Some of my favorite quotes from Spinoza:

“The rational person is the one who strives always to increase his power, to change passion to action, and to secure for himself joy, independence and serenity that are the true marks of freedom.  To achieve this condition, however, is to amend our emotions – to master that in our nature which otherwise master us.”

“There is only one true wisdom, which is to increase our power, and to ensure that, in so far as it is possible, the things that happen to us are also produced by us.”

“The one who lives by the dictates of reason is the ‘free man’ – the person who is active rather than passive in all that involves him.”