Wes Moore Quotes

The choices we make about the lives we live determine the kinds of legacies we leave.

When it is time for you to leave this school, leave your job, or even leave this earth, you make sure you have worked hard to make sure it mattered you were even here.

The chilling truth is that his story could have been mine. The tragedy is that my story could have been his.

I sat back, allowing Wes's words to sink in. Then I responded, "I guess it's hard sometimes to distinguish between second chances and last chances.

Try again. Fail again. Fail better." (quoted from Samuel Buckett)... Failing does not make us a failure. But not trying to do better, to be better, does make us fools.

Life’s impermanence, I realized, is what makes every single day so precious. It’s what shapes our time here. It’s what makes it so important that not a single moment be wasted.

Failing doesn't make us a failure. But not trying to do better, to be better, does make us fools.

Do you think that we're products of our environments? I think so, or maybe products of our expectations. Others' expectations of us or our expectations. I mean others' expectations that you take on as your own. I realize how difficult it is to seperate the two. The expectations that others place on us help us form our expectations of ourselves.

I realized then how difficult it is to separate the two. The expectations that others place on us help us form our expectations of ourselves.

The common bond of humanity and decency that we share is stronger than any conflict, any adversity. Fighting for your convictions is important. But finding peace is paramount. Knowing when to fight and when to seek peace is wisdom. Ubuntu was right.

The common bond of humanity and decency that we share is stronger than any conflict, any adversity, any challenge. Fighting for your convictions is important. But finding peace is paramount. Knowing when to fight and when to seek peace is wisdom.

I guess it’s hard sometimes to distinguish between second chances and last chances.

Fighting for your convictions is important. But finding peace is paramount.

Life's impermanence, I realized, is what makes every single day so precious. It's what shapes our time here. It's what makes it so important than not a single moment be wasted.

-After all this pain and heartache, how are you now able to forgive? You seem so at peace with yourself and your life. How are you so able to move on?... -Because Mr. Mandela asked us to.

Service simply means we embrace the possibility of living for more than ourselves.

I learned that the way governors projected the numbers of beds they'd need for prison facilities was by examining the reading scores of third graders. Elected officials deduced that a strong percentage of kids reading below their grade level by third grade would be needing a secure place to stay when they got older.

When it comes time to leave this school, leave your job, or even leave this earth, you make sure you have worked hard to make sure it mattered you were ever here.

People tend to confuse determination and positive attitude with false optimism or naiveté.

How we spend our days is how we spend our lives, and it’s the rare person who can walk away from what feels like a sure thing.

The written word isn't necessarily a chore but can be a window into new worlds

From the pastor who has an affair with his secretary, to the jerk at the office who happens to be a deacon, to the overbearing boss who can’t miss his Monday night Bible study, Christians today cause more problems for the gospel than all the devil’s demons put together.

...deeper lesson: that the written word isn't necessarily a chore but can be a window into new worlds.

As my sister used to eloquently put it, our mother wore sweaters so we could wear coats.

When our passion for the Great Commission, becomes our search for the Great Politician, we know we're lost.

Fighting for your convictions is important. But finding peace is paramount. Knowing when to fight and when to seek peace is wisdom.

Poverty is so concentrated because it is generational and, research shows, created with relentless intention.

I hear you, but it's not the process you should focus on; it's the joy you will feel after you go through the process.

Wes didn't think Tony was a hypocrite exactly--he knew why his brother felt obliged to warn him off. But it was clear that Tony didn't have any better ideas or he would've made those moves himself.

...I found myself surrounded by people--starting with my mom, grandparents, uncles, and aunts, and leading to a string of wonderful role models and mentors--who kept pushing me to see more than what was directly in front of me, to see the boundless possibilities of the wider world and the unexplored possibilities within myself. People who taught me that no accident of birth--not being black or relatively poor, being from Baltimore or the Bronx or fatherless--would ever define or limit me.

...he was telling me that our [country's] blood-soaked and atrocity-littered past was important but that the future didn't have to be its slave.

Wes wanted to be just like Tony. Tony wanted Wes to be nothing like him.

But what all these responses have in common is that they point to the decisive power of information and stories [...]

