Mostly or Entirely Mythology

"The real struggle in the world may not be between good and evil, but rather between hope and evil. Hope seems more active and creative than the somewhat nebulous good. Hope aspires; good has arrived. Good, like God, lives outside time; hope keeps people alive, moving forward, inside time. As long as hope remains healthy, it is a match for evil; about good, no one can be so sure."

--Lance Morrow

"To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion, to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich; to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly; to listen to stars and birds, to babes and sages, with open heart; to bear all cheerfully, do all bravely, await occasions, hurry never. In a word, to let the spiritual unbidden and unconscious grow up through the common. This is to be my symphony."

— William Henry Channing

"Framing women's desire for various things — usually, things that are imposed on them by society in the first place — in terms of what they'd sacrifice in order to achieve them just reinforces the idea that a woman's life is all about self-denial and various forms of starvation.

As a way of resisting this whole narrative, I recommend bettering your life by adding something to it. It's Lent right now, traditionally a time for renunciation — but also, perhaps a time to renounce renouncing. Instead of (or in addition to) giving something up this season, try starting something up instead. Read every night. Learn a language. Try kale (it's delicious!). Eat chocolate while wearing makeup. I think I'm going to add doing real pushups (not from the knee) to my daily routine. But it doesn't matter what you add — the point is to embrace and endorse a full life, not one where you're always giving up your joys to live up to other people's standards."

--Anna North from Jezebel