A few quotes from one of my favorite historical figures, Franklin D. Roosevelt. What a great man (even if he had his idiosyncrasies and vices). We’re going to NYC this fall and hope to travel to Hyde Park while we’re there, home of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum. Looking forward to seeing all things Roosevelt.
As an aside, the relationship between FDR and his progressive, humanitarian wife Eleanor was strange. They had one of the most puzzling marriage I’ve ever read about. What started out as a very traditional partnership became quite unconventional as the years went on. We’ll get into that another time. In the meantime, a wonderful book on the subject is Franklin and Eleanor: An Extraordinary Marriage by Hazel Rowley.
And now, here’s some words of wisdom from one of this country’s greatest presidents.
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“Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort.”
“Confidence… thrives on honesty, on honor, on the sacredness of obligations, on faithful protection and on unselfish performance. Without them it cannot live.”
“If civilization is to survive, we must cultivate the science of human relationships – the ability of all peoples, of all kinds, to live together, in the same world at peace.”
“Let us never forget that government is ourselves and not an alien power over us. The ultimate rulers of our democracy are not a President and senators and congressmen and government officials, but the voters of this country.”
Bonus Quotes by Eleanor Roosevelt.
“Probably the happiest period in life most frequently is in middle age, when the eager passions of youth are cooled, and the infirmities of age not yet begun; as we see that the shadows, which are at morning and evening so large, almost entirely disappear at midday.”
“In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility.”
“In all our contacts it is probably the sense of being really needed and wanted which gives us the greatest satisfaction and creates the most lasting bond.”
Everything I Never Told You 