What do Shakespeare, Gandhi, Keller, Roosevelt, Confucius, King, Twain,
and the Buddha have in common?  The values of the wise. The values
they aspired to are values that wise persons pursue and take an interest in.
They and thousands upon thousands of others have wisdom in common. 

Which  Values  are  the  "values  of the  wise"?

Fulfillment - Meaning - Optimism - Truth
Dedication - Responsibility - Will - Vision
Humor - Knowledge - Wisdom - Education
Strength - Courage - Creativity - Ingenuity
Development - Progressivism - Integration
Justice - Kindness - Magnanimity - Altruism
Lightheartedness - Acceptance of the Absurd
Passion - Willingness to Risk -  Self-Awareness

How  Do  You  Build  a  "Life of Value?"

As this diagram shows, your values contribute directly to success, health, happiness, and well-being. The meaning you find in life, the purpose you derive, and the reason you get out of bed in the morning are really about what you value – and how successfully you prioritize and “live” your values. Values define who you are, influence the choices you make, and generally affect how you live. When you live by your own values, rather than the ones your neighbors, parents, pastor, or spouse have in mind for you, you establish a solid foundation on which to build your life. If these values and aspirations are moral and good (that is, not purely selfish, and never harmful to others), then you are living a “life of value.”

But with today’s challenges, building a life of value can be difficult. You may find yourself feeling stuck, unfulfilled, frustrated, or bored with your life. You probably have asked yourself if this is the best it gets, if it’s all worth it. You might discover that the values you’re living by are not your own – or that the means to express your values are being frustrated by your environment.

There are words of wisdom from the past and the present that can be helpful, inspirational, and empowering. They are quotations on values - the values that wise persons seek to cultivate within themselves. Thinkers, activists, spiritual leaders, and heroes can be utilized as inspiration and empowerment to you – if you can find a clear, unadulterated source of their ideas and words of wisdom. There are profound and inspirational quotes that are currently gathering dust on library bookshelves – while we struggle as individuals, nations, and as a planet. There are also many distractions, unfortunately. This website and the tools it offers can help you to become clearer about what values wise persons value – which can empower and inspire you. If you are confident about what you value and which virtues you are pursuing,  then you are creating “a life of value” – when your values fulfill you and help others too.

I welcome you to bookmark this page, and then explore it. Many resources, including 
the Wisdom  Archive - an ever-growing, searchable database - can be found that can reinforce the incredible wisdom, remarkable thoughts, and wonderful ideas the wise have been interested in and have written about for millennia. It is my pleasure to make many resources available to you for no cost. I love wisdom because it can be helpful to us as individuals and us as a world, and I believe that is more valuable than any dollar amount. My wish is that you enjoy yourself, learn something, come back, and tell someone you value about Values of the Wisetm.