Please know I am quite aware of the hazards. I want to do it because I want to do it. Women must try to do things as men have tried. When they fail, their failure must be but a challenge to others.
—Amelia Earhart (1897–1937) American Aviator
What to do if you find yourself stuck in a crack in the ground underneath a giant boulder you can’t move, with no hope of rescue. Consider how lucky you are that life has been good to you so far. Alternatively, if life hasn’t been good to you so far, which given your current circumstances seems more likely, consider how lucky you are that it won’t be troubling you much longer.
—Douglas Adams (1952–2001) English Novelist, Scriptwriter
Leadership cannot just go along to get along. Leadership must meet the moral challenge of the day
—Jesse Jackson (b.1941) American Baptist Civil Rights Activist, Minister
Give yourself an even greater challenge than the one you are trying to master and you will develop the powers necessary to overcome the original difficulty.
—William Bennett (b.1943) American Politician, Political Theorist, Government Official
Optimists enrich the present, enhance the future, challenge the improbable and attain the impossible.
—William Arthur Ward (1921–94) American Author
Rich and successful people are solution-oriented; they spend their time and energy strategizing and planning the answers to challenges that come up, and creating systems to make certain that problem doesn’t occur again.
—T. Harv Eker (b.1954) American Motivational Speaker, Lecturer, Author
The experienced mountain climber is not intimidated by a mountain—he is inspired by it. The persistent winner is not discouraged by a problem—he is challenged by it. Mountains are created to be conquered; adversities are designed to be defeated; problems are sent to be solved. It is better to master one mountain than a thousand foothills.
—William Arthur Ward (1921–94) American Author
Leadership is the challenge to be something more than average.
—Jim Rohn (1930–2009) American Entrepreneur, Author, Motivational Speaker
By working faithfully eight hours a day, you may eventually get to be a boss and work twelve hours a day.
—Robert Frost (1874–1963) American Poet
Woman must not accept; she must challenge. She must not be awed by that which has been built up around her; she must reverence that woman in her which struggles for expression.
—Margaret Sanger (1883–1966) American Birth-Control Campaigner
The New Frontier I speak of is not a set of promises—it is a set of challenges. It sums up not what I intend to offer the American people, but what I intent to ask of them.
—John F. Kennedy (1917–63) American Head of State, Journalist
Opposition is a natural part of life. Just as we develop our physical muscles through overcoming opposition – such as lifting weights – we develop our character muscles by overcoming challenges and adversity
—Stephen Covey (1932–2012) American Self-help Author
Impossibilities are merely things which we have not yet learned.
—Charles W. Chesnutt (1858–1932) American Novelist, Essayist, Political Activist, Short Story Write
Failure is not fatal. Failure should be our teacher, nor our undertaker. It should challenge us to new heights of accomplishments, not pull us to new depths of despair. From honest failure can come valuable experience.
—William Arthur Ward (1921–94) American Author
The greatest challenge of the day is: how to bring about a revolution of the heart
—Dorothy Day (1897–1980) American Journalist, Christian Activist
Life is a challenge, meet it! Life is a dream, realize it! Life is a game, play it! Life is Love, enjoy it.
—Sathya Sai Baba (1926–2011) Indian Hindu Religious Leader
Courage is the human virtue that counts most—courage to act on limited knowledge and insufficient evidence. That’s all any of us have.
—Robert Frost (1874–1963) American Poet
When we long for life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure.
—Peter Marshall
For every mountain, there is a miracle.
—Robert H. Schuller (1926–2015) American Christian Televangelist, Author
Keep on going and the chances are you will stumble on something, perhaps when you are least expecting it. I have never heard of anyone stumbling on something sitting down.
—Charles F. Kettering (1876–1958) American Inventor, Entrepreneur, Businessperson
There is nothing like a challenge to bring out the best in man.
—Sean Connery (1930–2020) Scottish Actor, Film Producer
There is never time in the future in which we will work out our salvation. The challenge is in the moment; the time is always now.
—James Baldwin (1924–87) American Novelist, Social Critic
Don’t be afraid to challenge the pros, even in their own backyard.
—Colin Powell (b.1937) American Military Leader
Mountains cannot be surmounted except by winding paths.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
The challenge of social justice is to evoke a sense of community that we need to make our nation a better place, just as we make it a safer place.
