Each week, I highlight ten things each week that inspired me to greater financial, personal, and professional success. Hopefully, they will inspire you as well.

1. Ellen Goodman on the personal finance “normal”

“Normal is getting dressed in clothes that you buy for work and driving through traffic in a car that you are still paying for – in order to get to the job you need to pay for the clothes and the car, and the house you leave vacant all day so you can afford to live in it.” – Ellen Goodman

I was once in that cycle. I never, ever want to return to anything like that cycle ever again.

2. Mozart’s String Quartet #15 in D Minor

This is one of those pieces that deserves to be listened to with your eyes closed, giving it your full attention, but it also works quite well as the light background music for a dinner or an afternoon of work.

The performers here are regrettably unknown.

3. Herman Melville on the poor

“Of all the preposterous assumptions of humanity over humanity, nothing exceeds most of the criticisms made on the habits of the poor by the well-housed, well-warmed, and well-fed.” – Herman Melville

Few things irritate me more than people tritely suggesting that other people “get a job” or “earn more,” as though it’s as simple as flipping a switch. It’s not.

4. Melting snow

Winter recedes and gives way to spring.

Thanks to Russ for the image.

5. Carl Jung on knowing yourself

“Knowing your own darkness is the best method for dealing with the darknesses of other people.” – Carl Jung

Knowing that you have flaws and inperfections makes it substantially easier to deal with the world around you.

6. Neil DeGrasse Tyson on the value of literature

“The greatest poetry is revealing to the reader the beauty of something so simple you had taken it for granted.” – Neil DeGrasse Tyson

There’s nothing better than reading something that makes you re-examine the world.

7. Flowers

Life appears in unexpected places.

Thanks to Jay Santiago for the image.

8. Sam Ewig on hard work

“Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses and some don’t turn up at all.” – Sam Ewig

I think most of us perceive ourselves to be hard workers, but the reality isn’t in our own perception here.

9. Spring flowers in the snow

For a moment, spring seems to emerge, then winter returns unexpectedly.

Thanks to J.C. Winkler for the image.

10. Yeats on education

“Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” – William Butler Yeats

This is what the best educator does. He or she does something that gets a student to make a life change or to embark on an independent path of study.