Timeless wisdom shared

What did Eleanor Roosevelt mean by that? Famous phrases explained

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams": iconic quotes like this inspire us, and "Well done is better than well said" captures an important life lesson. If we keep these words in mind more often, life might be a little easier. Here are 10 famous phrases by remarkable people and what they really mean.

Chores and work pile up for everyone, and the beginning is often the hardest part. But once you do, even with just one tiny task, that’s enough to get you going. Neil Armstrong (1930-2012) was an aeronautical engineer, astronaut, and the first human to set foot on the moon as commander of the Apollo 11 mission.

Spoken on July 20, 1969, these words marked the crowning moment of the U.S. space program during the Cold War. The phrase contrasts the literal step Armstrong was taking with the broader achievement it represented for humanity.

Sometimes we want to motivate others and even ourselves to "think different", as Apple once said, and no one embodied that better than Steven Paul Jobs, more popularly known as Steve Jobs (1955-2011).

He was an influential entrepreneur, industrial designer, and media mogul who co-founded and was the CEO of Apple. Jobs delivered this iconic line during Stanford University’s commencement speech in 2005. Essentially, it is a call to maintain an insatiable curiosity and desire to learn ("stay hungry") and an openness to risks and unconventional ideas without focusing on the possibility of failure ("stay foolish").

How many times have you had a rough day or been through something that made you feel like giving up? This famous quote by Dr. Marguerite Annie Johnson, better known as Maya Angelou (1928-2014), reminds us that true defeat comes when we give up and that resilience helps us get up after every fall. In other words, success isn’t about avoiding failure but about refusing to let it break you.

She was an internationally acclaimed writer, poet, singer, and civil rights activist. She published seven memoirs, including I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969), three books of essays, and several collections of poetry.

Just when we can feel like we are a walking paradox, words have the unique ability to connect opposites. Muhammad Ali (1942-2016) was an American boxer, activist, and one of the most influential sportsmen of the 20th century. He is widely regarded as the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time and was also known for his poetic flair.

This famous quote brings together his love for language and legendary fighting style. It describes how he moved effortlessly around the ring before delivering his sharp knockout blows.

You’ve probably faced moments of doubt in your life, a trip that seemed impossible to take, or a job that felt out of reach. But there comes a point when we must remember the things we dare to imagine are the blueprints for where we are headed.

That’s exactly what Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962) meant by this phrase. The former U.S. First Lady, tireless civil rights advocate, and U.S. delegate to the United Nations was one of the most influential figures of the 20th century. She didn’t just write these words; she lived by them. This quote reflects her belief that ordinary people can make a difference if they dare to dream and have the perseverance to act.

Sometimes the most important ideas sound the simplest, but they were once said by people who were so different from the rest that they made difficult ideas seem easy. Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) was one of these people. He was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, as well as a politician, scientist, and American inventor.

Franklin’s maxim, published in his Poor Richard’s Almanack (1737), means that taking action and achieving concrete results is much more important than merely talking about things without getting anywhere. Ultimately, it is the 18th-century equivalent of "Actions speak louder than words."

Topics such as foreign policy can seem distant and complex, but Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919), an American politician who served as the 26th President of the United States from 1901 to 1909, and vice president in the preceding term, made the idea easier to understand and applicable to everyday life.

This phrase, often cited as a proverb, was popularized by Roosevelt in reference to foreign policy. It means that one should negotiate peacefully and respectfully ("speak softly"), while sustaining a constant and credible threat of power in reserve ("carry a big stick") to back up one’s words.

How often are we afraid to go after what we want? And when we finally do, how many of us are strong enough to keep going and face the challenges ahead? Amelia Earhart (born in 1897, missing since 1937, and declared dead in 1939) was a pioneer in American aviation, having been the first woman to cross the Atlantic nonstop and alone, and the person who said these words.

They remind us that the mental hurdle of starting something new and facing one's fears is often the hardest step. Once you commit, however, overcoming the obstacles that will arise requires determination and endurance.

At times, the most obvious truths are the hardest to explain, but not for Hillary Clinton (born in 1947). She has had an internationally acclaimed career spanning roles as a politician, diplomat, lawyer, and philanthropist. She was the 67th United States Secretary of State, served in the United States Senate, and ran for president in 2008 and 2016.

Her quote was delivered in 1995, when she was First Lady, at the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women, in Beijing, China. This iconic statement dismantles the excuse that women’s issues are either cultural or secondary, and instead establishes that protecting women is an essential component of universal human rights.

Another issue that often appears to be complex is the structure of government, but another great American politician, Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), who was a lawyer and served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865, helped us understand it better.

