Today's Inspiration - Miles Davis

Quote of the Day

"Do not fear mistakes, there are none."
– Miles Davis

About Miles Davis

Miles Davis, the innovative American jazz trumpeter famous for his languid, melodic style, was influential in the development of many forms of jazz. He was born in 1926 in Illinois. His mother wanted him to learn the violin, but he picked up the trumpet instead. He dropped out of Julliard to track down Charlie Parker and joined his quintet. He later nurtured many jazz greats in his own band. The album Kind of Blue is considered his masterpiece. He died in 1991.

Today's Inspiration - Julia Alvarez

Quote of the Day

"The point is not to pay back kindness but to pass it on."
– Julia Alvarez

About Julia Alvarez

Dominican-American author Julia Alvarez is best known for her novels, How the García Girls Lost Their Accents, about sisters adjusting to life in the US, and In the Time of the Butterflies, the tragic life story of the anti-Trujillo activists, the Mirabal sisters. Born in New York in 1950, she was raised in the Dominican Republic until she was ten, when her family fled the country. She and her husband live in Vermont and run a sustainable coffee farm/literacy center in the Dominican Republic.

Today's Inspiration - Victoria Holt

Quote of the Day

"Never regret. If it's good, it's wonderful. If it's bad, it's experience."
– Victoria Holt

About Victoria Holt

Victoria Holt was one of prolific British author Eleanor Hibbert's many pen names. She was born Eleanor Burford in London in 1906. She took odd jobs until she met and married George Hibbert; after that, she had time to write. And write she did, producing over 200 novels. As Victoria Holt she wrote gothic romances, as Jean Plaidy she wrote historical novels about royalty, and as Philippa Carr she wrote family sagas. She also used four other pseudonyms. She died in 1993.

Today's Inspiration - Erich Fromm

Quote of the Day

"Man's main task in life is to give birth to himself, to become what he potentially is."
– Erich Fromm

About Erich Fromm

Erich Fromm, the humanist German psychoanalyst and author, is best known for his book, The Art of Loving, which describes love as care, responsibility, respect, and knowledge. Born in Germany in 1900, he emigrated to the United States in 1934, fleeing Hitler's regime. He taught at a number of universities in the U.S. and Mexico and wrote eight books delineating his view of human nature. He believed that modern society makes us feel isolated and long to reach out to others. He died in 1980.

Today's Inspiration - Anatole France

Quote of the Day

"To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe."
– Anatole France

About Anatole France

Anatole France was the pen name of Nobel Prize–winning French author Jacques Anatole François Thibault. He was born in 1844 in Paris. His father was a book dealer, and France spent his life among books, including 14 years as assistant librarian to the French Senate. His novels, including the Contemporary History series and The Gods Are Athirst, often use allegory and religious symbolism as vehicles for moral questions. He died in 1924.

Today's Inspiration - James Bryant Conant

Quote of the Day

"Behold the turtle. He makes progress only when he sticks his neck out."
– James Bryant Conant

About James Bryant Conant

James Bryant Conant, the American chemist and educator, is known both for his role in the Manhattan Project — which developed the first nuclear weapons — and for his innovative tenure as president of Harvard University. Harvard had been a finishing school for the rich; Conant turned it into a world-class research university and created aptitude tests to choose students by ability. These tests became the basis for the SAT. He was born in Massachusetts in 1893 and died in New Hampshire in 1978.

Today's Inspiration - Winston Churchill

Quote of the Day
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. 
The chain of destiny can only be 
grasped one link at a time."
– Winston Churchill

About Winston Churchill

Sir Winston Churchill was an extraordinary British prime minister; he laid the groundwork for welfare in England, helped set the boundaries in the Middle East, became a symbol of the resistance against the Nazis in Europe, and was a central force in the Allied victory in World War II. He was born in 1874 near Oxford. He was known for his courage, his stubbornness, and his powerful personality. He was also an accomplished painter and writer. He died in 1965.

Today's Inspiration – Warren Buffett

Quote of the Day
"The Noah rule: 
Predicting rain doesn't count; 
building arks does."
– Warren Buffett

About Warren Buffett

Warren Buffett, the legendary American financier known as the Oracle of Omaha, is the world's richest man. He was born in Nebraska in 1930. As a youngster, he sold six-packs of Coke for a profit and first invested in the stock market at age 11. His first limited partnership reaped dividends up to 30 percent. He follows the simple but powerful principle that you should learn about the intrinsic value of a company before you invest. He is now the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, a diversified holding company.