A terrace nine stories high begins with a pile of earth.
—Laozi (fl.6th Century BCE) Chinese Philosopher, Sage
How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
A little neglect may breed great mischief. For want of a nail, the shoe was lost; for want of a shoe, the horse was lost; and for want of a horse, the rider was lost; being overtaken, and slain by the enemy. All for want of care about a horse-shoe nail.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
You don’t just luck into things as much as you would like to think you do. You build step by step, whether it is friendships or opportunities.
—Barbara Bush (1925–2018) American First Lady
If, after all, men cannot always make history have a meaning, they can always act so that their own lives have one.
—Albert Camus (1913–60) Algerian-born French Philosopher, Dramatist, Essayist, Novelist, Author
Nothing can be done except little by little.
—Charles Baudelaire (1821–67) French Poet, Art Critic, Essayist, Translator
It is in trifles, and when he is off his guard, that a man best shows his character.
—Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860) German Philosopher
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
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
Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.
—The Holy Bible Scripture in the Christian Faith
From a little spark may burst a mighty flame.
—Dante Alighieri (1265–1321) Italian Poet, Philosopher
Life is a great bundle of little things.
—Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. (1809–94) American Physician, Essayist
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
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
True worth is doing each day some little good and not dreaming of great things to do by and by.
—Unknown
Be plain in dress, and sober in your diet; In short, my dear, kiss me and be quiet.
—Lady Mary Wortley Montagu (1689–1762) English Aristocrat, Poet, Novelist, Writer
One sits down first; one thinks afterwards.
—Jean Cocteau (1889–1963) French Poet, Playwright, Film Director
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
If we take care of the inches we will not have to worry about the miles.
—Hartley Coleridge (1796–1849) English Writer, Poet
Think not because no man sees, such things will remain unseen.
—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–82) American Poet, Educator, Academic
Great issues develop from small beginnings.
—Norman Vincent Peale (1898–1993) American Clergyman, Self-Help Author
Most people would succeed in small things, if they were not troubled with great ambitions.
—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–82) American Poet, Educator, Academic
Not to go back is somewhat to advance. And men must walk, at least, before they dance.
—Alexander Pope (1688–1744) English 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
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
Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs.
—Henry Ford (1863–1947) American Businessperson, Engineer
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
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
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
It has long been an axiom of mine that the little things are infinitely the most important.
—Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930) Scottish Writer