Lincoln spoke these words in 1863 during the Gettysburg Address, which is considered one of the clearest definitions of American democracy: power derives from the consent of the governed (the people); it is exercised by their representatives (by the people); and it exists there to serve the public welfare (for the people).

Once upon a rhyme

Dark origins: You'll never hear these nursery rhymes the same way again!

We all have those nursery rhymes etched in our memory, verses that take us straight back to our childhood. But behind some of those catchy, cheerful tunes lie surprisingly dark and mysterious origins rooted in real-life history! Join us to discover the hidden stories behind the most popular nursery rhymes!

Although it's a staple in preschools, this rhyme is believed to have originated from a rather sinister urban legend. According to the myth, in 16th-century London, there was a baker named Frederic Thomas Lynwood, who had a creepy nickname: "the Dicer of Drury Lane." As the tale goes, this man was said to be a dangerous criminal who used muffins to lure his victims!

Making a circle to the rhythm of "Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush" is a childhood classic. But once you learn the origin of this nursery rhyme, the lyrics might take on a whole new meaning. It's believed that "the bush" was actually a mulberry tree in the center of the yard at Wakefield Prison in England. There, female inmates would circle the tree exercising, or repeating the same domestic chores day after day.

"Ring around the rosie, pocket full of posies!" Sound familiar? Of course it does! But there might be a tragic story behind this animated rhyme.

The bubonic plague of the 14th century, also known as the "Black Death," claimed a staggering 25 to 50 million lives in Europe. It's believed that this catastrophic event is reflected in the lines of this famous nursery rhyme: The "ring around the rosie" could refer to the red, circular rash that appeared on the skin of those infected, and suddenly, the line "we all fall down" hits differently once you know where it may have come from.

"Pop Goes the Weasel" is a classic, though trying to make sense of its lyrics isn't exactly easy. The confusion might come down to how language has evolved over time, particularly slang. It seems that "weasel" was once a common slang term for a fur coat in England before the 19th century. This rhyme is believed to have originated in the financial struggles of the time, where the less privileged classes would sell their weasels to get by.

The symbolism behind Jack and Jill hides more than you think. While there are several theories -one even involving a tragic love story- many believe the rhyme's origin is tied to a monarch's decision in the 16th century. Jack and Jill may refer to Richard Empson and Edmund Dudley, financial advisors and ministers to King Henry VII of England. As money collectors, they were not very popular, especially among the privileged classes. When King Henry VIII took office, they were accused of treason: One fell down first, and his partner came tumbling after.

The catchy and fun "Baa Baa Black Sheep" is also one of the most popular. The most widely accepted version of its origin has to do with taxes! That's right; in the 13th century, King Edward I of England imposed a "sheep tax," which required that a portion of all wool produced be given to the monarchy. Thus, in the rhyme, the master and the dame could represent the monarchy, which benefited from this rule at the expense of the people.

"Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home / Your house is on fire and your children are gone," goes the nursery rhyme "Ladybird, Ladybird," well known in many English-speaking countries. There are two main theories about its origin -one more obscure than the other- and it's the darker one that draws our attention. It's believed that the rhyme may be related to the religious conflicts of 16th-century England, with the "ladybird" symbolizing persecuted Catholics during the English Reformation.

We've all heard "Rock-a-bye Baby" at one point or another; it's one of the most famous nursery rhymes. Though it's now sung as a gentle lullaby, the rhyme has roots in deep political conflict and change. In 17th-century England, the Catholic King James II was overthrown and replaced by the Protestant rulers William and Mary. So, in the rhyme, the "tree top" and the "branch" symbolize royal power, the "wind" represents the Protestant forces, and the "baby" is believed to refer to the overthrown king.

The origins of the nursery rhyme "Humpty Dumpty" are disputed, with several competing theories. Some historians believe that Humpty Dumpty refers to a large cannon used by Royalist forces during the English Civil War. During the Siege of Colchester in 1648, a massive artillery piece nicknamed "Humpty Dumpty" was mounted on the walls of St Mary's Church. When Parliamentarian forces attacked, the wall beneath the cannon crumbled, sending it crashing to the ground.

Others, however, argue that "Humpty Dumpty" is a metaphor for King Charles I himself, whose power was dismantled by parliamentary forces. A third theory suggests that the rhyme refers to King Richard III of England, said to have been humpbacked, and who was defeated at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485.

We must tell you that the origins of this fun nursery rhyme also come from infamous historical facts. It's believed that the "three blind mice" represent three Protestant bishops who were persecuted and sentenced to death under the reign of Queen Mary I of England, portrayed in the rhyme as the "farmer's wife." Their "blindness" is thought to symbolize their rejection of Catholicism. Pretty deep for a nursery rhyme, right?