What we prepare for is what we shall get.
—William Graham Sumner (1840–1910) American Polymath, Academic, Historian, Sociologist, Anthropologist
The only way to make a man trustworthy is to trust him.
—Henry L. Stimson (1867–1950) American Political leader, Military Leader, Lawyer
I have learned to use the word impossible with the greatest caution.
—Wernher von Braun (1912–77) German-born American Engineer, Scientist
Happiness will never be any greater than the idea we have of it.
—Maurice Maeterlinck (1862–1949) Belgian Playwright, Poet, Essayist
The man who works need never be a problem to anyone. Opportunities multiply as they are seized; they die when neglected. Life is a long line of opportunities. Wealth is not in making money, but in making the man while he is making money. Production, not destruction, leads to success.
—John Wicker
I cannot discover that anyone knows enough to say definitely what is and what is not possible.
—Henry Ford (1863–1947) American Businessperson, Engineer
If you constantly think of illness, you eventually become ill; if you believe yourself to be beautiful, you become so.
—Shakti Gawain (b.1948) American Author, Environmentalist
Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.
—W. W. Ziege
If you expect nothing, you’re apt to be surprised. You’ll get it.
—Malcolm Forbes (1919–90) American Publisher
Thoughts lead on to purpose, purpose leads onto actions, actions form habits, habits decide character, and character fixes our destiny.
—Tryon Edwards American Theologian
There are in life as many aspects as attitudes towards it; and aspects change with attitudes… Could we change our attitude, we should not only see life differently, but life itself would come to be different. Life would undergo a change of appearance because we ourselves had undergone a change in attitude.
—Katherine Mansfield (1888–1923) New Zealand-born British Author
All that we are is the result of what we have thought: it is founded on our thoughts, it is made up of our thoughts. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him.
—The Dhammapada Buddhist Anthology of Verses
You have to believe in happiness or happiness never comes.
—Douglas Malloch
What all men are really after is some form, or perhaps only some formula, of peace.
—Joseph Conrad (1857–1924) Polish-born British Novelist
Wait not to honor the physician till thou fallest sick.
—The Talmud Sacred Text of the Jewish Faith
We must dare to think unthinkable thoughts.
—J. William Fulbright (1905–95) American Political leader, Politician
For life is the mirror of king and slave,
‘Tis just what we are and do;
Then give to the world the best you have,
And the best will come back to you.
—Madeline Bridges
Why you are born and why you are living depend entirely on what you are getting out of this world and what you are giving to it. I cannot prove that this is a balance of mathematical perfection, but my own observation of life leads me to the conclusion that there is a very real relationship, both quantitatively and qualitatively, between what you contribute and what you get out of this world.
—Oscar Hammerstein II (1895–1960) American Songwriter, Composer, Theater Producer, Writer
The greatest discovery of our generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind. As you think, so shall you be.
—William James (1842–1910) American Philosopher, Psychologist, Physician
Our minds can shape the way a thing will be because we act according to our expectations.
—Federico Fellini (1920–93) Italian Filmmaker
Our self-image strongly held essentially determines what we become.
—Maxwell Maltz (1899–1975) American Surgeon, Motivational Writer
Persistent prophecy is a familiar way of assuring the event.
—George Gissing (1857–1903) English Novelist
These then are my last words to you. Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact.
—William James (1842–1910) American Philosopher, Psychologist, Physician
We create our fate every day … most of the ills we suffer from are directly traceable to our own behavior.
—Henry Miller (1891–1980) American Novelist, Painter
A mind not to be changed by place or time. The mind is its own place, and in itself Can make a heav’n of hell, a hell of heav’n.
—John Milton (1608–74) English Poet, Civil Servant, Scholar, Debater
Think you can, think you can’t; either way, you’ll be right.
—Henry Ford (1863–1947) American Businessperson, Engineer
Failure is impossible.
—Susan B. Anthony (1820–1906) American Civil Rights Leader
Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement; nothing can be done without hope.
—Helen Keller (1880–1968) American Author
The more wary you are of danger, the more likely you are to meet it.
—Jean de La Fontaine (1621–95) French Poet, Short Story Writer
They can, because they think they can.
—Virgil (70–19 BCE) Roman Poet
Hope is like a road in the country; there was never a road, but when many people walk on it, the road comes into existence.
—Lu Xun (1881–1936) Chinese Writer
What after all has maintained the human race on this old globe despite all the calamities of nature and all the tragic failings of mankind, if not faith in new possibilities and courage to advocate them?
—Jane Addams (1860–1935) American Social Activist, Political Activist, Author, Lecturer
Honor begets honor, trust begets trust; faith begets faith; and hope is the mainspring of life.