They would work together, fight together, stay together. An unbreakable bond united the crew - for many members it was the only support system they had. It was family.

Later in life I learned that the way many governors projected the numbers of beds they’d need for prison facilities was by examining the reading scores of third graders. Elected officials deduced that a strong percentage of kids reading below their grade level by third grade would be needing a secure place to stay when they got older.

Just stand next to the white people. They'll get off by Hundred and Tenth Street." Justin broke down his strategy for securing a seat as we shoved ourselves onto the crowded Number 2 train heading uptown.

One thing I began to realize in my travels was that everyone I met who was truly successful—whether in business, in philanthropic work, in human rights, in government, or in raising a family—shared one common trait: they were fanatically passionate about the work they did.

When we're young, it sometimes seems as if our world doesn't exist outside our city, our block, our house, our room. We make decisions based on what we see in that limited world and follow the only models available.

It made me think deeply about the way privilege and preference work in the world, and how many kids who didn't have 'luck' like mine in this instance would find themselves forever outside the ring of power and prestige.

don’t do things because they are easy. Nothing done with that motivation is worth doing. There are rare times in our lives when we find ourselves doing things because they need to be done—and something in us calls out to do it

I was taught to remember, but never question. Wes was taught to forget, and never ask why. We learned our lessons well and were showing them off to a tee. We sat there, just a few feet from each other, both silent, pondering an absence.

My father had been my Moses, bringing me to life. Then my grandfather became my Joshua, carrying me through my childhood and teen years into adulthood.

But I pushed myself to tell it all as honestly as possible; to use a cliché, I pushed myself beyond my comfort zone.

try to remember that these are all roles I have chosen—not out of obligation or out of fear, but out of purpose, out of passion, and out of love.

I want to live an interesting life.

Heroism is simply the idea of living your life with the passion that it deserves.

What need can I best help address?

And I spent a lot of time hurting people who loved me just so I could impress people who didn't even care about me.

I guess it's hard to distinguish between second chances and last chances

It's easy to lose control when you were never looking for it in the first place

My Father’s Day Gift will have you remembering those in your life who saw something in you before you saw it in yourself.

It started to become clear to Wes: the drug game was raw capitalism on overdrive with bullets, a pyramid scheme whose base was dead bodies and ruined lives.

The expectations that others play on us help us form our expectations of ourselves.

When it is time for you to leave this school, leave your job, or even leave this earth, you make sure you have worked hard to make sure it mattered you were ever here.

… our fates are profoundly intertwined. We have to take care of one another.

ourselves. That’s a sign that we may have found the work of our lives. We will accomplish this mission. And not because someone gave me permission, but because I finally gave myself permission.

After my time working for the government as a soldier, I reacquainted myself with the possibilities of government as a force for good beyond its awesome capacity as a force in war and security.

A year after completing the Job Corps training, Wes realized the only consistency in his employment was inconsistency. That, and the fact that none of these jobs paid over nine dollars an hour.

when we reach our hands across the globe to serve others, we don’t return empty-handed. There is always an exchange. I learned that from Abdullah. And I would learn it again during my fellowship.

search it out. I also try to remind myself that while there is always a big-picture ambition or goal on the horizon, it’s important to savor the little moments—the ones that will never come my way again.

What is missing in our time is not the willingness of God to act in biblical ways, but the willingness of his people to believe he is still the God of the Bible—and to act on that faith. To throw away fear, to stride against common wisdom, to risk all that we have and all that we are so we may follow only our simple belief that the God of the Scriptures is still alive and that he will still do what he says in his Word.

