I know my fate. One day there will be associated with my name the recollection of something frightful—of a crisis like no other before on earth, of the profoundest collision of conscience, of a decision evoked against everything that until then had been believed in, demanded, sanctified. I am not a man I am dynamite.
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) German Philosopher, Scholar, Writer
The world values the seer above all men, and has always done so. Nay, it values all men in proportion as they partake of the character of seers. The Elgin Marbles and a decision of John Marshall are valued for the same reason. What we feel in them is a painstaking submission to facts beyond the author’s control, and to ideas imposed upon him by his vision. So with Beethoven’s Symphonies, with Adam Smith’s “Wealth of Nations”—with any conceivable output of the human mind of which you approve. You love them because you say, “These things were not made, they were seen.”
—John Jay Chapman (1862–1933) American Biographer, Poet, Essayist, Writer
It’s no accident many accuse me of conducting public affairs with my heart instead of my head. Well, what if I do?. Those who don’t know how to weep with their whole heart don’t know how to laugh either.
—Golda Meir (1898–1978) Israeli Head of State
Formulate and stamp indelibly on your mind a mental picture of yourself as succeeding. Hold this picture tenaciously. Never permit it to fade—your mind will seek to develop the picture.
—Norman Vincent Peale (1898–1993) American Clergyman, Self-Help Author
A fool sees not the same tree that a wise man sees.
—William Blake (1757–1827) English Poet, Painter, Printmaker
Relatively few of us will find the time—or take it—to live an ever enlarging life.
—Marilyn vos Savant (b.1946) American Columnist, Author, Lecture, Playwright
Some men see things as they are and say, “Why?” I dream things that never were, and say, “Why not?”
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) Irish Playwright
At the age of six I wanted to be a cook. At seven I wanted to be Napoleon. And my ambition has been growing steadily ever since.
—Salvador Dali (1904–89) Spanish Painter
In my experience, there’s only one thing that will always steer you toward success: That’s to have a vision and to stick with it… Once I have a vision for a new venture, I’m going to ride that vision until the wheels come off.
—Russell Simmons (b.1957) American Music Promoter
The Three Armies can be deprived of their commanding officer, but even a common man cannot be deprived of his purpose.
—Confucius (551–479 BCE) Chinese Philosopher
It takes someone with a vision of the possibilities to attain new levels of experience. Someone with the courage to live his dreams.
—Les Brown
Very few men are wise by their own counsel, or learned by their own teaching; for he that was only taught by himself had a fool as his master.
—Ben Jonson (1572–1637) English Dramatist, Poet, Actor
If you want to reach a goal, you must ‘see the reaching’ in your own mind before you actually arrive at your goal.
—Zig Ziglar (1926–2012) American Author
I have seen gleams in the face and eyes of the man that have let you look into a higher country.
—Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881) Scottish Historian, Essayist
It’s not enough to have lived. We should be determined to live for something. May I suggest that it be creating joy for others, sharing what we have for the betterment of personkind, bringing hope to the lost and love to the lonely.
—Leo Buscaglia (1924–98) American Motivational Speaker
Leadership is the wise use of power. Power is the capacity to translate intention into reality and sustain it.
—Warren Bennis (1925–2014) American Business Academic, Author
I don’t believe that people create their own visions. Rather, I believe that visions are actually God’s way of communicating with us.
—Russell Simmons (b.1957) American Music Promoter
Inside yourself or outside, you never have to change what you see, only the way you see it.
—Thaddeus Golas (1924–97) American New Age Writer
Our grand business undoubtedly is, not to see what lies dimly at a distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand.
—Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881) Scottish Historian, Essayist
To believe in the things you can see and touch is no belief at all; but to believe in the unseen is a triumph and a blessing.
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–65) American Head of State
A leader will find it difficult to articulate a coherent vision unless it expresses his core values, his basic identity…one must first embark on the formidable journey of self-discovery in order to create a vision with authentic soul.
—Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (1934–2021) Hungarian-American Psychologist
The moment of enlightenment is when a person’s dreams of possibilities become images of probabilities.
—Vic Braden (b.1929) American Sportsperson, Author
Worse than being blind would be to be able to see but not have any vision.
—Helen Keller (1880–1968) American Author
Be the change you want to see in the world.
—Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869–1948) Indian Hindu Political leader
The chief enemy of creativity is “good” sense.
—Pablo Picasso (1881–1973) Spanish Painter, Sculptor, Artist
Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakens.
