If you stop struggling, then you stop life.
—Huey P. Newton (1942–89) American Political Activist
Hope is a vigorous principle; it is furnished with light and heat to advise and execute; it sets the head and heart to work, and animates a man to do his utmost. And thus, by perpetually pushing and assurance, it puts a difficulty out of countenance, and makes a seeming impossibility give way.
—Jeremy Collier (1650–1726) Anglican Church Historian, Clergyman
Some people plant in the spring and leave in the summer. If you’re signed up for a season, see it through. You don’t have to stay forever, but at least stay until you see it through.
—Jim Rohn (1930–2009) American Entrepreneur, Author, Motivational Speaker
The first and final thing you have to do in this world is to last in it, and not be smashed by it.
—Ernest Hemingway (1899–1961) American Author, Journalist, Short Story Writer
Never admit defeat.
—Arthur Rimbaud (1854–91) French Poet, Adventurer
Difficult things take a long time, impossible things a little longer.
—Unknown
He who asks of life nothing but the improvement of his own nature is less liable than anyone else to miss and waste life.
—Henri Frederic Amiel (1821–81) Swiss Moral Philosopher, Poet, Critic
It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.
—Confucius (551–479 BCE) Chinese Philosopher
The universal line of distinction between the strong and the weak is that one persists; the other hesitates, falters, trifles, and at last collapses or “caves in.”
—Edwin Percy Whipple (1819–86) American Literary Critic
What can any of us do with his talent but try to develop his vision, so that through frequent failures we may learn better what we have missed in the past.
—William Carlos Williams (1883–1963) American Poet, Novelist, Cultural Historian
The great thing and the hard thing is to stick to things when you have outlived the first interest, and not yet got the second, which comes with a sort of mastery.
—Janet Erskine Stuart (1857–1914) English Catholic Nun, Educationalist
All’s well that ends well.
—Common Proverb
Success in the majority of circumstances depends on knowing how long it takes to succeed.
—Montesquieu (1689–1755) French Political Philosopher, Jurist
Before you can win a game, you have to not lose it.
—Chuck Noll (1932–2014) American Football Coach, Player
One of the commonest mistakes and one of the costliest is thinking that success is due to some genius, some magic—something or other which we do not possess. Success is generally due to holding on, and failure to letting go. You decide to learn a language, study music, take a course of reading, train yourself physically. Will it be success or failure? It depends upon how much pluck and perseverance that word “decide” contains. The decision that nothing can overrule, the grip that nothing can detach will bring success. Remember the Chinese proverb, “With time and patience, the mulberry leaf becomes satin.”
—Maltbie Davenport Babcock (1858–1901) American Presbyterian Minister, Writer
It is really true what philosophy tells us, that life must be understood backwards. But with this, one forgets the second proposition, that it must be lived forwards.
—Soren Kierkegaard (1813–55) Danish Philosopher, Theologian
As in the case of making a mound, if, before the very last basketful, I stop, then I shall have stopped. As in the case of leveling the ground, if, though tipping only one basketful, I am going forward, then I shall be making progress.
—Confucius (551–479 BCE) Chinese Philosopher
Be strong!
It matters not how deep entrenched the wrong
How hard the battle goes, the day how long
Faint not – fight on! Tomorrow comes the song.
—Maltbie Davenport Babcock (1858–1901) American Presbyterian Minister, Writer
Perseverance alone does not assure success. No amount of stalking will lead to game in a field that has none.
—I Ching Ancient Chinese Divination Text
They merit more praise who know how to suffer misery than those who temper themselves with contentment.
—Pietro Aretino (1492–1556) Italian Poet, Dramatist, Satirist
Most ball games are lost, not won.
—Casey Stengel (1890–1975) American Sportsperson
In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins—not through strength but by perseverance.
—H. Jackson Brown, Jr. (b.1940) American Self-Help Author
The fall of dropping water wears away the Stone.
—Lucretius (c.99–55 BCE) Roman Epicurean Poet, Philosopher
No one succeeds without effort … Those who succeed own their success to their perseverance.
—Ramana Maharshi (1879–1950) Indian Hindu Mystic
Man never made any material as resilient as the human spirit.
—Bernard Williams (1929–2003) English Philosopher
We may be masters of our every lot by bearing it.
—Virgil (70–19 BCE) Roman Poet
Plodding wins the race.
—Aesop (620–564 BCE) Greek Fabulist
I can remember walking as a child. It was not customary to say you were fatigued. It was customary to complete the goal of the expedition.
—Katharine Hepburn (1907–2003) American Actor, TV Personality
He turns not back who is bound to a star.
—Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) Italian Polymath, Painter, Sculptor, Architect
Paralyze resistance with persistence.
—Woody Hayes (1913–87) American Sportsperson
Leave a Reply