I liked one of the paragraphs in Anne Leclair's Leaving Eden so much that I can't resist the temptation of quoting it here:

Mama believed what counted was conceiving of possibilities that stretched beyond us. It was having aspirations - in spite of geography or circumstance - and then reaching for them with all your might. That's what mattered, she said. That and not letting fear of anything or anyone else stop you. If your dreams were true and your heart was big enough, Mama said, you could make them happen. You just couldn't wait too long.