But there was a more recent author and public figure whose work spoke to the core of a new set of issues I was struggling with: the Bronx's own Colin Powell. His book, My American Journey, helped me harmonize my understanding of America's history and my aspiration to serve her in uniform. In his autobiography he talked about going to the Woolworth's in Columbus, Georgia, and being able to shop but not eat there. He talked about how black GIs during World War II had more freedoms when stationed in Germany than back in the country they fought for. But he embraced the progress this nation made and the military's role in helping that change to come about. Colin Powell could have been justifiably angry, but he wasn't. He was thankful. I read and reread one section in particular: The Army was living the democratic ideal ahead of the rest of America. Beginning in the fifties, less discrimination, a truer merit system, and leveler playing fields existed inside the gates of our military posts more than in any Southern city hall or Northern corporation. The Army, therefore, made it easier for me to love my country, with all its flaws, and to serve her with all of my heart." -The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates (p. 131)

Sophie Bach from The Maker: You’re a human being with a personality and a will, and you make choices and think and create. Is there no meaning to you, Adrien Bach? And what about us? Is the way we feel about each other just simulated emotions from some biological process—nothing more?

Maybe the question isn’t “What do I want to do with my life?” but “Who do I want to be? What contribution do I want to make?” It’s not even all about altruism. It’s also about living the life that keeps you interested and engaged and passionate—and that leaves you feeling fulfilled. When

Our adult lives begin with a first moment of stillness. We leave school and there’s no next grade to go to, no one to tell us how to spend our time—we are faced with an intimidating absence of inevitable next steps. Possibilities and choices suddenly abound. And for a lot of us it’s terrifying.

Our society's insistence on limiting help to those who "deserve it," as indicated by their status in the labor market, has a profound impact on the capacity of those living in deep poverty to escape ... we also cannot defend the inhumane debate about who are the deserving versus the undeserving poor.

Wes says I’m a Count.” I watch his reaction, but he doesn’t even blink. Obviously if he knows about Spectators and Fems, he must be in the know of all things Nephilim. “Noster.” He holds his hand out and I shake it, warm and strong. “Nice to meet you.” It comes out sarcastic, playful at the same time.

Fundamentally, this story is about two boys, each of whom was going through his own personal journey and searching for help. One of them received it; the other didn't. And now the world stands witness to the results. Small interactions and effortless acts of kindness can mean the difference between failure and success, pain and pleasure - or becoming the people we loathe or love to become. We are more powerful than we realize, and I urge you to internalize the meaning of this remarkable story and unleash your own power. (Tavis Smiley)

no one with bad intentions could case my routine.

catharsis—a

It's hard sometimes to distinguish between second chances and last chances.

Why would you accept the Jesus of the Bible, if you have rejected the Bible of Jesus?

ignored

I think the best we can do is give our young people a chance to make the best decisions possible by providing them with the information and the tools and the support they need.

Early losses condition you to believe that short-term plans are always smarter.

I started to think, maybe we ought to consider this drug problem a public health problem rather than a criminal justice problem. (Mayor Schmoke)

Boredom in teenage boys is a powerful motivation to create chaos.

In the United States, we see these same faces, and our reflex is to pick up our pace and cross the street. And in this reflexive gesture, the dimensions of our tragedy are laid bare.

Young boys are more likely to believe in themselves if they know that there’s someone, somewhere, who shares that belief. To carry the burden of belief alone is too much for most young shoulders.

These people hadn’t just lost a job; they’d lost an identity. They’d spent countless hours demonstrating loyalty to the business, knowing, of course, that they were only as valuable as their last deal. But this is the trick that a job can sometimes play on us: we know we’re working at the pleasure of a manager, an owner, a corporation, but we’re human and can’t help but develop emotional attachments to the work we do. We begin to identify ourselves with our employers and believe that a business can return our loyalty. Sometimes businesses do. But when it comes down to it, a corporation’s first allegiance is to its own survival. Everyone benefits from the idea that we’re all in it together—until suddenly we’re not.

I gave him my full American pitch: about how America was a large experiment, and with every generation we struggle to expand and live up to our greatest ideals, to be greater in the future than we were in the past. I told him I fought for my country because I love it, flaws and all. I fought for it because the people who make up our beautiful, diverse tapestry deserve to be fought for. I fought for it so that this experiment can continue, so that we have a chance to become the country that my grandparents dreamed of and that my grandchildren deserve.

I’m not a warmonger—like many who have worn the uniform, I am particularly averse to war. I’m also not someone who believes in empire building or imperialistic or paternalistic attitudes about the world outside of America. But our passion, influence, and responsibility as humans can never end at our borders.

