"Use your first smile, your first form of generosity, of love, of kindness—use it at home; start at home. And if there is something left over—if … your plate is just full of abundance of patience and goodness and smiles and joy, then by all means, you should go … and offer that to others. But we must begin at home."

Dr. Robin Smith

"If you are immune to anything, no one can hurt you."

Robert Thurman, author and Tibetan scholar

"I marvel at my own sense of calm now. Events that used to leave me reeling, with my head in a bag of chips, no longer even faze me."

Oprah

"The reason to turn brick walls into motivating forces is that if we don't, they become excuses as to why we can't accomplish things. We can all do much more than we think, once we decide to do it."

Randy Pausch, professor and author

"If you're feeling stressed, close your eyes and focus on each breath as it comes in and then goes out. Focus on the breathing and let any other thoughts drift away."

Leo Babauta, author

"Don't rush forward. When I'm mired in confusion about what the next step should be, when I'm asked to do something for which I feel little enthusiasm, that's my sign to just stop—to get still until my instincts give me the go-ahead."

Oprah

"Patience is a skill, not an inherited trait. … It leads to relaxation, not self-harnessing. It gives you the freedom to have a pleasant time even when the traffic gods are playing with you. It converts the helpless rage of impatience into a delicious sense of spaciousness."

Amy Gross

"I'm a firm believer in delayed gratification. Things mean more when you have to wait for them."

Jean Chatzky

"You are so young, so before all beginning, and I want to beg you, as much as I can, to be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves."

Maria Rilke, author

"Silently tell yourself simple things like 'It's okay.' 'You're all right.' 'There's no rush.' 'You can do this.' You'll be amazed at the power of this humble mental-management technique to help you turn knowledge into action."

Martha Beck

"The most amazing thing about books is the way they patiently wait on the shelf for you to be ready for them."

Erica Jong, author

"I thought I knew a lot about friendship until I spent 11 days traveling across the country in a Chevy Impala with my best friend, Gayle King. … I learned patience. And when patience wore thin, I bought earplugs and headphones."

Oprah

"I have made a commitment to myself to not jump into a relationship. … I really want to hold to that because I want to make sure my next relationship is a choice, not a habit."

Kerry Washington

"We don't patiently tease apart the many strands of our daily existence, distinguishing those that actually make us happy…from those that we have to eliminate as soon as we can."

Susan Choi, writer for O, The Oprah Magazine

"Whoever had the affair must understand the impact that their behavior and impulsiveness had on the other person."

Dr. Robi Ludwig, marriage counselor

"Know that you are doing the best, don't second-guess yourself, give it time … and you will be very happy."

Jean Chatzky

"We will attempt today to be aware only of what we can hear and see, and what makes perfect sense. …In patience and in hope we try again today."

Marianne Williamson

"I know for sure that to be present with yourself is the most important gift you can have. Appreciate now, so that the next hour and the next year don't slip away unnoticed. Every moment matters."

Oprah

"If you have five minutes: Forget everything. Jot down a quick to-do list, and let it be your 'task memory' so you can let your mind roam free. Patiently and nonjudgmentally, watch where your mind goes, what it says. Then go back to your to-do list. You'll find that you feel as if you've had a brief but refreshing vacation."

Martha Beck

"Every time I feel I've made some ground, seems somebody's there to put me down, but I know my time will come around, if I just keep on movin' on."

Deborah Norville, former news anchor

"Surrender your expectations. Instead of setting yourself up for disappointment, decide to do things differently this year. When you notice yourself projecting into the future, worrying about the past or listening to your negative internal chatter, use a simple statement like 'be here now' to remind you to return your thoughts to the most useful place of all—the present!"

Cheryl Richardson, spiritual author

"When you wed, don't automatically rush to combine everything. You can help each other out by chipping away at your loans without becoming officially responsible for each other's."

Suze Orman

"Women get so frustrated. They try on two pairs of jeans, and they say, 'Nothing fits me,' and they leave the store. You've got to try. And even if you don't get lucky after seven, if you get lucky after 20, it is worth it."

Stacy London, fashion expert

"Patience is a virtue! Particularly in baking. I'll never forget witnessing an especially efficient friend of mine who couldn't wait for her freshly baked cake to cool. She slathered on the frosting anyway and stuck it under a cake dome. The dome steamed up and the frosting slid right off!"

Candace Nelson, co-founder and pastry chef of Sprinkles Cupcakes

"Many of us share the same problem—we don't think through how our choices might play out down the line."

Suze Orman

"Don't get discouraged if you send out lots of résumés before you start getting interviews. This happens to just about everyone. To find the right job takes time and patience."

The LLuminari Experts

"I really am a testament to patience and perseverance because I wasn't sure that [my career] was going to happen. I just always believed that there is nothing else on this earth that I am supposed to do but make [country] music."

Rissi Palmer, country singer

"I had a lot more discipline than I thought; a lot more patience. [I became] more expressive, not only personally with my family, but as well in my music and my way of communicating."

Gloria Estefan, singer

"I have found it takes a lot of patience obviously, but you have to be consistent in training your dog."

Chris Perondi, dog trainer

"If you really want to change your housing situation, you need to commit to saving, and that demands patience as well as discipline. Depending on your current financial situation and the scope of what you want, saving enough for a down payment may take a few years."

Suze Orman

"After years of twisting and burning in the fires of impatience, I've come to appreciate patience as the supreme medicine. Apply patience, and frustration goes away, outrage cools, peace is yours."

Amy Gross, contributor for O, The Oprah Magazine