To know what you prefer, instead of humbly saying “Amen” to what the world tells you you ought to prefer, is to keep your soul alive.
—Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–94) Scottish Novelist
The soul of man is infinite in what it covets.
—Ben Jonson (1572–1637) English Dramatist, Poet, Actor
The number one reason most people don’t get what they want is that they don’t know what they want. Rich people are totally clear that they want wealth. They are unwavering in their desire. They are fully committed to creating wealth. As long as it’s legal, moral, and ethical, they will do whatever it takes to have wealth. Rich people do not send mixed messages to the universe. Poor people do.
—T. Harv Eker (b.1954) American Motivational Speaker, Lecturer, Author
Nothing is impossible; there are ways that lead to everything, and if we had sufficient will we should always have sufficient means. It is often merely for an excuse that we say things are impossible.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire.
—James Montgomery (1771–1854) English Hymn writer, Poet, Editor, Humanitarian
Convince a man of what he wants, and he’ll move heaven and earth to get it.
—Unknown
A strong passion for any object will ensure success, for the desire of the end will point out the means.
—William Hazlitt (1778–1830) English Essayist
There is absolutely nothing that you desire that you cannot achieve.
—Abraham Hicks
Avoid fragmentation: Find your focus and seek simplicity. Purposeful living calls for elegant efficiency and economy of effort—expanding the minimum time and energy necessary to achieve desired goals.
—Dan Millman (b.1946) American Children’s Books Writer, Sportsperson
He who can wait for what he desires takes the course not to be exceedingly grieved if he fails of it; he on the contrary who labors after a thing too impatiently thinks the success when it comes is not a recompense equal to all the pains he has been at about it.
—Jean de La Bruyere (1645–96) French Satiric Moralist, Author
Man is an animal which, alone among the animals, refuses to be satisfied by the fulfillment of animal desires.
—Alexander Graham Bell (1847–1922) Scottish-born American Inventor, Engineer, Academic
He that flatters you more than you desire either has deceived you or wishes to deceive.
—Italian Proverb
When natural inclination develops into a passionate desire, one advances towards his goal in seven-league boots.
—Nikola Tesla (1856–1943) Serbian-American Electrical Engineer, Inventor
How helpless we are, like netted birds, when we are caught by desire!
—Belva Plain (1915–2010) American Novelist
First the stalk—then the roots. First the need—then the means to satisfy that need. First the nucleus—then the elements needed for its growth.
—Robert Collier (1885–1950) American Self-Help Author
When desire dies, fear is born.
—Baltasar Gracian (1601–58) Spanish Scholar, Prose Writer
No person can arise above his real desire. Desires are of value only when they drive us to action. Will and work must accompany desire. Then high resolve is born. Desire is the design that will spurs us into achievement.
—Indian Proverb
Unbridled gratification produces unbridled desire.
—Common Proverb
I believe that the very purpose of life is to be happy. From the very core of our being, we desire contentment. In my own limited experience I have found that the more we care for the happiness of others, the greater is our own sense of well-being. Cultivating a close, warmhearted feeling for others automatically puts the mind at ease. It helps remove whatever fears or insecurities we may have and gives us the strength to cope with any obstacles we encounter. It is the principal source of success in life. Since we are not solely material creatures, it is a mistake to place all our hopes for happiness on external development alone. The key is to develop inner peace.
—The 14th Dalai Lama (b.1935) Tibetan Buddhist Religious Leader, Civil Rights Leader, Philosopher, Author
A human being is a part of the whole, called by us “Universe,” a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest—a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. Nobody is able to achieve this completely, but the striving for such achievement is in itself a part of the liberation and a foundation for inner security.
—Albert Einstein (1879–1955) German-born Physicist
Slaves lose everything in their chains, even the desire of escaping from them.
—Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–78) Swiss-born French Philosopher
It is the nature of desire not to be satisfied, and most men live only for the gratification of it.
—Aristotle (384BCE–322BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher, Scholar
Each man has his own desires; all do not possess the same inclinations.
—Persius (34–62 CE) Roman Satirist
It is a miserable state of mind to have few things to desire and many things to fear.
—Francis Bacon (1561–1626) English Philosopher
Just as a fire is covered by smoke and a mirror is obscured by dust, just as the embryo rests deep within the womb, wisdom is hidden by selfish desire.
—The Bhagavad Gita Hindu Scripture
Plant the seed of desire in your mind and it forms a nucleus with power to attract to itself everything needed for its fulfillment.
—Robert Collier (1885–1950) American Self-Help Author
Where there is no power… there is never any desire to do a thing; and where there is strong desire to do a thing… the power to do it is strong.
—Wallace Wattles (1860–1911) American New Thought Author
Opportunity makes desire.
—Dutch Proverb
Desire is proof of the availability…
—Robert Collier (1885–1950) American Self-Help Author
The stoical schemes of supplying our wants by lopping off our desires, is like cutting off our feet when we want shoes.
—Jonathan Swift (1667–1745) Irish Satirist