Earthly goods are given to be used, not to be collected.... Hoarding is idolatry. — Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Earthly riches are like the reed. Its roots are sunk in the swamp, and its exterior is fair to behold; but inside it is hollow. If a man leans on such a reed, it will snap off and pierce his soul. — Anthony of Padua
Anything you cannot relinquish when it has outlived its usefulness possesses you, and in this materialistic age a great many of us are possessed by our possessions. — Peace Pilgrim
Man's pursuit of physical desires and earthly possessions is an indication of his lack of conviction that the purpose of his existence is the attainment of spirituality. — Abraham J. Twerski
What you possess in the world will be found at the day of your death to belong to someone else. But what you are will be yours forever. — Henry Van Dyke
If you are attached to the things of this earth, you should give alms sufficient to enable you to punish your avarice by depriving yourself of all that is not absolutely necessary for life. — John Vianney
It is easier to renounce worldly possessions than it is to renounce the love of them — Walter Hilton
It is preoccupation with possessions, more than anything else, that prevents us from living freely and nobly. — Bertrand Russell
Whatever we treasure for ourselves separates us from others; our possessions are our limitations. — Rabindranath Tagore
Unnecessary possessions are unnecessary burdens. — Peace Pilgrim
Pray to God that your attachment to such transitory things as wealth, name, and creature comforts may become less and less every day. — Ramakrishna
The troubles of this world pass, and what we have left is what we have made of our souls. — Shoghi Effendi
Ordinary riches can be stolen; real riches cannot. In your soul are infinitely precious things that cannot be taken from you. — Oscar Wilde
It is ignorance or at least lack of consideration of heavenly things that make the temporal things of this world, whether good or evil, greater than they really are. — Tom Patton
Short Possessions Quotes
The most precious possession that ever comes to a man in this world is a woman's heart. — J. G. Holland
If those who do not possess knowledge avoid the scholarly discussions, disagreement will end. — Al-Ghazali
The rich man is not one who is in possession of much, but one who gives much. — Saint John Chrysostom
There is no possession more valuable than a good and faithful friend. — Socrates
Happiness resides not in possessions, and not in gold, happiness dwells in the soul. — Democritus
We are not rich by what we possess but by what we can do without. — Immanuel Kant
You will never possess what you are unwilling to pursue. — Mike Murdock
Freedom is the sure possession of those alone who have the courage to defend it. — Pericles
Freedom is a possession of inestimable value. — Marcus Tullius Cicero
Happiness is not a possession to be prized. It is a quality of thought, a state of mind. — Daphne Du Maurier
Every increased possession loads us with a new weariness. — John Ruskin
You will find that it is necessary to let things go; simply for the reason that they are heavy.
Worldly Possessions Quotes
You've seen the world, and all you've seen is nothing; and everything, as well, that you have said and heard is nothing. You've sprinted everywhere between here and the horizon; it is nothing. And all the possessions you've treasured up at home are nothing. — Omar Khayyam
The unicorns were the most recognizable magic the fairies possessed, and they sent them to those worlds where belief in the magic was in danger of falling altogether. After all there has to be some belief in magic- however small- for any world to survive. — Terry Brooks
The inventor is a man who looks around upon the world and is not contented with things as they are. He wants to improve whatever he sees, he wants to benefit the world; he is haunted by an idea. The spirit of invention possesses him, seeking materialization. — Alexander Graham Bell
Gold is the most precious of all commodities; gold constitutes treasure, and he who possesses it has all he needs in the world, as also the means of rescuing souls from purgatory, and restoring them to the enjoyment of paradise. — Christopher Columbus
A man who has a language consequently possesses the world expressed and implied by that language. — Frantz Fanon
What an illusion Mahamaya has conjured up! Here is this infinite world, and what one claims as his possession will be left behind at death. Still men cannot understand this simple truth. — Sarada Devi
Poetry is a natural energy resource of our country. It has no energy crisis, possessing a potential that will last as long as the country. Its power is equal to that of any country in the world. — Richard Eberhart
Don't be buffaloed by experts and elites. Experts often possess more data than judgment. Elites can become so inbred that they produce hemophiliacs who bleed to death as soon as they are nicked by the real world. — Colin Powell
No one who possesses snow would find any hardship in exchanging it for jewels and pearls. This world is like snow exposed to sun, which continues to melt until it disappears altogether, while the next life is like a precious stone that never passes away. — Al-Ghazali