With every step on those cracked sidewalks, I passed a new signifier of urban decay. But I didn't even realize it. I was a kid, and just happy to get out of the house. The people I passed would look me up and down, and I would look back, give the traditional head nod, and then go back to practicing my crossover dribble.

In the eternal words of Sir William Ernest Henley: Beyond this place of wrath and tears, Looms but the Horror of the shade, And yet the menace of the years, Finds, and shall find, me unafraid. It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.

Abdullah explained to me the man had not understood the significance of the image on the flag, so Abdullah told him it was a picture of Afghanistan—a picture of his country. At that, the man had shrugged and walked away. That’s when I started to understand that our goal of establishing loyalty to a national government was possibly in trouble.

Adrien Bach, main character from The Maker: You know, when you’re a kid, you think you’re going to grow up to be something special, do something important. You’re not going to be a regular Joe like everybody else. But then you get out there and life starts to hit you. It hits you so many times, eventually you just can’t get up anymore. Or won’t. And then you just don’t know. Those dreams seem to fade away, and suddenly you’re not sure who you are anymore.

Some critics will counter that poverty is a choice made by those that are lazy or who lack the desire to change their loves for the better. I agree that poverty is a choice. But that choice is not made by the people who live under its oppressive effects. Rather, the choice is ours. It's the choice of government that represents our priorities and allocates our investments. Its a choice reinforced by the companies we patronize and the organizations we support.

And when I finish my story, the question that comes up the most is the one that initiated the quest: 'What made the difference?' And the truth is that I don't know. People are so wildly different, and it's hard to know when genetics or environment or just bad luck is decisive. As I've puzzled over this issue, I've become convinced that there are some clear and powerful measures that can be taken during this crucial time in a young person's life. Some of the ones that helped me come to mind, from finding strong mentors to being entrusted with responsibilities that forced me to get serious about my behavior.

Years earlier, I had run through these same woods with all of my might, looking for safety, trying to get away from campus. Tonight, I ran through the same woods looking for safety, but in the other direction.

We will do what others expect of us,” Wes said. “If they expect us to graduate, we will graduate. If they expect us to get a job, we will get a job. If they expect us to go to jail, then that’s where we will end up too. At some point you lose control.

But for some of us, the promotion to adulthood, or at least its challenges, is so jarring, so sudden, that we enter into it unprepared and might be undone by it.

Boredom in teenage boys is powerful motivation to create chaos.

Life's impermanence, I realized, is what makes every single day so precious. It's what shapes our time here. It's what makes it so important that not a single moment be wasted.

There is no one thing that leads people to move in one direction or another. I think the best we can do is give our young people a chance to make the best decisions possible by providing them with the information and the tools and the support they need.

The words of the author Samuel Beckett summarize the central message of this text: "Try again. Fail again. Fail better." In fact, I believe that this describes the ebb and flow of life itself-try again again, fail better. Failing doesn't make us a failure. But not tryin do better, to be better, does make us fools.

While reading the (acceptance) letter, I thought about Paul White. Having an advocate on the inside - someone who had gotten to know me on a personal level - had obviously helped. It made me think deeply about the way privilege and preference work in the world, and how many kids who didn't have "luck" like mine in this instance would find themselves forever outside the ring of power and prestige. So many opportunities in this country are apportioned in this arbitrary and miserly way, distributed to those who already have the benefit of a privileged legacy.

People who taught me that no accident of birth--not being black or relatively poor, being from Baltimore or the Bronx or fatherless--would ever define or limit me. In other words, they helped me to discover what it means to be free...My only wish--and I know Wes feels the same--is that the boys (and girls) who come after us will know this freedom. It's up to us, all of us, to make a way for them.

Wes didn't think Tony was a hypocrite exactly--he knew why his brother felt obliged to warn him off. But it was clear that Tony didn't have any better ideas or he would've made those moves himself.

Having Wes back in my life is bliss. We may not be in Kansas anymore, but our love can thrive in any universe at anytime. Trying to suppress love like ours would be like separating water molecules in hopes to dry out the sea—an impossibility too great to fathom.

Kids need to think that you care before they care what you think.