The difference between towering and cowering is totally a matter of inner posture.
—Malcolm S. Forbes (1919–1990) American Publisher, Businessperson
Glances of true beauty can be seen in the faces of those who live in true meekness.
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–62) American Philosopher
He had kept his head, kept his health and his strength, bearing up under a weight of work and worry that only a few could have carried.
—David McCullough (b.1933) American Historian
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
Greatness lies, not in being strong, but in the right using of strength; and strength is not used rightly when it serves only to carry a man above his fellows for his own solitary glory. He is the greatest whose strength carries up the most hearts by the attraction of his own.
—Henry Ward Beecher (1813–87) American Clergyman, Writer
The great successful men of the world have used their imagination…they think ahead and create their mental picture in all its details, filling in here, adding a little there, altering this a bit and that a bit, but steadily building – steadily building.
—Robert Collier (1885–1950) American Self-Help Author
O, it is excellent to have a giant’s strength, but it is tyrannous to use it like a giant.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
Only action gives life strength, only moderation gives it charm.
—Charles Spurgeon (1834–92) English Baptist Preacher
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
Great works are performed, not by strength, but by perseverance.—He that shall walk, with vigor, three hours a day, will pass, in seven years, a space equal to the circumference of the globe.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.
—Albert Schweitzer (1875–1965) French Theologian, Musician, Philosopher, Physician
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
Only strong natures can really be sweet ones; those that seem sweet are in general only weak, and may easily turn sour.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
O, do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men! Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks! Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle. But you shall be a miracle. Every day you shall wonder at yourself, at the richness of life which has come to you by the grace of God.
—Phillips Brooks (1835–93) American Episcopal Clergyman, Author
The road to success is not to be run upon by seven-leagued boots. Step by step, little by little, bit by bit—that is the way to wealth, that is the way to wisdom, that is the way to glory. Pounds are the sons, not of pounds, but of pence.
—Charles Buxton (1823–71) British Politician, Writer
The way to love anything is to realize that it may be lost.
—G. K. Chesterton (1874–1936) English Journalist, Novelist, Essayist, Poet
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
The weakest link in a chain is the strongest because it can break it.
—Stanislaw Jerzy Lec (1909–1966) Polish Aphorist, Poet
The burden is equal to the horse’s strength.
—The Talmud Sacred Text of the Jewish Faith
Use your weaknesses; aspire to the strength.
—Laurence Olivier (1907–89) English Actor, Producer, Director
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
What the lion cannot manage to do the fox can.
—German Proverb
Success as I see it, is a result, not a goal.
—Gustave Flaubert (1821–80) French Novelist, Playwright, Short Story Writer
Most of us seldom take the trouble to think. It is a troublesome and fatiguing process and often leads to uncomfortable conclusions. But crises and deadlocks when they occur have at least this advantage, that they force us to think.
—Jawaharlal Nehru (1889–1964) Indian Head of State
Success doesn’t come to you—you go to it.
—Marva Collins (b.1936) American Educator
We all have enough strength to endure the misfortunes of others.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
Always aim at complete harmony of thought and word and deed. Always aim at purifying your thoughts and everything will be well. There is nothing more potent than thought. Deed follows word and word follows thought. The word is the result of a mighty thought, and where the thought is mighty and pure the result is always mighty and pure.
—Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869–1948) Indian Hindu Political leader
One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation.
—Arthur Ashe (1943–93) American Tennis Player
I could do nothing without problems, they toughen me my mind. In fact I tell my assistants not to bring me their successes for they weaken me; but rather to bring me their problems, for they strengthen me.
—Charles F. Kettering (1876–1958) American Inventor, Entrepreneur, Businessperson
Cunning surpasses strength.
—German Proverb
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
Although men are accused of not knowing their own weakness, yet perhaps a few know their own strength. It is in men as in soils, where sometimes there is a vein of gold which the owner knows not of.
—Jonathan Swift (1667–1745) Irish Satirist
What is strength without a double share of wisdom? Vast, unwieldy, burthensome, proudly secure, yet liable to fall by weakest subtleties; strength’s not made to rule, but to subserve, where wisdom bears command.
—John Milton (1608–74) English Poet, Civil Servant, Scholar, Debater
I was made to work. If you are equally industrious, you will be equally successful.
—Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) German Composer, Musician
We confide in our strength, without boasting of it; we respect that of others, without fearing it.
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826) American Head of State, Lawyer
Personal development is your springboard to personal excellence. Ongoing, continuous, non-stop personal development literally assures you that there is no limit to what you can accomplish.
—Brian Tracy (b.1944) American Author, Motivational Speaker
Rudeness is the weak man’s imitation of strength.
—Eric Hoffer (1902–83) American Philosopher, Author
Strength, wanting judgment and policy to rule, overturneth itself.
—Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus) (65–8 BCE) Roman Poet
When a man feels throbbing within him the power to do what he undertakes as well as it can possibly be done, this is happiness, this is success.
—Orison Swett Marden (1850–1924) American New Thought Writer, Physician, Entrepreneur
Seeing things as they were, not as he would wish they were, was known to be one of Washington’s salient strengths.
—David McCullough (b.1933) American Historian
Don’t ask for a light load, but rather ask for a strong back.
—Unknown
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
The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places.
—Ernest Hemingway (1899–1961) American Author, Journalist, Short Story Writer
At times to think of one’s outer helplessness is good, but to think always of one’s inner strength is infinitely better.
—Sri Chinmoy (1931–2007) Indian Yoga Teacher
A soft answer turneth away wrath.
—Common Proverb
We shun the rugged battle of fate where strength is born.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
Nature is upheld by antagonism.—Passions, resistance, danger, are educators. We acquire the strength we have overcome.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
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
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
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