Wilferd Peterson was an American author who wrote for This Week magazine (a national Sunday supplement in newspapers) for many years. For twenty-five years, he wrote a monthly column for Science of Mind magazine. He published nine books starting in 1949 with The Art of Getting Along: Inspiration for Triumphant Daily Living. May his quotes inspire you to take action so that you may live your dreams.
1. “Success is focusing the full power of all you are on what you have a burning desire to achieve.” Wilferd Peterson
2. “Take time for good books: time to absorb the thoughts of poets and philosophers, seers and prophets.” Wilferd Peterson
3. “Inject laughter into tense situations to save the day; laughter calms tempers and soothes jangled nerves.” Wilferd Peterson
4. “Have the daring to take a flight for the idea you believe in.” Wilferd Peterson
5. “A man practices the art of adventure when he breaks the chain of routine and renews his life through reading new books, traveling to new places, making new friends, taking up new hobbies.” Wilferd Peterson
6. “Prayer is dedicating our thought, feeling and action to the expression of goodness. It is to become like a window through which the light of God shines.” Wilferd Peterson
7. “Big thinking precedes great achievement.” Wilferd Peterson
8. “Toady’s world needs change, alteration, renewal, and corrections of errors. It needs new ideas, new approaches, methods, plans, procedures, and new ways of doing things.” Wilferd Peterson
9. “Goodwill is a power that can be used every day of the year and every hour of the day. It is instantly available.” Wilferd Peterson
10. “Let your light shine. Be a source of strength and courage. Share your wisdom. Radiate love.” Wilferd Peterson
11. “Sooner or later, a man if he is wise, discover that life is a mixture of good days and bad, victory and defeat, give and take.” Wilferd Peterson
12. “It is in identifying yourself with the hopes, dreams, fears, and longings of others that you may understand them and help them.” Wilferd Peterson
13. “The most wonderful inspirational chemistry we can use on another is the gift of our love and acceptance. devoted and unquestioned love has a magic creative power. The consciousness of being loved is an uplifting, saving, healing force that causes one to go on when otherwise it would be impossible to do so. Love said Emerson is the affirmative of affirmatives.” Wilferd Peterson
14. “Imagination guides you in your contacts with individuals and crowds, so you can discover new concepts and approaches.” Wilferd Peterson
15. “Success is relative and individual and personal. It is your answer to the problem of making your minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and years add up to a great life.” Wilferd Peterson
16. “It is time to browse through the precious books that have meant the most to you that you may rediscover illuminating phrases and sentences to light your pathway to the future.” Wilferd Peterson
17. “You may plan to write a book someday but you are living a book every day.” Wilferd Peterson
18. “Love is the dove of peace, the spirit of brotherhood, it is tenderness and compassion, forgiveness and tolerance.” Wilferd Peterson
19. “Our challenge is to face up heroically to the world as it is and do our very best to make the most of our lives. To strive to live each day with serenity and courage.” Wilferd Peterson
20. “Champion the right to be yourself. Dare to be different. Live your own life and follow your own star.” Wilferd Peterson
21. “Be gentle with yourself, learn to love yourself, to forgive yourself, for only as we have the right attitude toward ourselves can we have the right attitude toward others.” Wilferd Peterson
22. “Respons is what we have trained ourselves to be; it is a reflection of our manhood, character, ideals. We cannot always control our surface reactions but we can sit at the helm of our lives and control our responses to the blows of life.” Wilferd Peterson
23. “An ounce of example is worth a tin of example.” Wilferd Peterson
24. “The art of humility begins with a recognition of our dependence on others and an appreciation of God’s gift of life.” Wilferd Peterson
25. “The art of achievement is the art of making your life a masterpiece.” Wilferd Peterson
26. “Words of encouragement fan the spark of genius into the flame of achievement. Legend tells us that Lincoln’s dying mother called her small son to the bedside and whispered, Be somebody, Abe.” Wilferd Peterson
27. “The master secret of happiness is to meet the challenge of each new day with the serene faith that: All things work together for good to them that love God.” Wilferd Peterson
28. “There is more to life than increasing its speed.” Wilferd Peterson
29. “What we are shouts louder than anything we can say.” Wilferd Peterson
30. “The secret of greatness is simple: do better work than any other man in your field and keep on doing it.” Wilferd Peterson
31. “In gratitude for God’s gift of life to us we should share that gift with others. The art of giving encompasses many areas. It is an outgoing, overflowing way of life.” Wilferd Peterson
32. “Imagination stimulates your thinking power by giving your mind abundant data with which to work. It opens the gate to dreams and fantasies so that you may become receptive, as a little child, in exploring the kingdom of ideas.” Wilferd Peterson
33. “Those who hope to avoid all failure and misfortune are trying to live in a fairyland; wise people realistically accept failures as a part of life and build philosophies to meet them and make the best of them.” Wilferd Peterson
34. “Prayer does not change God, it changes us. It deepens insight, increases intuitive perception, expands consciousness. It transforms personality.” Wilferd Peterson