Listen to what you know instead of what you fear.
—Richard Bach (b.1936) American Novelist, Aviator
I believe that traditional wisdom is incomplete. A composer can have all the talent of Mozart and a passionate desire to succeed, but if he believes he cannot compose music, he will come to nothing. He will not try hard enough. He will give up too soon when the elusive right melody takes too long to materialize.
—Martin Seligman (b.1942) American Psychologist, Author
If you desire faith, then you have faith enough.
—Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806–61) English Poet
Each man has his own desires; all do not possess the same inclinations.
—Persius (34–62 CE) Roman Satirist
The secret of happiness is to admire without desiring. And that is not happiness.
—F. H. Bradley (1846–1924 ) British Idealist Philosopher
Winning isn’t everything, but wanting to win is.
—Vince Lombardi (1913–70) American Football Coach
In this world there are only two tragedies. One is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it.
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet, Playwright
To know what you prefer, instead of humbly saying “Amen” to what the world tells you you ought to prefer, is to keep your soul alive.
—Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–94) Scottish Novelist
There is absolutely nothing that you desire that you cannot achieve.
—Abraham Hicks
If you desire many things, many things will seem few.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
The desire not to be anything is the desire not to be.
—Ayn Rand (1905–82) Russian-born American Novelist, Philosopher, Playwright, Screenwriter
From the deepest desires often come the deadliest hate.
—Socrates (469BCE–399BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher
Those who really desire to attain an independence, have only set their minds upon it, and adopt the proper means, as they do in regard to any other object which they wish to accomplish, and the thing is easily done.
—P. T. Barnum (1810–91) American Businessperson, Entertainer
The soul of man is infinite in what it covets.
—Ben Jonson (1572–1637) English Dramatist, Poet, Actor
Avoid fragmentation: Find your focus and seek simplicity. Purposeful living calls for elegant efficiency and economy of effort—expanding the minimum time and energy necessary to achieve desired goals.
—Dan Millman (b.1946) American Children’s Books Writer, Sportsperson
From the desert I come to thee, On a stallion shod with fire; And the winds are left behind In the speed of my desire.
—Bayard Taylor (1825–78) American Poet, Literary Critic, Translator, Translator
The first principle of success is desire–knowing what you want. Desire is the planting of your seed. Very few persons, comparatively, know how to Desire with sufficient intensity. They do not know what it is to feel and manifest that intense, eager, longing, craving, insistent, demanding, ravenous Desire which is akin to the persistent, insistent, ardent, overwhelming desire of the drowning man for a breath of air; of the shipwrecked or desert-lost man for a drink of water; of the famished man for bread and meat…
—Robert Collier (1885–1950) American Self-Help Author
A state of expectancy is a great assetl; a state of uncertainty—one moment thinking “perhaps” and the next moment thinking “I don’t know”—will never get desired results.
—Ernest Holmes (1887–1960) American New Thought Writer, Teacher
It is the nature of desire not to be satisfied, and most men live only for the gratification of it.
—Aristotle (384BCE–322BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher, Scholar
I do want to get rich but I never want to do what there is to do to get rich.
—Gertrude Stein (1874–1946) American Writer
Love is an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired.
—Robert Frost (1874–1963) American Poet
Which 20% of sources are causing 80% of my problems and unhappiness? Which 20% of sources are resulting in 80% of my desired outcomes and happiness?
—Tim Ferriss (b.1977) American Self-help Author
He who cherishes a beautiful vision, a lofty ideal in his heart, will one day realize it. Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so shall you become. Your Vision is the promise of what you shall one day be; your Ideal is the prophecy of what you shall at last unveil.
—James Allen (1864–1912) British Philosophical Writer
Have the courage of your desire.
—George Gissing (1857–1903) English Novelist
When natural inclination develops into a passionate desire, one advances towards his goal in seven-league boots.
—Nikola Tesla (1856–1943) Serbian-American Electrical Engineer, Inventor
Desire is the very essence of man.
—Baruch Spinoza (1632–77) Dutch Philosopher, Theologian
Life is a progress from want to want, not from enjoyment to enjoyment.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
A desire to be observed, considered, esteemed, praised, beloved, and admired by his fellows is one of the earliest as well as the keenest dispositions discovered in the heart of man.
—John Adams (1735–1826) American Head of State, Lawyer
The intensity of your desire governs the power with which the force is directed.