—Carl Gustav Jung (1875–1961) Swiss Psychologist, Psychiatrist, Philosopher
Intent is not a thought, or an object, or a wish. Intent is what can make a man succeed when his thoughts tell him that he is defeated. It operates in spite of the warrior’s indulgence. Intent is what makes him invulnerable. Intent is what sends a shaman through a wall, through space, to infinity.
—Carlos Castaneda (1925–98) Peruvian-born American Anthropologist, Author
We know what we are, but know not what we may be.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
October. This is one of the peculiarly dangerous months to speculate in stocks. The others are July, January, September, April, November, May, March, June, December, August, and February.
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist
Learn from the earliest days to insure your principles against the perils of ridicule; you can no more exercise your reason if you live in the constant dread of laughter, than you can enjoy your life if you are in the constant terror of death.
—Sydney Smith (1771–1845) English Clergyman, Essayist, Wit
Envisioning the end is enough to put the means in motion.
—Dorothea Brande (1893–1948) American Writer, Editor
We cannot rise higher than our thought of ourselves.
—Orison Swett Marden (1850–1924) American New Thought Writer, Physician, Entrepreneur
The very best thing you can do for the whole world is to make the most of yourself.
—Wallace Wattles (1860–1911) American New Thought Author
Cherish your visions. Cherish your ideals. Cherish the music that stirs in your heart, the beauty that forms in your mind, the loveliness that drapes your purest thoughts, for out of them will grow all delightful conditions, all heavenly environment; of these, if you but remain true to them, your world will at last be built.
—James Allen (1864–1912) British Philosophical Writer
Too much sanity may be madness. But maddest of all, to see life as it is, and not as it should be.
—Miguel de Cervantes (1547–1616) Spanish Novelist
You have to think big to be big.
—Claude M. Bristol (1891–1951) American Journalist, Self-Help Author
The business of a seer is to see; and if he involves himself in the kind of God-eclipsing activities which make seeing impossible, he betrays the trust which his fellows have tacitly placed in him.
—Aldous Huxley (1894–1963) English Humanist, Pacifist, Essayist, Short Story Writer, Satirist
Dreadful will be the day when the world becomes contented, when one great universal satisfaction spreads itself over the world. Sad will be the day for every man when he becomes absolutely contented with the life that he is living, with the thoughts that he is thinking, with the deeds that he is doing, when there is not forever beating at the doors of his soul some great desire to do something larger which he knows that he was meant and made to do because he is a child of God.
—Phillips Brooks (1835–93) American Episcopal Clergyman, Author
A warrior chooses a path with heart, any path with heart, and follows it; and then he rejoices and laughs. He knows because he sees that his life will be over altogether too soon. He sees that nothing is more important than anything else.
—Carlos Castaneda (1925–98) Peruvian-born American Anthropologist, Author
Where there is no vision, there is no hope.
—George Washington Carver (1864–1943) American Scientist, Botanist, Educator, Inventor
Aim for the highest.
—Andrew Carnegie (1835–1919) Scottish-American Industrialist
Knowing your destination is half the journey.
—Anonymous
A couple of times a day I sit quietly and visualize my body fighting the AIDS virus. It’s the same as me sitting and seeing myself hit the perfect serve. I did that often when I was an athlete.
—Arthur Ashe (1943–93) American Tennis Player
Every age needs men who will redeem the time by living with a vision of the things that are to be.
—Adlai Stevenson (1900–65) American Diplomat, Politician, Orator
The best vision is insight.
—Malcolm S. Forbes (1919–1990) American Publisher, Businessperson
The spiritual force transcends all.—I feel this great creative and spiritual force within me that is greater than faith, greater than ambition, greater than confidence, greater than determination, greater than vision. It is all these combined. My brain becomes magnetized with this dominating force which I hold in my hand.
—Bruce Lee (1940–73) American Martial Artist, Actor, Philosopher
One effect of sustained conflict is to narrow our vision of what is possible.
—Nelson Mandela (1918–2013) South African Political leader
The world stands aside to let anyone pass who knows where he is going.
—David Starr Jordan (1851–1931) American Zoologist, Educator, Peace Activist
Become a possibilitarian. No matter how dark things seem to be or actually are, raise your sights and see the possibilities—always see them, for they’re always there.
—Norman Vincent Peale (1898–1993) American Clergyman, Self-Help Author
A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet, Playwright