#ward

A puma is not a bird," said Tobias, after a hundred paces. "It is a kind of cat - felis concolor. You may see it soon: it is moving along with us, on the right." The word cat brought nothing into Jack's mind but a fleeting image of a shabby, brownish-black little creature called Tib that disgraced the drawing-room at home, and he plodded on in silence. Every hundred yards or so they changed shoulders, and during the third change there was a coughing noise to their right, a series of coughs, huge, deep, throaty coughs, that culminated in a shattering roar, unimaginably loud. "Not a bird, Jack, you see," said Tobias. "How big?" cried Jack, vividly alive now, with terror coursing up and down his spine. "The size of an indifferent lion," said Tobias. "You can see him if you bend and look under the yellow bush. He is tearing up the earth, and biting it." "Can he climb?" "Oh, admirably." "Toby, what shall we do?" "Why, unless you wish to go and look at him, we had better go on. It is getting late. But do not hurry so, Jack, nor make jerking movements. If he should come out, take no notice of him, or look at him kindly - do not provoke him. He is not a froward puma, I believe. ↗

— Patrick O'Brian

#change

Individually and collectively, Cherokee people possess an extraordinary ability to face down adversity and continue moving forward. ↗

— Wilma Mankiller

#adversity #cherokee #collectively #continue #down

She could not explain in so many words, but she felt that those who prepare for all the emergencies of life beforehand may equip themselves at the expense of joy. It is necessary to prepare for an examination, or a dinner-party, or a possible fall in the price of stock: those who attempt human relations must adopt another method, or fail. ↗

— E.M. Forster

#life

Because it proves that you don't need much to change the entire world for the better. You can start with the most ordinary ingredients. You can start with the world you've got. ↗

— Catherine Ryan Hyde

#change

She frowned. Then blurted, "Do you have other females?" As if anyone could measure up to her? "No! Why do you ask?" "We haven't layed together and you are a male with obvious... needs. Even now, your body has changed, hardening, growing big." Crap. He'd tried to hide the erection, he really had. "Marissa-" "Surely you need to be eased regularly. Your body is phearsom." That didn't sound good. "What?" "Potent and powerful. Worthy of entering a female." Butch closed his eye, thinking Mr. Worthy was really rising to the occasion now. ↗

— J.R. Ward

#bkack-dagger-brotherhood #butch #j-r-ward #lover-revealed #marissa

I'm never proud of my old work. I always feel as though my skills have since improved. ↗

— Criss Jami

#art #better #betterment #change #creativity

Don't look at the present storm, but look to the Son coming. ↗

— Anthony Liccione

#courage #focus #hope #jesus #looking-forward

Do you want me to sing to you? I'll sing all night if it will keep the bad dreams away. ↗

— Stephenie Meyer

#cullen #edward #stephenie-meyer #dreams

Rehvenge, I’m talking to you more than I speak with my mahmen.” “I thought your mother was dead.” “She is.” “You have a very low standard for communication. ↗

— J.R. Ward

#black-dagger-brotherhood #humor #j-r-ward #rehvenge #communication

Go back?" he thought. "No good at all! Go sideways? Impossible! Go forward? Only thing to do! On we go!" So up he got, and trotted along with his little sword held in front of him and one hand feeling the wall, and his heart all of a patter and a pitter. ↗

— J.R.R. Tolkien

#moving-forward #perseverance #courage