It is never too late to be what you might have been.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans) (1819–80) English Novelist
Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.
—Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919) American Head of State, Political leader, Historian, Explorer
Achievement seems to be connected with action. Successful men and women keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit.
—Conrad Hilton (1887–1979) American Business Person
So act that your principle of action might safely be made a law for the whole world.
—Immanuel Kant (1724–1804) Prussian German Philosopher, Logician
Superior strength is found in the long run to lie with those who had right on their side.
—James Anthony Froude (1818–94) British Historian, Novelist, Biographer, Editor
If a great thing can be done, it can be done easily, but this ease is like the of ease of a tree blossoming after long years of gathering strength.
—John Ruskin (1819–1900) English Writer, Art Critic
Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power. If you realize that you have enough, you are truly rich.
—Laozi (fl.6th Century BCE) Chinese Philosopher, Sage
Only action gives life strength, only moderation gives it charm.
—Charles Spurgeon (1834–92) English Baptist Preacher
To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.
—Paulette Mitchell
Rudeness is the weak man’s imitation of strength.
—Eric Hoffer (1902–83) American Philosopher, Author
Self-trust is the first secret of success.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
Whatever your fate is, whatever the hell happens, you say, “This is what I need”. It may look like a wreck, but go at it as though it were an opportunity, a challenge. If you bring love to that moment—not discouragement—you will find the strength there. Any disaster you can survive is an improvement in your character, your stature, and your life. What a privilege!! This is when the spontaneity of your own nature will have a chance to flow. Then, when looking back at your life, you will see that the moments which seemed to be great failures, followed by wreckage, were the incidents that shaped the life you have now. You’ll see this is really true. Nothing can happen to you that is not positive. Even though it looks and feels at the moment like a negative crisis, it is not. The crisis throws you back, and when you are required to exhibit strength, it comes.
—Joseph Campbell (1904–87) American Mythologist, Writer, Lecturer
Freedom is not the right to do what we want, but what we ought. Let us have faith that right makes might and in that faith let us; to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it.
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–65) American Head of State
I do not think that there is any other quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of perseverance. It overcomes almost everything, even nature.
—John D. Rockefeller (1839-1937) American Oil Magnate, Philanthropist
Your play account is also designed to strengthen your “receiving” muscle.
—T. Harv Eker (b.1954) American Motivational Speaker, Lecturer, Author
It is the nature, and the advantage, of strong people that they can bring out the crucial questions and form a clear opinion about them. The weak always have to decide between alternatives that are not their own.
—Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906–45) German Lutheran Pastor, Theologian
Life moves on, whether we act as cowards or heroes. Life has no other discipline to impose, if we would but realize it, than to accept life unquestioningly. Everything we shut our eyes to, everything we run away from, everything we deny, denigrate or despise, serves to defeat us in the end. What seems nasty, painful, evil, can become a source of beauty, joy, and strength, if faced with an open mind. Every moment is a golden one for him who has the vision to recognize it as such.
—Henry Miller (1891–1980) American Novelist
Weak thoughts and feelings often feel strong but remember, real strength is never anxious, cruel, or punishing.
—Guy Finley
Don’t show off every day, or you’ll stop surprising people. There must always be some novelty left over. The person who displays a little more of it each day keep up expectations, and no one ever discovers the limits of his talents.
—Baltasar Gracian (1601–58) Spanish Scholar, Prose Writer
It’s not the load that breaks you down—it’s the way you carry it.
—Lou Holtz (1893–1980) American Stage Performer
New opinions are always suspected, and usually opposed, without any other reason but because they are not already common.
—John Locke (1632–1704) English Philosopher, Physician
The toughest thing about success is that you’ve got to keep on being a success. Talent is only a starting point in business. You’ve got to keep working that talent.
—Irving Berlin (1888–1989) American Songwriter, Composer
I think what weakens people most is fear of wasting their strength.
—Etty Hillesum (1914–43) Dutch Diarist, Holocaust Victim
Confront the dark parts of yourself, and work to banish them with illumination and forgiveness. Your willingness to wrestle with your demons will cause your angels to sing. Use the pain as fuel, as a reminder of your strength.
—August Wilson (1945–2005) American Playwright
Tenderness and kindness are not signs of weakness and despair, but manifestations of strength and resolution.
—Kahlil Gibran (1883–1931) Lebanese-born American Philosopher, Poet, Painter, Theologian, Sculptor
Rather than cripple, failure can strengthen. Depending on how we respond to them, blows can shatter us as if we were a cheap clay pot or temper us as they would steel.
