Bustling about may seem helpful,
but stillness is the way of the Tao.
Filling the air with words may seem effective,
but silence is the way of the Tao.
We are taught to be busy,
and it is difficult to be still.
Most people choose a way of effort
and keep themselves unconscious
of the true nature of things.

Mindful actions
and a few words, gently spoken:
this is the movement of the Tao.

- William and Nancy Martin, from their book, "The Caregiver's Tao Te Ching"

Silence is the only phenomenon today that is "useless." It does not fit into the world of profit and utility; it simply is. It seems to have no other purpose; it cannot be exploited.

All the other great phenomena have been appropriated by the world of profit and utility. Even the space between heaven and earth has become a mere cavity for aeroplanes to travel through. Water and fire have been absorbed by the world of profit; they are only noticed in so far as they are parts of this world; they have lost their independent existence.

Silence, however, stands outside the world of profit and utility; it cannot be exploited for profit; you cannot get anything out of it. It is "unproductive." Therefore, it is regarded as valueless.

Yet there is more help and healing in silence than in all the "useful things." Purposeless, unexploitible silence suddenly appears at the side of the all-too purposeful, and frightens us by its very purposelessness. It interferes with the regular "how" of the purposeful. It strengthens the untouchable, it lessens the damage inflicted by exploitation. It makes things whole again, by taking them back from the world of dissipation into the world of wholeness. It gives things something of its own holy uselessness, for that is what silence is: holy uselessness.

- Max Picard, German-Swiss writer and philosopher, from his book, "The World of Silence"

Have the courage to throw yourself into life, take risks, weather blows, knowing before you begin that you will be exposed to a series of opposites; success and failure, happiness and unhappiness, praise and blame...saying yes, opening up, and loving: these are the keys that will unlock the prison door.

- Arnaud Desjardins, French author.

Service, gladly rendered, obligations squarely met, troubles well accepted or solved, the knowledge that at home or in the world outside we are partners in a common effort, the well understood fact all beings are important, the proof love freely given surely brings a full return, the certainty we are no longer isolated and alone in self-constructed prisons, the surety that we need no longer be square pegs in round holes but can fit and belong in the scheme of things - these are the permanent and legitimate satisfactions of right living for which no amount of pomp and circumstances, no heap of material possessions, could possibly be substitutes. True ambition is not what we thought it was. True ambition is the deep desire to live usefully and walk humbly...

A human being is a part of a whole, called by us "universe," a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separate from the rest - a kind of optical delusion of consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.

- Albert Einstein, German-born American theoretical physicist who revolutionized modern thought on the nature of space and time and won the Nobel Prize of 1921 for his explanation of the photoelectric effect.

Finding the center of strength within ourselves is in the long run the best contribution we can make to our fellow men. ... One person with indigenous inner strength exercises a great calming effect on panic among people around him. This is what our society needs — not new ideas and inventions; important as these are, and not geniuses and supermen, but persons who can "be", that is, persons who have a center of strength within themselves.

- Rollo May, existential psychologist and author of the influential book, "Love and Will".

Art is an area where it is impossible to walk without stumbling. There are in store for you many unsuccessful days and whole unsuccessful seasons: there will be great misunderstandings and deep disappointments...you must be prepared for all this, accept it and nevertheless, stubbornly, fanatically follow your own way.

- Anton Chekhov, Russian playwright and short story writer, considered one of the greatest writers of all time.

When we worry, it’s usually about something that has already happened or something that we think might happen in the future. But all we can take care of is the present moment. Suppose we are traveling and we know we will have to cross a bridge. We can’t cross the bridge until we get there. If we spend our time thinking about how to cross the bridge, we’ll miss out on the journey. If we stay in the present moment, then when we finally get to the bridge, we can cross without fear.

- Thich Nhat Hanh, Vietnamese Buddhist and founder of the Plum Village Tradition of Engaged Buddhism.