Roosevelt are wonderful. Some historians have called her the "conscience" of the Roosevelt administration. She has always been an inspiration to me for her compassion, her zeal for justice, and for her incredible work on the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights.

Kris said...

Quoted all day, every day on social media. An amazing woman with a fantastic legacy.