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Inspirational Quotations

by RightAttitudes.com

Inspirational Quotes by Orison Swett Marden (American New Thought Writer)

Inspirational Quotations by Orison Swett Marden (American New Thought Writer)

Dr. Orison Swett Marden (1850–1924) was an American inspirational author who wrote on success in life and how to achieve it. His writings discuss common-sense principles and virtues that make for a well-rounded, successful life. Many of his ideas are based on New Thought philosophy.

Source: Wikipedia (via CC-BY-SA license) • READ: Works by Orison Swett Marden

We cannot rise higher than our thought of ourselves.
—Orison Swett Marden
Topics: Vision, Prophecy

Unless you have prepared yourself to profit by your chance, the opportunity will only make you ridiculous. A great occasion is valuable to you just in proportion as you have educated yourself to make use of it.
—Orison Swett Marden
Topics: Preparation, Planning

Your expectations opens or closes the doors of your supply, If you expect grand things, and work honestly for them, they will come to you, your supply will correspond with your expectation.
—Orison Swett Marden
Topics: Expectation

The greatest trouble with most of us is that our demands upon ourselves are so feeble, the call upon the great within of us so weak and intermittent that it makes no impression upon the creative energies; it lacks the force that transmutes desires into realities.
—Orison Swett Marden
Topics: Commitment

We make the world we live in and shape our own environment.
—Orison Swett Marden

The lack of opportunity is ever the excuse of a weak, vacillating mind. Opportunities! Every life is full of them. Every newspaper article is an opportunity. Every client is an opportunity. Every sermon is an opportunity. Every business transaction is an opportunity—an opportunity to be polite—an opportunity to be manly—an opportunity to be honest—an opportunity to make friends.
—Orison Swett Marden
Topics: Opportunity

The best thing about giving of ourselves is that what we get is always better than what we give. The reaction is greater than the action.
—Orison Swett Marden
Topics: Forgiveness

We advance on our journey only when we face our goal, when we are confident and believe we are going to win out.
—Orison Swett Marden
Topics: Journeys, Goal, Expectation

The influential man is the successful man, whether he be rich or poor.
—Orison Swett Marden
Topics: Influence, Leadership

The Universe is one great kindergarten for man. Everything that exists has brought with it its own peculiar lesson. The mountain teaches stability and grandeur; the ocean immensity and change. Forests, lakes, and rivers, clouds and winds, stars and flowers, stupendous glaciers and crystal snowflakes, – every form of animate or inanimate existence, leaves its impress upon the soul of man. Even the bee and ant have brought their little lessons of industry and economy.
—Orison Swett Marden
Topics: General, Learning, The Universe, Universe, Existence

Character is the indelible mark that determines the only true value of all people and all their work.
—Orison Swett Marden
Topics: Character

The world is full of human lobsters; men stranded on the rocks of indecision and procrastination, who, instead of putting forth their own energies, are waiting for some grand billow of good fortune to set them afloat.
—Orison Swett Marden
Topics: Procrastination

You cannot measure a man by his failures. You must know what use he makes of them. What did they mean to him. What did he get out of them.
—Orison Swett Marden
Topics: Failure

The size of your accomplishments, the quality of your achievement, will depend very largely on how big a man you see in yourself, what sort of image you get of your possible self, yourself at your best.
—Orison Swett Marden
Topics: Vision, Prophecy, Achievement

Just make up your mind at the very outset that your work is going to stand for quality… that you are going to stamp a superior quality upon everything that goes out of your hands, that whatever you do shall bear the hall-mark of excellence.
—Orison Swett Marden
Topics: Excellence

Opportunities? They are all around us… There is power lying latent everywhere waiting for the observant eye to discover it.
—Orison Swett Marden
Topics: Opportunity

The sculptor will chip off all unnecessary material to set free the angel. Nature will chip and pound us remorselessly to bring out our possibilities. She will strip us of wealth, humble our pride, humiliate our ambition, let us down from the ladder of fame, will discipline us in a thousand ways, if she can develop a little character, Everything must give way to that. Wealth is nothing, position is nothing, fame is nothing, manhood is everything.
—Orison Swett Marden
Topics: Growth

This is the test of your manhood: How much is there left in you after you have lost everything outside of yourself?
—Orison Swett Marden
Topics: Courage, Bravery

The glow of satisfaction which follows the consciousness of doing our level best never comes to a human being from any other experience.
—Orison Swett Marden
Topics: Happiness

Resolve that whatever you do, you will bring the whole man to it; that you will fling the whole weight of your being into it.
—Orison Swett Marden
Topics: Commitment

There can be no great courage where there is no confidence or assurance, and half the battle is in the conviction that we can do what we undertake.
—Orison Swett Marden
Topics: Confidence

We fail to see that we can control our own destiny; make ourselves do whatever is possible; make ourselves become whatever we long to be.
—Orison Swett Marden
Topics: Being True to Yourself, Control

Put the uncommon effort into the common task … make it large by doing it in a great way.
—Orison Swett Marden
Topics: Effort, Excellence

No man is beaten until his hope is annihilated, his confidence gone, As long as a man faces life hopefully, confidently, triumphantly, he is not a failure; he is not beaten until he turns his back on life.
—Orison Swett Marden
Topics: Mistakes

But how shall I get ideas? Keep your wits open! Observe! Observe! Study! Study! But above all, Think! Think! And when a noble image is indelibly impressed upon the mind—Act!
—Orison Swett Marden
Topics: Ideas

All who have accomplished great things have had a great aim, have fixed their gaze on a goal which was high, one which sometimes seemed impossible.
—Orison Swett Marden
Topics: Achieving, Great

A constant struggle, a ceaseless battle to bring success from inhospitable surroundings, is the price of all great achievements.
—Orison Swett Marden
Topics: Achievement, Value, Battle

Be larger than your task.
—Orison Swett Marden
Topics: Courage, Bravery

Every germ of goodness will at last struggle into bloom and fruitage… true success follows every right step.
—Orison Swett Marden
Topics: Goodness, Success

Whatever our creed, we feel that no good deed can by any possibility go unrewarded, no evil deed unpunished.
—Orison Swett Marden
Topics: Consequences

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