He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much; and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.
—The Holy Bible Scripture in the Christian Faith
It helps a lot looking at life from the perspective of one’s certain death. Try to visualize yourself at the hour of death. Just a couple of minutes each day. It’s basic Buddhist beginners practice.
—Hans Taeger
All that I have accomplished, or expect or hope to accomplish, has been, and will be by that plodding, patient, persevering process of accretion which builds the ant-heap particle by particle, thought by thought, fact by fact. If I was ever actuated by ambition its highest and warmest aspiration reached no further than the hope to set before the young men of any country an example in employing those invaluable fragments of time called odd moments.
—Elihu Burritt (1810–79) American Pacifist, Diplomat
Why not learn to enjoy the little things—there are so many of them.
—Unknown
Not to go back is somewhat to advance. And men must walk, at least, before they dance.
—Alexander Pope (1688–1744) English Poet
If you wish to reach the highest, begin at the lowest.
—Publilius Syrus (fl.85–43 BCE) Syrian-born Roman Latin Writer
Little by little does the trick.
—Aesop (620–564 BCE) Greek Fabulist
Events of great consequence often spring from trifling circumstances.
—Livy (Titus Livius) (59 BCE–17 CE) Roman Historian
When nothing seems to help, I go and look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not that blow that did it, but all that had gone before.
—Jacob Riis (1849–1914) Danish-born American Social Reformer, Journalist, Photographer
God requires a faithful fulfillment of the merest trifle given us to do, rather than the most ardent aspiration to things to which we are not called.
—Francis de Sales (1567–1622) French Catholic Saint
Think not because no man sees, such things will remain unseen.
—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–82) American Poet, Educator, Academic
For most of life, nothing wonderful happens. If you don’t enjoy getting up and working and finishing your work and sitting down to a meal with family or friends, then the chances are you’re not going to be very happy. If someone bases his happiness or unhappiness on major events like a great new job, huge amounts of money, a flawlessly happy marriage or a trip to Paris, that person isn’t going to be happy much of the time. If, on the other hand, happiness depends on a good breakfast, flowers in the yard, a drink or a nap, then we are more likely to live with quite a bit of happiness.
—Andy Rooney (b.1919) American Writer, Humorist, TV Personality
Every worthwhile accomplishment, big or little, has its stages of drudgery and triumph; a beginning, a struggle, and a victory.
—Unknown
Most people would succeed in small things, if they were not troubled with great ambitions.
—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–82) American Poet, Educator, Academic
Let us then be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate,
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.
—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–82) American Poet, Educator, Academic
If you only keep adding little by little, it will soon become a big heap.
—Hesiod (f.700 BCE) Greek Poet
The law of the harvest is to reap more than you sow. Sow an act, and you reap a habit; sow a habit, and you reap a character; sow a character, and you reap a destiny.
—George Boardman the Younger (1801–31) American Baptist Minister
Little strokes fell great oaks.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
Practice yourself, for heaven’s sake in little things, and then proceed to greater.
—Epictetus (55–135) Ancient Greek Philosopher
Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.
—The Holy Bible Scripture in the Christian Faith
In the blood of the martyrs to intolerance are the seeds of unbelief.
—Walter Lippmann (1889–1974) American Journalist, Political Commentator, Writer
A terrace nine stories high begins with a pile of earth.
—Laozi (fl.6th Century BCE) Chinese Philosopher, Sage
Well-being is attained by little and little, and nevertheless is no little thing itself.
—Zeno of Citium (c.334–c.265 BCE) Greek Philosopher
Inches make champions.
—Vince Lombardi (1913–70) American Football Coach
Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs.
—Henry Ford (1863–1947) American Businessperson, Engineer
Human felicity is produced not as much by great pieces of good fortune that seldom happen as by little advantages that occur every day.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
We cannot do everything at once, but we can do something at once.
—Calvin Coolidge (1872–1933) American Head of State, Lawyer
One sits down first; one thinks afterwards.
—Jean Cocteau (1889–1963) French Poet, Playwright, Film Director
How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
What saves a man is to take a step. Then another step.
—Antoine de Saint-Exupery (1900–44) French Novelist, Aviator
Almost everything comes from almost nothing.
—Henri Frederic Amiel (1821–81) Swiss Moral Philosopher, Poet, Critic
We think in generalities, but we live in detail.
—Alfred North Whitehead (1861–1947) English Mathematician, Philosopher
It is a mistake to look too far ahead. Only one link in the chain of destiny can be handled at a time.
—Winston Churchill (1874–1965) British Head of State, Political leader, Historian, Journalist, Author
True worth is doing each day some little good and not dreaming of great things to do by and by.
—Unknown
We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee.
—Marian Wright Edelman (b.1939) American Civil Regrets Advocate, Humanitarian, Lawyer
Yard by yard, it’s very hard. But inch by inch, it’s a cinch.
—Unknown
The chief duty I long to accomplish great and noble tasks, but it is my chief duty to accomplish humble tasks as though they were great and noble. The world is moved along, not only by the mighty shoves of its heroes, but also by the aggregate of the tiny pushes of each honest worker.
—Helen Keller (1880–1968) American Author
Much rain wears the marble.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
In life’s small things be resolute and great
To keep thy muscle trained; know’st thou when Fate
Thy measure takes, or when she’ll say to thee,
“I find thee worthy; do this deed for me?”
—James Russell Lowell (1819–91) American Poet, Critic
It is easier to forgive an enemy than a friend.
—Dorothee Luzy Dotinville (1747–1830) French Dancer, Actress
When (Ty) Cobb got on first base he had an apparently nervous habit of kicking the bag.. . By kicking the bag hard enough Cobb could move it a full two inches closer to second base. He figured that this improved his chances for a steal or for reaching second base safely on a hit.
—Norman Vincent Peale (1898–1993) American Clergyman, Self-Help Author
Great issues develop from small beginnings.
—Norman Vincent Peale (1898–1993) American Clergyman, Self-Help Author
Johnson well says, “He who waits to do a great deal of good at once will never do anything.” Life is made up of little things. It is very rarely that an occasion is offered for doing a great deal at once. True greatness consists in being great in little things.
—Charles Simmons (1924–2017) American Editor, Novelist
Put your heart, mind, intellect, and soul even to your smallest acts. This is the secret of success.
—Sivananda Saraswati (1887–1963) Indian Hindu Spiritual Teacher
Little drops of water, little grains of sand,
Make the mighty ocean, and the pleasant land:
So the little minutes, humble though they be,
Make the mighty ages of eternity.
Little deeds of kindness, little words of love,
Help to make earth happy, like Heaven above.
—Julia Abigail Fletcher Carney (1823–1908) American Educator, Poet
When you have a great and difficult task, something perhaps almost impossible, if you only work a little at a time, every day a little, suddenly the work will finish itself.
—Karen Blixen (Isak Dinesen) (1885–1962) Danish Novelist, Short-story Writer
Life is a great bundle of little things.
—Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. (1809–94) American Physician, Essayist
The way to succeed is never quit. That’s it. But really be humble about it … You start out lowly and humble and you carefully try to learn an accretion of little things that help you get there.
—Alex Haley (1921–92) American Novelist, Biographer
It has long been an axiom of mine that the little things are infinitely the most important.
—Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930) Scottish Writer
He who would learn to fly one day must first learn to stand and walk and run and climb and dance; one cannot fly into flying.
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) German Philosopher, Scholar, Writer