As for his childhood, Ralph Waldo Emerson was born in 1803 in Boston Massachusetts. And if you didn't know, he was a notable poet, essayist, and philosopher.

He studied and taught at Harvard and went to Europe, where he met two other legendary poets of his day: Thomas Carlyle and Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

When he came back, he upset the established order regarding philosophy. He had a brilliant philosophical quote for it: "Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."

This unusual perspective truly had an impact. And today, he is considered the father of Transcendentalism, which is a philosophical movement opposed to scientific rationalism.

Emerson is also popular for his Over-Soul concept, which promotes the notion that we can rely on direct experience as opposed to external authority within the Transcendentalist paradigm.

Along with that, he also had some great quotes to share with the world, and the following can really inspire you towards self-reliance, his hallmark philosophical proposition.

1. To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

2. Shallow men believe in luck or in circumstance. Strong men believe in cause and effect. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

3. The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

4. People do not seem to realize that their opinion of the world is also a confession of their character. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

5. Without ambition, one starts nothing. Without work, one finishes nothing. The prize will not be sent to you. You have to win it. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

6. What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

7. Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

8. It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

9. For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

10. To be great is to be misunderstood. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

11. Always do what you are afraid to do. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

12. You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

13. When it is dark enough, you can see the stars. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

14. Peace cannot be achieved through violence; it can only be attained through understanding. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

15. What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

16. The only way to have a friend is to be one. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

17. Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting some on yourself. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

If you were waiting for the right words to get started, then there they are. With these quotes from Ralph Waldo Emerson inspiring you, you will have nothing to fear while tackling whatever mission lies ahead of you, however challenging it might seem.