—John D. MacDonald (1916–86) American Novelist, Short Story Writer
Desire is the presentiment of our inner abilities, and the forerunner of our ultimate accomplishments.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
Ignore what a man desires, and you ignore the very source of his power.
—Walter Lippmann (1889–1974) American Journalist, Political Commentator, Writer
People seek within a short span of life to satisfy a thousand desires, each of which is insatiable.
—Oliver Goldsmith (1730–74) Irish Novelist, Playwright, Poet
A desire arises in the mind. It is satisfied immediately another comes. In the interval which separates two desires a perfect calm reigns in the mind. It is at this moment freed from all thought, love or hate. Complete peace equally reigns between two mental waves.
—Sivananda Saraswati (1887–1963) Indian Hindu Spiritual Teacher
The fundamental desire of life is the desire to exist.
—Rabindranath Tagore (1861–1941) Bengali Poet, Polymath
Man is an animal which, alone among the animals, refuses to be satisfied by the fulfillment of animal desires.
—Alexander Graham Bell (1847–1922) Scottish-born American Inventor, Engineer, Academic
In all ranks of life the human heart yearns for the beautiful; and the beautiful things that God makes are his gift to all alike.
—Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811–96) American Abolitionist, Author
Man is a creation of desire, not a creation of need.
—Gaston Bachelard (1884–1962) French Philosopher, Psychoanalyst, Poet
It is a miserable state of mind to have few things to desire and many things to fear.
—Francis Bacon (1561–1626) English Philosopher
If you desire to dig a well to reach water, your efforts are more fruitful if you dig one 100-foot-deep hole than if you dig ten holes each 10 feet deep.
—Dan Millman (b.1946) American Children’s Books Writer, Sportsperson
We do not succeed in changing things according to our desire, but gradually our desire changes.
—Marcel Proust (1871–1922) French Novelist
Anything you really want, you can attain, if you really go after it.
—Wayne Dyer (b.1940) American Motivational Writer, Author, Motivational Speaker
I recognize thart even you, yourself, will change. Your ideals will change, your tastes will change, your desires will change. Your whole understandings of who you are had better change, because if it doesn’t change, you’ve become a very static personality over a great many years, and nothing would displease me more. And so I recognize that the process of evolution will produce changes in you.
—Neale Donald Walsch (b.1943) American Spiritual Writer
The size of your success is measured by the strength of your desire; the size of your dream; and how you handle disappointment along the way.
—Robert Kiyosaki (b.1947) American Businessperson, Author, Motivational Speaker
Some desire is necessary to keep life in motion; he whose real wants are supplied, must admit those of fancy.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
Knowledge is the eye of desire and can become the pilot of the soul.
—William C. Durant (1861–1947) American Industrialist
Loosen the bonds of avarice from your hands and neck.
—Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi (1207–73) Persian Muslim Mystic
Decide that you want it more than you are afraid of it.
—Bill Cosby (b.1937) American Actor, Comedian, Activist, Producer, Author
Manifest plainness, embrace simplicity, reduce selfishness, have few desires.
—Laozi (fl.6th Century BCE) Chinese Philosopher, Sage
Dreams do come true, if we only wish hard enough, You can have anything in life if you will sacrifice everything else for it.
—J. M. Barrie (1860–1937) Scottish Novelist, Dramatist
Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; the hardest victory is over self.
—Aristotle (384BCE–322BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher, Scholar
Desire is the essence of a man.
—Baruch Spinoza (1632–77) Dutch Philosopher, Theologian
The beginning of pride and hatred lies in worldly desire, and the strength of your desire if from habit. When an evil tendency becomes confirmed by habit, rage is triggered when anyone restrains you.
—Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi (1207–73) Persian Muslim Mystic
And desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets.
—The Holy Bible Scripture in the Christian Faith
We never desire strongly, what we desire rationally.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
Desire is the key to motivation, but it’s the determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal – a commitment to excellence – that will enable you to attain the success you seek.
—Mario Andretti (b.1940) Italian-born American Sportsperson
It sometimes seems that we have only to love a thing greatly to get it.
—Robert Collier (1885–1950) American Self-Help Author
Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other one thing.
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–65) American Head of State
It is said that desire is a product of the will, but the converse is in fact true: will is a product of desire.
—Denis Diderot (1713–84) French Philosopher, Writer
Don’t allow your animal nature to rule your reason.
—Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi (1207–73) Persian Muslim Mystic
The more wild and incredible your desire, the more willing and prompt God is in fulfilling it, if you will have it so.”
—Coventry Patmore (1823–96) English Poet, Critic