Success is not measured by what you accomplish, but by the opposition you have encountered, and the courage with which you have maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds.
Orison Swett Marden
There is no medicine like hope, no incentive so great, and no tonic so powerful as expectation of something better tomorrow.
We make the world we live in and shape our own environment.
Don't wait for extraordinary opportunities. Seize common occasions and make them great. Weak men wait for opportunities; strong men make them.
There are powers inside of you which, if you could discover and use, would make of you everything you ever dreamed or imagined you could become.
It is like the seed put in the soil - the more one sows, the greater the harvest.
We must give more in order to get more. It is the generous giving of ourselves that produces the generous harvest.
A will finds a way.
There can be no failure to a man who has not lost his courage, his character, his self respect, or his self-confidence. He is still a King.
All who have accomplished great things have had a great aim, have fixed their gaze on a goal which was high, one which sometimes seemed impossible.
A good system shortens the road to the goal.
There is only one thing for us to do, and that is to do our level best right where we are every day of our lives; To use our best judgment, and then to trust the rest to that Power which holds the forces of the universe in his hands.
Most of our obstacles would melt away if, instead of cowering before them, we should make up our minds to walk boldly through them.
All men who have achieved great things have been great dreamers.
The golden rule for every business man is this: 'Put yourself in your customer's place.'
The golden opportunity you are seeking is in yourself. It is not in your environment; it is not in luck or chance, or the help of others; it is in yourself alone.
Do not waste time dreaming of great faraway opportunities; do the best you can where you are. Open your petals of power and beauty and fling out the fragrance of your life in the place that has been assigned to you.
Deep within man dwell those slumbering powers; powers that would astonish him, that he never dreamed of possessing; forces that would revolutionize his life if aroused and put into action.
Your outlook upon life, your estimate of yourself, your estimate of your value are largely colored by your environment. Your whole career will be modified, shaped, molded by your surroundings, by the character of the people with whom you come in contact every day.
The greatest thing a man can do in this world is to make the most possible out of the stuff that has been given him. This is success, and there is no other.
Success is the child of drudgery and perseverance. It cannot be coaxed or bribed; pay the price and it is yours.
Forests, lakes, and rivers, clouds and winds, stars and flowers, stupendous glaciers and crystal snowflakes - every form of animate or inanimate existence, leaves its impress upon the soul of man.
Our trials, our sorrows, and our grieves develop us.
Obstacles are like wild animals. They are cowards but they will bluff you if they can. If they see you are afraid of them... they are liable to spring upon you; but if you look them squarely in the eye, they will slink out of sight.
There is no investment you can make which will pay you so well as the effort to scatter sunshine and good cheer through your establishment.
One of the secrets of a successful life is to be able to hold all of our energies upon one point, to focus all of the scattered rays of the mind upon one place or thing.
It is the hopeful, buoyant, cheerful attitude of mind that wins. Optimism is a success builder; pessimism an achievement killer.
The man who has no money is poor, but one who has nothing but money is poorer. He only is rich who can enjoy without owning; he is poor who though he has millions is covetous.
A strong, successful man is not the victim of his environment. He creates favorable conditions. His own inherent force and energy compel things to turn out as he desires.
Joyfulness keeps the heart and face young. A good laugh makes us better friends with ourselves and everybody around us.
Those who have accomplished great things in the world have been, as a rule, bold, aggressive, and self-confident. They dared to step out from the crowd and act in an original way. They were not afraid to be generals.
Do not give up your dream because it is apparently not being realized, because you cannot see it coming true. Cling to your vision with all the tenacity you can muster. Keep it bright; do not let the bread-and-butter side of life cloud your ideal or dim it.
Discouragement, fear, doubt, lack of self-confidence, are the germs which have killed the prosperity and happiness of tens of thousands of people.
The man who practises unselfishness, who is genuinely interested in the welfare of others, who feels it a privilege to have the power to do a fellow-creature a kindness - even though polished manners and a gracious presence may be absent - will be an elevating influence wherever he goes.
When we are sure that we are on the right road there is no need to plan our journey too far ahead. No need to burden ourselves with doubts and fears as to the obstacles that may bar our progress. We cannot take more than one step at a time.
We advance on our journey only when we face our goal, when we are confident and believe we are going to win out.
Achievement is not always success, while reputed failure often is. It is honest endeavor, persistent effort to do the best possible under any and all circumstances.
The influential man is the successful man, whether he be rich or poor.
Believe with all your heart that you will do what you were made to do. Never for an instant harbor a doubt of it.
The Universe is one great kindergarten for man. Everything that exists has brought with it its own peculiar lesson.
When God calls a man to be upright and pure and generous, he also calls him to be intelligent and skillful, and strong and brave.
Every man must play the part of his ambition. If you are trying to be a successful man, you must play the part.
Our thoughts and imagination are the only real limits to our possibilities.
Nothing else so destroys the power to stand alone as the habit of leaning upon others. If you lean, you will never be strong or original. Stand alone or bury your ambition to be somebody in the world.
Scatter your flowers as you go; you will never go this way again.
Our destiny changes with our thought; we shall become what we wish to become, do what we wish to do, when our habitual thought corresponds with our desire.
It pays to cultivate popularity. It doubles success possibilities, develops manhood, and builds up character.
No man can stand still; the moment progress is not made, retrogression begins. If the blade is not kept sharp and bright, the law of rust will assert its claim.
Wanted: a man who is larger than his calling, who considers it a low estimate of his occupation to value it merely as a means of getting a living.
We fail to see that we can control our destiny; make ourselves do whatever is possible; make ourselves become whatever we long to be.
