His life was cut short all too soon, but John F. Kennedy left a legacy that has inspired generations. His words have been particularly motivational for young and idealistic people who are just finding their way in the world. But those of us who have reached the 50-year mark are often at a time of recalibration—looking back at how far we’ve come and making course corrections to reach our future goals. The following JFK quotes from the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum can help those 50 and over find new motivation and focus in their personal and professional lives. 

24/7 Wall St. Insights

• John F. Kennedy was a master wordsmith, equally motivating in his speeches and written correspondence. 
• His quotes call upon Americans to have a broad vision of their place in history, not just focus on their individual interests. 

1. Thankfulness

We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives.

Who’s made a difference in your life, and when’s the last time you thanked them? It’s not a stretch to see the impact of parents, teachers, close friends, and employers. But try thinking as well about people who may not even have realized they had an impact on your life; people who made a difference from a distance. Thank them, and make the same difference for others.  

2. Leadership

We are not here to curse the darkness, but to light the candle that can guide us through that darkness to a safe and sane future. 

It’s not hard to pick out things that are wrong with the world, and it’s not hard to find fault with people who are trying to make things better. If you don’t have any solutions to contribute, then you can play a constructive role by encouraging those who are working hard on the problem. 

3. Take the First Step

Let us…step back from the shadow of war and seek out the way of peace. And if that journey is a thousand miles, or even more, let history record that we, in this land, at this time, took the first step.

In comparison to the challenge of leading a great nation through a treacherous time in history, the issues of our lives may not seem quite as consequential. Nevertheless, they are difficult and consequential for us and this can make them overwhelming. JFK encourages you just to take the first step. Everything else follows from there. 

4. Prioritize Poetry

If more politicians knew poetry and more poets knew politics, I am convinced the world would be a little better place in which to live.

The arts are sometimes seen as “extras” or “impractical” compared to fields that produce more tangible material rewards. But the fine arts can give us a different perspective, one most other people might not share. And one that might give us fresh ideas about how to solve problems no one else has been able to solve. 

5. Your Legacy

I am certain that after the dust of centuries has passed over our cities, we, too, will be remembered not for victories or defeats in battle or in politics, but for our contribution to the human spirit. 

We often live our lives trying to accumulate a material inheritance to hand on to our children, but within a generation or two our contribution is often forgotten. But the way we shape the values, character, and lifestyles of those who come after us can continue to influence thousands of descendants in the future, even if they don’t remember our names.

6. Your Vision

In serving his vision of the truth, the artist best serves his nation.

Kennedy knew there were many different ways to serve the nation. While we rightly celebrate our veterans, political leaders, business magnates, scientists, and others, our artists, authors, musicians, and creative people in all fields also make essential contributions to what makes America, America. 

7. Look to the Future

Our liberty . . . is endangered if we pause for the passing moment, if we rest on our achievements, if we resist the pace of progress. For time and the world do not stand still. Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or the present are certain to miss the future.

In midlife it’s easy to start focusing a little too much on the past: our achievements, mistakes, or just wondering what our life would be like today if we had made different choices. Those thoughts are only constructive if they help us today be better prepared for tomorrow. 

8. Our Most Valuable Resource

Children are the world’s most valuable resource and its best hope for the future. 

In midlife, many people are adjusting to being empty nesters or sometimes feeling a little wistful about not having had children. Whatever our situation, we can find ways to bless younger generations through volunteering, donating, or mentoring and supporting programs and policies that benefit children and their parents. 

9. The Value of Dissent

This Administration recognizes the value of dissent and daring . . . we greet healthy controversy as the hallmark of healthy change.

Dissent can take many different forms, whether protesting, petitioning leaders for change, sharing ideas with others, or just quietly living the way you want to live even if it is against the majority. Respecting our differences, whether those of a dissenter or those of people in the majority, is part of what holds the fabric of American society together.

10. Time to Repair

The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.

In many areas of life, it pays to think ahead. It might mean “saving for a rainy day” in a literal financial sense, but it could also mean maintaining healthy relationships to surround yourself with people who will be there for you in the stormy times of life. 

11. Rich or Poor?

This country cannot afford to be materially rich and spiritually poor. 

Material wealth just gives people the ability to do more things, but it doesn’t automatically give them the wisdom to choose the best things to do, for themselves or others. What’s true for the individual is true for the country as well. People, and nations, need more lofty causes to live for than daily survival. 

12. Common Humanity

In the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children’s future. And we are all mortal.

What unites us as humans is far more than what divides us, but that’s not always easy to see due to barriers of language and culture. Americans have the opportunity to meet people from around the world without traveling far from home. Seeing this as an asset and not a threat can transform how much we enjoy our lives. 

13. Who Do We Remember?

A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces but also by the men it honors, the men it remembers. 

Who among people you’ve personally known do you best remember and honor? What causes them to stand out among all the people you’ve forgotten (or wish you could forget)? Pondering these questions can reveal a lot about yourself and show you the qualities you can work on that would help you see your own life as meaningful. 

14. The Power of Ideas

A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on.

Freedom, faith, family . . . these are just a few of the powerful ideas that have driven Americans of the past and present. Setting aside our daily concerns, what are the big ideas that are most important to you? If an idea is worth dying for, how will you live for it today?

15. Patriotism

Ask not what your country can do for you…ask what you can do for your country.

This is no doubt JFK’s most famous quote. It can certainly include military service, running for public office, or volunteering for good causes. But as we’ve seen in some of his previous quotes, Kennedy also understood the value of the arts, ideas instilled in the next generation, and even dissent. How can you use your unique talents, experience, and opportunities to benefit not only yourself, but your community, nation, and world?

 

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