When it becomes necessary to do a thing, the whole heart and soul should go into the measure, or not attempt it.
—Thomas Paine (1737–1809) American Nationalist, Author, Pamphleteer, Radical, Inventor
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
Whatever course you have chosen for yourself, it will not be a chore but an adventure if you bring to it a sense of the glory of striving, if your sights are set far above the merely secure and mediocre.
—David Sarnoff (1891–1972) American Broadcaster, Businessman
Man can have but what he strives for.
—Arabic Proverb
During the first period of a man’s life the greatest danger is: not to take the risk. When once the risk has really been taken, then the greatest danger is to risk too much.
—Soren Kierkegaard (1813–55) Danish Philosopher, Theologian
A winner never stops trying.
—Tom Landry (1924–2000) American Sportsperson
To fail is a natural consequence of trying, To succeed takes time and prolonged effort in the face of unfriendly odds. To think it will be any other way, no matter what you do, is to invite yourself to be hurt and to limit your enthusiasm for trying again.
—David Viscott (1938–96) American Psychiatrist, Author, Businessperson
The attempt and not the deed confounds us.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
Until you try, you don’t know what you can’t do.
—Henry James (1843–1916) American-born British Novelist, Writer
The best angle from which to approach any problem is the try-angle.
—Unknown
What old people say you cannot do, you try and find that you can. Old deeds for old people, and new deeds for new.
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–62) American Philosopher
Most people live and die with their music still unplayed. They never dare to try.
—Mary Kay Ash (1918–2001) American Entrepreneur, Businessperson
Venture nothing, and life is less than it should be.
—Malcolm S. Forbes (1919–1990) American Publisher, Businessperson
Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.
—Albert Einstein (1879–1955) German-born Physicist
Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
—Samuel Beckett (1906–1989) Irish Novelist, Playwright
How long should you try? Until.
—Jim Rohn (1930–2009) American Entrepreneur, Author, Motivational Speaker
For want of a block, man will stumble at a straw.
—Jonathan Swift (1667–1745) Irish Satirist
‘Tis not what man does which exalts him, but what man would do.
—Robert Browning (1812–89) English Poet
Either do not attempt at all, or go through with it.
—Ovid (Publius Ovidius Naso) (c.43 BCE–c.18 CE) Roman Poet
Many a man never fails because he never tries.
—Norman MacEwen (1881–1953) British Military Leader
You’re not obligated to win. You’re obligated to keep trying to do the best you can every day.
—Marian Wright Edelman (b.1939) American Civil Regrets Advocate, Humanitarian, Lawyer
If you spend life trying to be good at everything you will never be great at anything.
—Tom Rath (b.1975) American Consultant
A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools.
—Douglas Adams (1952–2001) English Novelist, Scriptwriter
For us, there is only the trying. The rest is not our business.
—T. S. Eliot (1888–1965) American-born British Poet, Dramatist, Literary Critic
God lends a helping hand to the man who tries hard.
—Aeschylus (525–456 BCE) Greek Playwright
To be alive at all involves some risk.
—Harold Macmillan (1894–1986) British Head of State
Most people are so busy knocking themselves out trying to do everything they think they should do, they never get around to what they want to do.
—Kathleen Winsor (1919–2003) American Novelist
Despite the success cult, men are most deeply moved not by the reaching of the goal but by the grandness of the effort involved in getting there—or failing to get there.
—Max Lerner (1902–92) Russian-born American Journalist
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 can’t” isn’t a reason to give up, it’s a reason to try harder.
—Anonymous