Love is the strongest force the world possesses and yet it is the humblest imaginable. — Mahatma Gandhi
Material Possessions Quotes
I am no longer cursed by poverty because I took possession of my own mind, and that mind has yielded me every material thing I want, and much more than I need. But this power of mind is a universal one, available to the humblest person as it is to the greatest. — Andrew Carnegie
At the end of the day, that's really what it boils down to. The rest of it is just stuff. — Jared Kushner
You could call me on the phone and say, 'Someone blew up your entire house, Mike.' If it's not a person involved, I would sort of blink, whatever. That's all replaceable, right? — Michael Saylor
Architecture is the triumph of human imagination over materials, methods, and men, to put man into possession of his own earth — Frank Lloyd Wright
As you get older, you just realize that there’s no happiness in material possessions. — Naval Ravikant
I was one of those people who put too much emphasis on work and career and material possessions, and it took its toll on all my relationships, on my physical health, my emotional and mental health. — Tony Shalhoub
Better a drop of wisdom than an ocean of gold — Greek Proverbs
As in Machiavelli, the bearing of arms is the essential medium through which the individual asserts both his social power and his participation in politics as a responsible moral being; but the possession of land in nondependent tenure is now the material basis for bearing of arms. — J. G. A. Pocock
Works of art, in my opinion, are the only objects in the material universe to possess internal order, and that is why, though I don't believe that only art matters, I do believe in Art for Art's sake. — E. M. Forster
Earthly Things Quotes
We must use our lives to make the world a better place to live, not just to acquire things. That is what we are put on the earth for. — Dolores Huerta
Water is the softest thing, yet it can penetrate mountains and earth. This shows clearly the principle of softness overcoming hardness. — Lao Tzu
Our bones, flesh and blood are made up of the metals, liquids and minerals of the earth and everything on this planet is made up of the same things. As humans we have being, so everything on the earth does too in our culture, because we are made of the same thing. — John Trudell
If all the beasts were gone, men would die from a great loneliness of spirit, for whatever happens to the beasts also happens to the man. All things are connected. Whatever befalls the Earth befalls the sons of the Earth. — Chief Seattle
The earth is rude, silent, incomprehensible at first; Be not discouraged - keep on - there are divine things, well envelop'd; I swear to you there are divine things more beautiful than words can tell. — Walt Whitman
A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself. — Josh Billings
Live in the world as if only God and your soul were in it; then your heart will never be made captive by any earthly thing. — John of the Cross
The earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth. All things are connected like the blood that unites us all. Man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself. — Chief Seattle
We do not want churches because they will teach us to quarrel about God. We do not want to learn that. We may quarrel with men sometimes about things on this earth, but we never quarrel about the Great Spirit. We do not want to learn that. — Chief Joseph
We don't have a right to ask whether we're going to succeed or not. The only question we have a right to ask is what's the right thing to do? What does this earth require of us if we want to continue to live on it? — Wendell Berry
Valuable Possessions Quotes
The most valuable possession you can own is an open heart. The most powerful weapon you can be is an instrument of peace. — Carlos Santana
True generosity is an offering; given freely and out of pure love. No strings attached. No expectations. Time and love are the most valuable possession you can share. — Suze Orman
The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind — Theodorus Gaza
I understand that a man can have everything having nothing and nothing having everything. — Mihai Eminescu
A female friend, amiable, clever, and devoted, is a possession more valuable than parks and palaces; and without such a muse, few men can succeed in life, none be contented. — Benjamin Disraeli
A wise man ought to realize that health is his most valuable possession. — Hippocrates
Barack and I were both raised by families who didn't have much in the way of money or material possessions but who had given us something far more valuable - their unconditional love, their unflinching sacrifice, and the chance to go places they had never imagined for themselves. — Michelle Obama
When you deal with a man, deal with his most valuable possession, his life. There's play and there's the deep flow. I like to take things to the deep flow of play, because everything is a game, serious and nonserious at the same time. So play life like it's a game. — Huey Newton