—Unknown
You are goodness and mercy and compassion and understanding. You are peace and joy and light. You are forgiveness and patience, strength and courage, a helper in time of need, a comforter in time of sorrow, a healer in time of injury, a teacher in times of confusion. You are the deepest wisdom and the highest truth; the greatest peace and the grandest love. You are these things. And in moments of your life you have known yourself to be these things. Choose now to know yourself as these things always.
—Neale Donald Walsch (b.1943) American Spiritual Writer
Success means accomplishments as the result of our own efforts and abilities. Proper preparation is the key to our success. Our acts can be no wiser than our thoughts. Our thinking can be no wiser than our understanding.
—George Samuel Clason (1874–1957) American Businessperson, Author
With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.
—Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962) American First Lady, Diplomat, Humanitarian
When we are strong, we are always much greater than the things that happen to us.
—Thomas Merton (1915–68) American Trappist Monk
The worst bankrupt in the world is the man who has lost his enthusiasm. Let a man lose everything else in the world but his enthusiasm and he will come through again to success.
—William Howard Arnold
That which does not kill us makes us stronger.
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) German Philosopher, Scholar, Writer
I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. ‘Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death.
—Thomas Paine (1737–1809) American Nationalist, Author, Pamphleteer, Radical, Inventor
I believe that the true road to preeminent success in any line is to make yourself master of that line.
—Andrew Carnegie (1835–1919) Scottish-American Industrialist
Time is our most valuable asset, yet we tend to waste it, kill it, and spend it rather than invest it.
—Jim Rohn (1930–2009) American Entrepreneur, Author, Motivational Speaker
You don’t become enormously successful without encountering and overcoming a number of extremely challenging problems.
—Mark Victor Hansen (b.1948) American Public Speaker, Motivational Speaker, Writer
There is no strength in unbelief. Even the unbelief of what is false is no source of might. It is the truth shining from behind that gives the strength to disbelieve.
—George MacDonald (1824–1905) Scottish Novelist, Lecturer, Poet
Many a man has finally succeeded only because he has failed after repeated efforts. If he had never met defeat he would never have known any great victory.
—Orison Swett Marden (1850–1924) American New Thought Writer, Physician, Entrepreneur
Every minute you spend in planning saves 10 minutes in execution; this gives you a 1,000 percent return on energy.
—Brian Tracy (b.1944) American Author, Motivational Speaker
Possession of the ball is the key to winning in football, basketball, and the game of life.
—J. Laing Burns, Jr.
On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the lowest, imagine you are a person with a level 2 strength of character and attitude looking at a level 5 problem. Would this problem appear to be big or little? From a level 2 perspective, a level 5 problem would seem like a big problem. Now imagine you’ve grown yourself and become a level 8 person. Would the same level 5 problem be a big problem or a little problem? Magically, the identical problem is now a little problem
Finally, imagine that you’ve really worked hard on yourself and become a level 10 person. Now, is this same level 5 problem a big problem or a little problem? The answer is that it’s no problem. It doesn’t even register in your brain as a problem. There’s no negative energy around it. It’s just a normal occurrence to handle, like brushing your teeth or getting dressed.
—T. Harv Eker (b.1954) American Motivational Speaker, Lecturer, Author
There is always room for a man of force, and he makes room for many. Society is a troop of thinkers, and the best heads among them take the best places.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
No one is immune to pain, and it shouldn’t be denied when it exists. The key is to know that you can lead a productive and meaningful life no matter what the external circumstances are. What positive thinking does is offer a power boost to help you handle whatever life throws at you. Your “bad breaks” do not dominate your life; your indomitable strength does. And when you feel that indomitable strength, you really can handle any of your fears from a position of power—the kind of power that really can make good things happen.
—Susan Jeffers (1938–2012) American Psychologist, Self-Help Author
Despair doubles our strength.
—French Proverb
Gentleness corrects whatever is offensive in our manner.
—Hugh Blair (1718–1800) Scottish Preacher, Scholar, Critic
Desire is the key to motivation, but it’s the determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal – a commitment to excellence – that will enable you to attain the success you seek.
—Mario Andretti (b.1940) Italian-born American Sportsperson
Don’t hit at all if it is honorably possible to avoid hitting, but never hit soft.
—Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919) American Head of State, Political leader, Historian, Explorer
Success as I see it, is a result, not a goal.
—Gustave Flaubert (1821–80) French Novelist, Playwright, Short Story Writer
People become really quite remarkable when they start thinking that they can do things. When they believe in themselves they have the first secret of success.
—Norman Vincent Peale (1898–1993) American Clergyman, Self-Help Author
Strong men can always afford to be gentle. Only the weak are intent on “giving as good as they get.”
—Elbert Hubbard (1856–1915) American Writer, Publisher, Artist, Philosopher