Willa Cather

Great Love and the Everyday Work of Miracles

From this vantage, science provides corroboration. Social connection predicts longevity, as Holt-Lunstad et al. (PLoS Medicine, 2010) found: strong relationships are associated with markedly lower mortality risk. Likewise, the clinical power of care is measurable; in irritable bowel syndrome, practitioner warmth and empathy amplified patient improvement, strengthening the placebo response (Kaptchuk et al., BMJ, 2008). Even at the level of attention and possibility, love broadens what we can perceive and attempt—Barbara Fredrickson’s broaden-and-build theory (American Psychologist, 2001) shows positive emotions like love expand thought–action repertoires, seeding resilience. In short, care does not merely console; it alters trajectories. [...]

Believe in the Possibility of What You Are Doing - Willa Cather

This quote emphasizes the importance of believing in yourself and your endeavors. Without belief, it becomes difficult to muster the motivation and persistence required to achieve success. [...]