I sold my most valuable possession, but I knew that because I worked at Hewlett Packard, I could buy the next model calculator the very next month for a lower price than I sold the older one for! — Steve Wozniak
Our country may be likened to a new house. We lack many things, but we possess the most precious of all - liberty! — James Monroe
You are bigger than everything you own. You are more precious than everything you possess. You are more important than everything that has come into your life. — Mahatria Ra
Of all possessions a friend is the most precious. — Herodotus
Any formal attack on ignorance is bound to fail because the masses are always ready to defend their most precious possession - their ignorance. — Hendrik Willem Van Loon
Your most precious, valued possessions and your greatest powers are invisible and intangible. No one can take them. You, and you alone, can give them. You will receive abundance for your giving. — W. Clement Stone
FINANCE, n. The art or science of managing revenues and resources for the best advantage of the manager. The pronunciation of this word with the i long and the accent on the first syllable is one of America's most precious discoveries and possessions. — Ambrose Bierce
Thirsting desires and longings possessed my soul after perfect holiness. God was so precious to my soul that the world with all its enjoyments appeared vile. I had no more value for the favor of men than for pebbles. — David Brainerd
The universal brotherhood of man is our most precious possession. — Mark Twain
Your most precious possession is not your financial assets. Your most precious possession is the people you have working there, and what they carry around in their heads, and their ability to work together. — Robert Reich
My God! How little do my countrymen know what precious blessings they are in possession of, and which no other people on earth enjoy! — Thomas Jefferson
Materialistic Things Quotes
Females in our generation morals are just out the window. Materialistic things aren't life. I'd rather walk in the rain with a man who treats me like a queen than to ride in a Benz with a man who treats me like crap. — Jhene Aiko
Naturally I never had the intention to offend or alienate Slavs. ... What makes me different from the 'nazis' are basically three things; unlike them I am not socialistic (not even on a national level), I am not materialistic and I believe in (the ancient Scandinavian!) democracy. — Varg Vikernes
There was a time in my life when I thought I had everything - millions of dollars, mansions, cars, nice clothes, beautiful women, and every other materialistic thing you can imagine. Now I struggle for peace. — Richard Pryor
Athens built the Acropolis. Corinth was a commercial city, interested in purely materialistic things. Today we admire Athens, visit it, preserve the old temples, yet we hardly ever set foot in Corinth. — Harold Urey
We are too involved in materialistic things, and they don't satisfy us. The loving relationships we have, the universe around us, we take these things for granted. — Mitch Albom
The materialist theory of history, that all politics and ethics are the expression of economics, is a very simple fallacy indeed. It consists simply of confusing the necessary conditions of life with the normal preoccupations of life, that are quite a different thing. — Gilbert K. Chesterton
I think I'm actually quite a materialistic person, I value what it takes to make a car or build a nice house. Money does change things, but how it changes people depends on how they react to it. — Roland Gift
As long as our consciousness is materialistic, there is no room for joy. However on the spiritual platform three things automatically happen: eternity, knowledge and bliss. — Bhakti Charu Swami
Man's highest joy is in victory: to conquer one's enemies; to pursue them; to deprive them of their possessions; to make their beloved weep; to ride on their horses; and to embrace their wives and daughters. — Genghis Khan
... People with great passions, people who accomplish great deeds, people who possess strong feelings, even people with great minds and a strong personality, rarely come out of good little boys and girls. — Lev S. Vygotsky
Happiness is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort. — Franklin D. Roosevelt
If ever a time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in Government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin. — Samuel Adams
Forces beyond your control can take away everything you possess except one thing, your freedom to choose how you will respond to the situation. — Viktor E. Frankl
The best people possess a feeling for beauty, the courage to take risks, the discipline to tell the truth, the capacity for sacrifice. Ironically, their virtues make them vulnerable; they are often wounded, sometimes destroyed. — Ernest Hemingway
Courage is not an ability one either possess or lacks. Courage is the willingness to engage in a risk-taking behavior regardless of whether the consequences are unknown or possibly adverse. We are capable of courageous behavior provided we are willing to engage in it. Given that life offers few guarantees, all living requires risk-taking. — Alfred Adler
