17 Quotes From Alex Trebek That We All Need Right Now

Jeopardy aired its last Alex Trebek-hosted episode recently. Of all the celebrities on television, it’s often seemed to me that Trebek was one of the most gracious, intelligent, and kind. He will be missed. Here are some words of wisdom that he shared:

“Be kinder to each other. I see America in a crisis situation right now in so many ways. And I want people to open up their hearts, and open up their hands, and open up their wallets to help each other. Because if ever there was a time when we needed to do that, that time is now.”
“Don’t minimize the importance of luck in determining life’s course.”
“Don’t tell me what you believe in. I’ll observe how you behave and I will make my own determination.”
“Have you ever met a successful person who wasn’t restless–who was satisfied with where he or she was in life? They want new challenges. They want to get up and go … and that’s one of the reasons they’re successful.”
“I don’t spend any time whatsoever thinking about what might have been.”
“I go through these cycles where I read a lot and then watch TV a lot.”
“I’m curious about everything. Even subjects that don’t interest me.”
“If you can’t be in awe of Mother Nature, there’s something wrong with you.”
“It’s very important in life to know when to shut up.”
“My heart seems to heal, so that speaks well for my future.”
“My life is what it is, and I can’t change it. I can change the future, but I can’t do anything about the past.”
“Saying that I’ve THOUGHT about it doesn’t mean that I’m DOING it.”
“Take your job seriously, but don’t take yourself too seriously.”
“The secret to happiness, of course, is not getting what you want; it’s wanting what you get.”
“We are all experts in our own little niches.”
“When you’re in your 30s and actively pursuing a career and a home life, a wife, and children, you’re busy doing as opposed to busy thinking. As you get older, even as you don’t have as much time, I think you tend to think more and reflect more on what is happening in your own life.”
“You should not be afraid of silence.”

Honorable mention: “It’s very important that you try to win as much money as possible, because only the player with the most cash at the end of the day will wind up keeping his or her winnings.”