—Marian Wright Edelman (b.1939) American Civil Regrets Advocate, Humanitarian, Lawyer
Suicide is a crime the most revolting to the feelings; nor does any reason suggest itself to our understanding by which it can be justified. It certainly originates in that species of fear which we denominate poltroonery. For what claim can that man have to courage who trembles at the frowns of fortunes? True heroism consists in being superior to the ills of life in whatever shape they may challenge him to combat.
—Napoleon I (1769–1821) Emperor of France
Reality challenges and rewards. I believe our best days are yet to come.
—George W. Bush (b.1946) American Head of State, Businessperson
He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) German Philosopher, Scholar, Writer
In the past a leader was a boss. Today’s leaders must be partners with their people…. they no longer can lead solely based on positional power.
—Ken Blanchard (b.1939) American Author, Management Consultant
Don’t be a cynic and disconsolate preacher. Don’t bewail and moan. Omit the negative propositions. Challenge us with incessant affirmatives. Don’t waste yourself in rejection, or bark against the bad, but chant the beauty of the good.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
Be thankful for each new challenge, ecause it will build your strength and character.
—Unknown
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.
—Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919) American Head of State, Political leader, Historian, Explorer
In every adversity there lies the seed of an equivalent advantage. In every defeat is a lesson showing you how to win the victory next time.
—Robert Collier (1885–1950) American Self-Help Author
The heights charm us, but the steps do not; with the mountain in our view we love to walk the plains.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
No amount of fire or freshness can challenge what a man can store up in his ghosty heart
—F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896–1940) American Novelist
Suffering has been stronger than all other teaching, and has taught me to understand what your heart used to be. I have been bent and broken, but—I hope—into a better shape.
—Charles Dickens (1812–70) English Novelist
It is time for us all to stand and cheer for the doer, the achiever—the one who recognizes the challenge and does something about it.
—Vince Lombardi, Jr. (1913–70) American Football Player, Coach
When people keep telling you that you can’t do a thing, you kind of like to try it.
—Margaret Chase Smith (1897–1995) American Politician
I’m sorry to say so but, sadly it’s true that bang-ups and hang-ups can happen to you.
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’) (1904–91) American Children’s Books Writer, Writer, Cartoonist, Animator
Problems are the price of progress. Don’t bring me anything but trouble. Good news weakens me.
—Charles F. Kettering (1876–1958) American Inventor, Entrepreneur, Businessperson
If you think your boss is stupid, remember: you wouldn’t have a job if he was any smarter.
—Unknown
It’s a troublesome world. All the people who’re in it are troubled with troubles almost every minute. You ought to be thankful, a whole heaping lot, for the places and people you’re lucky you’re not.
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’) (1904–91) American Children’s Books Writer, Writer, Cartoonist, Animator
I challenge you to make your life a masterpiece. I challenge you to join the ranks of those people who live what they teach, who walk their talk.
—Tony Robbins (b.1960) American Self-Help Author, Entrepreneur
Great things are done when men and mountains meet; this is not done by jostling in the street.
—William Blake (1757–1827) English Poet, Painter, Printmaker
Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents, which, in prosperous circumstances, would have lain dormant.
—Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus) (65–8 BCE) Roman Poet
The greatness comes not when things go always good for you. But the greatness comes when you’re really tested, when you take some knocks, some disappointments, when sadness comes. Because only if you’ve been in the deepest valley can you ever know how magnificent it is to be on the highest mountain.
—Richard Nixon (1913–94) American Head of State, Lawyer
Burdens are the foundations of ease and bitter things the forerunners of pleasure.
—Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi (1207–73) Persian Muslim Mystic
There’s only one boss: the customer. He can fire everybody from the chairman on down simply by spending his money elsewhere.
—Sam Walton (1918–92) American Entrepreneur, Businessperson
When we least expect it, life sets us a challenge to test our courage and willingness to change; at such a moment, there is no point in pretending that nothing has happened or in saying that we are not ready. The challenge will not wait. Life does not look back. A week is more than enough time for us to decide whether or not to accept our destiny
—Paulo Coelho (b.1947) Brazilian Songwriter, Novelist
I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I’ve bought a big bat. I’m all ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!
—Theodor Seuss Geisel (‘Dr. Seuss’) (1904–91) American Children’s Books Writer, Writer, Cartoonist, Animator