The first step in a fascist movement is the combination under an energetic leader of a number of men who possess more than the average share of leisure, brutality, and stupidity. The next step is to fascinate fools and muzzle the intelligent, by emotional excitement on the one hand and terrorism on the other. — Bertrand Russell
Fashion you can buy, but style you possess. The key to style is learning who you are, which takes years. There’s no how-to road map to style. It’s about self-expression and, above all, attitude. — Iris Apfel
The surest way to determine whether one possesses the love of God is to see whether he or she loves his or her neighbor. These two loves are never separated. Rest assured, the more you progress in love of neighbor the more your love of God will increase. — Teresa of Avila
Africa is still lying ready for us it is our duty to take it. It is our duty to seize every opportunity of acquiring more territory and we should keep this one idea steadily before our eyes that more territory simply means more of the Anglo-Saxon race more of the best the most human, most honorable race the world possesses. — Cecil Rhodes
"Freedom" in capitalist countries exists only for those who possess money and who consequently hold power. — Nikita Khrushchev
In the twilight of life, God will not judge us on our earthly possessions and human success, but rather on how much we have loved. — John of the Cross
Western civilisation needs a complete overhaul or it will fall apart one day or another. It has realised the most complete perversion of any rational order of things. Reign of matter, of gold, of machine, of number, it no longer possesses breath, or liberty, or light. — Julius Evola
I have created nothing really beautiful, really lasting, but if I can inspire one of these youngsters to develop the talent I know they possess, then my monument will be in their work. — Augusta Savage
The happiness promised us in Christ does not consist in outward advantages-such as leading a joyous and peaceful life, having rich possessions, being safe from all harm, and abounding with delights such as the flesh commonly longs after. No, our happiness belongs to the heavenly life! — John Calvin
There is a power under your control that is greater than poverty, greater than the lack of education, greater than all your fears and superstitions combined. It is the power to take possession of your own mind and direct it to whatever ends you may desire. — Andrew Carnegie
You cannot all abandon your possessions, but at least you can change your attitude about them. All getting separates you from others; all giving unites to others. — Francis of Assisi
You must assume the feeling of the wish fulfilled until your assumption has all the sensory vividness of reality. You must imagine that you are already experiencing what you desire. That is, you must assume the feeling of the fulfillment of your desire until you are possessed by it and this feeling crowds all other ideas out of your consciousness. — Neville Goddard
A community is democratic only when the humblest and weakest person can enjoy the highest civil, economic, and social rights that the biggest and most powerful possess. — A. Philip Randolph
Do not indulge in dreams of having what you have not, but reckon up the chief of the blessings you do possess, and then thankfully remember how you would crave for them if they were not yours. — Marcus Aurelius
I will place no value on anything I have or may possess, except in relation to the kingdom of Christ. If anything will advance the interests of that kingdom, it shall be given away or kept only in reference to whether giving or keeping will most promote the glory1 of him to whom I owe all my hopes in time and eternity. — David Livingstone
The absolute desire of 'having more' encourages the selfishness that destroys communal bonds among the children of God. It does so because the idolatry of riches prevents the majority from sharing the goods that the Creator has made for all, and in the all-possessing minority it produces an exaggerated pleasure in these goods. — Oscar Romero
What is your ambition in life today? Is it to get rich? Is it to make a name for yourself? Is it even to do some wonderful thing for God? Listen to me, beloved. The highest desire that can possess any human heart is a longing to see God. — J. Vernon McGee
Heaven is by favor; if it were by merit your dog would go in and you would stay out. Of all the creatures ever made (man) is the most detestable. Of the entire brood, he is the only one... that possesses malice. He is the only creature that inflicts pain for sport, knowing it to be pain. — Mark Twain
If we commit ourselves to one person for life, this is not, as many people think, a rejection of freedom; rather, it demands the courage to move into all the risks of freedom, and the risk of love which is permanent; into that love which is not possession but participation. — Madeleine L'Engle
I have no desire for wealth or possessions, and so I have nothing. I do not experience the initial suffering of having to accumulate possessions, the intermediate suffering of having to guard and keep up possessions, nor the final suffering of loosing the possessions. — Milarepa
In Conclusion
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