Marie Curie's words of wisdom about faith and work ethic
When someone asks me about a historical figure that I look up to, one of my favorite ones to mention is Marie Curie.
Not only was Marie Curie an exceptional scientist who, along with her husband, revolutionized the way we look at chemistry (see Noble Prize site), but she was also a wholesome and ethical human being who cared for and promoted the development of the individual as a means of improving society.
The two qualities about her that I most look up to are her faith and perseverant work ethic.
Faith in humanity
"Life is not easy for any of us...We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained."
I don't know about you, but for me, the idea that I have been given certain gifts and that it is my responsibility to utilize them gives my life a certain meaning beyond the mere state of just "living".
It is wonderful and a little intimidating to know that God has created us for goodness and that through our talents and work we are able to improve our lives and that of those around us.
So the questions for all of us to to ask ourselves everyday are:
Do you have faith in yourself?
Do you have faith in the goodness of others?
Do you have faith enough to ask for understanding, for help, for strength, for clarity?
Work Ethic
"Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time we must understand more, so that we may fear less."
Because of her faith in humanity - in the goodness of the world - Marie passionately devoted her life to the pursuit of that which set her soul on fire.
Her professional work ethic and exceptional commitment to her development and the development of those around her is a statement of how important it is to have both knowledge and wisdom intertwined.
To have knowledge without wisdom is meaningless, for without wisdom our knowledge simply becomes heartless.
Marie Curie worked tirelessly to understand the world so that she could touch the world with her heart - so that she could fear less and give more.
Again, the questions we should ask ourselves on a daily basis could be:
How are you striving to touch the heart of those around you with your expertise?
How are you finding fulfillment in your work as a way to expand and improve the lives of those closest to you?
What sacrifices are you making to develop not only the knowledge but also the wisdom required to create a positive impact?
Other quotes from Marie:
"I am among those who think that science has great beauty. A scientist in his laboratory is not only a technician: he is also a child placed before natural phenomena which impress him like a fairy tale."
"One never notices what has been done; one can only see what remains to be done."
"Have no fear of perfection; you'll never reach it."
"Humanity also needs dreamers, for whom the disinterested development of an enterprise is so captivating that it becomes impossible for them to devote their care to their own material profit."
"You cannot hope to build a better world without improving the individuals. To that end each of us must work for his own improvement, and at the same time share a general responsibility for all humanity, our particular duty being to aid those to whom we think we can be most useful."
"I was taught that the way of progress was neither swift nor easy."
"Be less curious about people and more curious about ideas."
Trust the process. Live the commitment