One of my favorite expressions is "Things of quality have no fear of time." A long time ago a friend of mine had this saying on a button he wore on his hat. That friend is dead now, but the quote he wore lives on, as he dtime, qualityoes, in my mind.

Today I decided to Google on the quote and see who actually said it first. I found the quote in several places - blogs about fashion, patience and personal growth. I found memes with the quote on Pinterest and Tumblr. But nowhere could I find the quote attributed to anyone other than "Unknown."

It makes me sad to think that the creator of such a brilliant expression goes without credit. But, perhaps a person who would say such a thing wouldn't really care about that.

So what does it mean that things of quality have no fear of time? In fashion, it would suggest that classic pieces always have a place, despite the changing tides of taste. In building and furniture-making it would suggest that if you build something well it will last forever. In writing it would suggest that sometimes it takes a while to create something wonderful.

I think the expression says something to us as we get older, too. We live in a world that values the young over the old and bombards us with products and procedures to help us seem younger than we are.  This statement reminds us that if we cultivate a character of quality we can face our aging process without fear.

I often use the quote for my clients who have big dreams but worry that their dreams will take too long to achieve. If your dream is one of quality, do not fear what it will take to achieve it. Things of quality have no fear of time.