—Henry L. Stimson (1867–1950) American Political leader, Military Leader, Lawyer
Man is what he believes.
—Anton Chekhov (1860–1904) Russian Short-Story Writer
I am still determined to be cheerful and happy,
in whatever situation I may be; for I have also
learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness
or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances.
—Martha Washington (1731–1802) American First Lady
Kindness can become its own motive. We are made kind by being kind.
—Eric Hoffer (1902–83) American Philosopher, Author
We choose our joys and sorrows long before we experience them.
—Khalil Gibran (1883–1931) Lebanese-born American Philosopher, Poet, Painter, Theologian, Sculptor
Think of only three things: your God, your family and the Green Bay Packers — in that order.
—Vince Lombardi (1913–70) American Sportsperson
How things look on the outside of us depends on how things are on the inside of us. Stay close to the heart of nature and forget this troubled world. Remember, there is nothing wrong with nature; the trouble is in ourselves.
—Parks Cousins
What we see depends mainly on what we look for.
—John Lubbock
What one believes to be true either is true or becomes true within limits to be found experientially and experimentally. These limits are beliefs to be transcended.
—John Lyly (1554–1606) English Dramatist, Novelist, Writer
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
All things are possible until they are proved impossible–even the impossible may only be so, as of now.
—Pearl S. Buck (1892–1973) American Novelist, Human Rights Activist
Great things are not something accidental, but must certainly be willed.
—Vincent van Gogh (1853–90) Dutch Painter
A man is what he thinks about all day long.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
Life is a mirror and will reflect back to the thinker what he thinks into it.
—Ernest Holmes (1887–1960) American New Thought Writer, Teacher
Of course all life is a process of breaking down, but the blows that do the dramatic side of the work – the big sudden blows that come, or seem to come, from outside – the ones you remember and blame things on and, in moments of weakness, tell your friends about, don’t show their effect all at once. There is another sort of blow that comes from within – that you don’t feel until it’s too late to do anything about it, until you realize with finality that in some regard you will never be as good a man again. The first sort of breakage seems to happen quick – the second kind happens almost without your knowing it but is realized suddenly indeed. Before I go on with this short history, let me make a general observation – the test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function. One should, for example, be able to see that things are hopeless and yet be determined to make them otherwise.
—F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896–1940) American Novelist
Self-image sets the boundaries of individual accomplishment.
—Maxwell Maltz (1899–1975) American Surgeon, Motivational Writer
Each of us makes his own weather, determines the color of the skies in the emotional universe which he inhabits.
—Fulton J. Sheen (1895–1979) American Catholic Religious Leader, Theologian
If you want your children to improve, let them overhear the nice things you say about them to others.
—Haim Ginott
Man—being made reasonable, and so a thinking creature, there is nothing more worthy of his being than the right direction and employment of his thoughts, since upon this depends both his usefulness to the public and his own present and future benefit in all respects.
—William Penn (1644–1718) American Entrepreneur, Political leader, Philosopher
It is never too late to be what you might have been.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans) (1819–80) English Novelist
To make the world a friendly place, one must show it a friendly face.
—James Whitcomb Riley (1849–1916) American Children’s Books Writer, Poet, Writer
Man’s real life is happy, chiefly because he is ever expecting that it soon will be so.
—Edgar Allan Poe (1809–49) American Poet
There is room enough in human life to crowd almost every art and science in it. If we pass “no day without a line”—visit no place without the company of a book—we may with ease fill libraries, or empty them of their contents. The more we do, the more busy we are, the more leisure we have.
—William Hazlitt (1778–1830) English Essayist
No man can think clearly when his fists are clenched.
—George Jean Nathan (1882–1958) American Drama Critic, Editor
The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it.
—Chinese Proverb
The most unhappy of all men is he who believes himself to be so.
—David Hume (1711–76) Scottish Philosopher, Historian
The soul contains the event that shall befall it, for the event is only the actualization of its thoughts; and what we pray to ourselves for is always granted.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
To expect defeat is nine-tenths of defeat itself.
—Francis Marion Crawford (1854–1909) Italian-born American Novelist, Writer
We awaken in others the same attitude of mind we hold toward them.
—Elbert Hubbard (1856–1915) American Writer, Publisher, Artist, Philosopher
The universe is change; our life is what our thoughts make it.
—Marcus Aurelius (121–180) Emperor of Rome, Stoic Philosopher
He who has not faith in others shall find no faith in them.
—Laozi (b.604BCE–d:Unknown) Chinese Philosopher