The future is a convenient place for dreams.
—Anatole France (1844–1924) French Novelist
I believe in wishes and in a person’s ability to make a wish come true, I really do. And a wish is more than a wish… it’s a goal that your conscience and subconscience can help make reality.
—Michael Jackson (1958–2009) American Singer-Songwriter
No one should negotiate their dreams. Dreams must be free to flee and fly high. No government, no legislature, has a right to limit your dreams. You should never agree to surrender your dreams.
—Jesse Jackson (b.1941) American Baptist Civil Rights Activist, Minister
Dreams come true; without that possibility, nature would not incite us to have them.
—John Updike (1932–2009) American Novelist, Poet, Short-Story Writer
Our dreams must be stronger than our memories. We must be pulled by our dreams, rater than pushed by our memories.
—Jesse Jackson (b.1941) American Baptist Civil Rights Activist, Minister
Some colors exist in dreams that are not present in the waking spectrum.
—Unknown
Dreams do come true, if we only wish hard enough, You can have anything in life if you will sacrifice everything else for it.
—J. M. Barrie (1860–1937) Scottish Novelist, Dramatist
You will achieve grand dream, a day at a time, so set goals for each day—not long and difficult projects, but chores that will take you, step by step, toward your rainbow. Write them down, if you must, but limit your list so that you won’t have to drag today’s undone matters into tomorrow. Remember that you cannot build your pyramid in twenty-four hours. Be patient. Never allow your day to become so cluttered that you neglect your most important goal—to do the best you can, enjoy this day, and rest satisfied with what you have accomplished.
—Og Mandino (1923–96) American Self-Help Author
We are told that talent creates its own opportunities. But it sometimes seems that intense desire creates not only its own opportunities, but its own talents.
—Eric Hoffer (1902–83) American Philosopher, Author
But sure there is need of other remedies than dreaming, a weak contention of art against nature.
—Michel de Montaigne (1533–92) French Essayist
Ideas must work through the brains and the arms of good and brave men, or they are no better than dreams.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
People’s dreams are made out of what they do all day. The same way a dog that runs after rabbits will dream of rabbits. It’s what you do that makes your soul, not the other way around.
—Barbara Kingsolver (b.1955) American Novelist, Essayist, Poet
I knew there was a way out. I knew there was another kind of life because I had read about it. I knew there were other places, and there was another way of being.
—Oprah Winfrey (b.1954) American TV Personality
Codi: “So you think we all just have animal dreams. We can’t think of anything to dream except our ordinary lives”.
Loyd: “Only if you have an ordinary life. If you want sweet dreams, you’ve got to live a sweet life”.
—Barbara Kingsolver (b.1955) American Novelist, Essayist, Poet
Often we don’t even realize who we’re meant to be because we’re so busy trying to live out someone else’s ideas. But other people and their opinions hold no power in defining our destiny.
—Oprah Winfrey (b.1954) American TV Personality
It wasn’t a matter of courage or dreams, but something a whole lot simpler. A pilot would call it ground orientation. I’d spent a long time circling above the clouds, looking for life, while Hallie was living it.
—Barbara Kingsolver (b.1955) American Novelist, Essayist, Poet
You control your future, your destiny. What you think about comes about. By recording your dreams and goals on paper, you set in motion the process of becoming the person you most want to be. Put your future in good hands: your own.
—Mark Victor Hansen (b.1948) American Public Speaker, Motivational Speaker, Writer
You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.
—Unknown
Dreams have as much influence as actions
—Stephane Mallarme (1842–98) French Symbolist Poet
A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.
—Colin Powell (1937–2021) American Military Leader
Dreams don’t have to come true at age 20, 30, or 40; they often occur long past when you thought possible.
—Anonymous
Focus more on your desire than on your doubt, and the dream will take care of itself. You may be surprised at how easily this happens. Your doubts are not as powerful as your desires, unless you make them so.
—Marcia Wieder
Our heart oft times wakes when we sleep, and God can speak to that, either by words, by proverbs, by signs and similitudes, as well as if one was awake.
—John Bunyan (1628–88) English Puritan Writer, Preacher
If you take responsibility for yourself you will develop a hunger to accomplish your dreams.
—Les Brown
He dreamed he was eating shredded wheat and woke up to find the mattress half gone.
—Fred Allen (1894–1956) American Humorist, Radio Personality
Dream big dreams! Imagine that you have no limitations and then decide what’s right before you decide what’s possible.
—Brian Tracy (b.1944) American Author, Motivational Speaker
To accomplish great things we must first dream, then visualize, then plan… believe… act!
—Alfred A. Montapert (1906–97) American Engineer, Philosopher
Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you’ve imagined! As you simplify your life, the laws of the Universe will be simpler, solitude will not be solitude, poverty will not be poverty, nor weakness weakness.
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–62) American Philosopher
Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.
—Buddhist Teaching
Huge and mighty forms that do not live like living men, moved slowly through the mind by day and were trouble to my dreams.
—William Wordsworth (1770–1850) English Poet
No one has ever achieved anything from the smallest to the greatest unless the dream was dreamed first.
—Laura Ingalls Wilder (1867–1957) American Children’s Novelist
Only in dreams does the happiness of the earth dwell.
—Friedrich Ruckert (1788–1866) German Poet, Translator
Dream as if you’ll live forever. Live as if you’ll die tomorrow.
—James Dean (1931–55) American Film Actor
The more you can dream, the more you can do.
—Michael Korda (b.1933) English-born Writer, Novelist
You don’t have to deserve your mother’s love. You have to deserve your father’s. He’s more particular. The father is always a Republican towards his son, and his mother’s always a Democrat.
—Robert Frost (1874–1963) American Poet
Every man takes the limits of his own field of vision for the limits of the world.
—Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860) German Philosopher
For dhrames always go by conthraries, my dear.
—Samuel Lover (1797–1868) Anglo-Irish Writer, Artist, Songwriter
Thoughts are but dreams till their effects be tried.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
God’s gifts put man’s best dreams to shame.
—Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806–61) English Poet
We sometimes from dreams pick up some hint worth improving by … reflection.
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826) American Head of State, Lawyer
No person has the right to rain on your dreams.
—Marian Wright Edelman (b.1939) American Civil Regrets Advocate, Humanitarian, Lawyer
Hold on to your dreams for they are, in a sense, the stuff of which reality is made. It is through our dreams that we maintain the possibility of a better, more meaningful life.
—Leo Buscaglia (1924–98) American Motivational Speaker
Unfortunately, the balance of nature decrees that a super-abundance of dreams is paid for by a growing potential for nightmares.
—Peter Ustinov (1921–2004) British Actor, Playwright, Director
I am accustomed to sleep, and in my dreams to imagine the same things that lunatics imagine when awake.
—Rene Descartes (1596–1650) French Mathematician, Philosopher
Don’t be afraid of the space between your dreams and reality. If you can dream it, you can make it so.
—Indian Proverb
Man walks the moon but his soul remains riveted to earth. Once upon a time it was the opposite.
—Elie Wiesel (b.1928) Romanian-born American Writer, Professor, Political Activist
If you want your dreams to come true, don’t sleep.
—Yiddish Proverb
Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.
—Harriet Tubman (c.1820–1913) American Abolitionist, Social Reformer
Society often forgives the criminal; it never forgives the dreamer.
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet, Playwright
Help others achieve their dreams and you will achieve yours.
—Les Brown