Success doesn’t come to you — you go to it.
—Marva Collins (b.1936) American Educator
Success, in a generally accepted sense of the term, means the opportunity to experience and to realize to the maximum the forces that are within us.
—David Sarnoff (1891–1971) American Sportsperson, Businessperson
No matter what you do, do it to your utmost. I always attribute my success to always requiring myself to do my level best, if only in driving a tack in straight.
—Russell Conwell (1843–1925) American Baptist Minister, Orator, Philanthropist, Lawyer, Academic
Eighty percent of success is showing up.
—Woody Allen (b.1935) American Actor, Film Director, Screenwriter, Comedian
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 (1850–1924) American New Thought Writer, Physician, Entrepreneur
Success is the necessary misfortune of life, but it is only to the very unfortunate that it comes early.
—Anthony Trollope (1815–82) English Novelist
The sports page records people’s accomplishments, the front page usually records nothing, but man’s failures.
—Earl Warren (1891–1974) American Judge, Politician
The prosperous man is never sure that he is loved for himself.
—F. L. Lucas (1894–1967) English Literary Critic, Poet, Novelist, Playwright
Defeat is not the worst of failures. Not to have tried is the true failure.
—George Edward Woodberry (1855–1930) American Literary Critic, Poet
When you ascend the hill of prosperity, may you not meet a friend.
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist, Satirist, Short Story Writer, Author, Lecturer
Not the maker of plans and promises, but rather the one who offers faithful service in small matters. This is the person who is most likely to achieve what is good and lasting.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet, Novelist, Playwright, Philosopher
Success is simply a matter of luck. Ask any failure.
—Earl Nightingale (1921–89) American Motivational Speaker, Author
One must marry one’s feelings to one’s beliefs and ideas. That is probably the only way to achieve a measure of harmony in one’s life.
—Etty Hillesum (1914–43) Dutch Diarist, Holocaust Victim
If you want to succeed you should strike out on new paths, rather than travel the worn paths of accepted success.
—John D. Rockefeller (1839–1937) American Businessperson, Philanthropist
Do not let yourselves be discouraged or embittered by the smallness of the success you are likely to achieve in trying to make life better. You certainly would not be able, in a single generation, to create an earthly paradise. Who could expect that? But, if you make life ever so little better, you will have done splendidly, and your lives will have been worthwhile.
—Arnold J. Toynbee (1889–1975) British Historian
Failure and success seem to have been allotted to men by their stars. But they retain the power of wriggling, of fighting with their star or against it, and in the whole universe the only really interesting movement is this wriggle.
—E. M. Forster (1879–1970) English Novelist, Short Story Writer, Essayist
Disciplining yourself to do what you know is right and important, although difficult, is the highroad to pride, self-esteem, and personal satisfaction.
—Margaret Thatcher (b.1925) British Head of State, Chemist, Lawyer
The only way around is through.
—Robert Frost (1874–1963) American Poet
Life affords no higher pleasure than that of surmounting difficulties, passing from one step of success to another, forming new wishes and seeing them gratified. He that labors in any great or laudable undertaking has his fatigues first supported by hope and afterward rewarded by joy.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist, Biographer, Poet, Writer, Literary Critic
I couldn’t wait for success… so I went ahead without it.
—Jonathan Winters (b.1925) American Comedian, Film Personality, TV Personality
The gent who wakes up and finds himself a success hasn’t been asleep.
—Wilson Mizner (1876–1933) American Playwright, Entrepreneur
Live daringly, boldly, fearlessly. Taste the relish to be found in competition — in having put forth the best within you
—Henry J. Kaiser (1882–1967) American Businessperson, Philanthropists
So much to do, so little done, such things to be.
—Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809–92) British Poet
The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.
—Vince Lombardi (1913–70) American Sportsperson
Nothing is harder to direct than a man in prosperity; nothing more easily managed than one in adversity.
—Plutarch (45–120) Ancient Greek Historian, Biographer, Essayist
Success is transient, evanescent. The real passion lies in the poignant acquisition of knowledge about all the shading and subtleties of the creative secrets.
—Constantin Stanislavski (1863–1938) Russian Actor, Theater Personality
Success is the progressive realization of a worthy goal or ideal.
—Earl Nightingale (1921–89) American Motivational Speaker, Author
Virtually nothing comes out right the first time. Failures, repeated failures, are finger posts on the road to achievement. The only time you don’t want to fail is the last time you try something … One fails forward toward success.
—Charles F. Kettering (1876–1958) American Inventor, Entrepreneur, Businessperson
There is a woman at the beginning of all great things.
—Alphonse de Lamartine (1790–1869) French Writer, Poet, Politician, Memoirist
Sometimes I worry about being a success in a mediocre world.
—Lily Tomlin
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.
—Orison Swett Marden (1850–1924) American New Thought Writer, Physician, Entrepreneur
Real success is not on the stage, but off the stage as a human being, and how you get along with your fellow man.
—Sammy Davis, Jr. (1925–90) American Singer, Musician, Dancer, Actor
Prosperity discovers vice, adversity discovers virtue.
—Francis Bacon (1561–1626) English Philosopher, Political leader, Scientist, Lawyer
If we do not succeed, then we run the risk of failure.
—Dan Quayle (b.1947) American Head of State, Politician, Elected Rep
It’s your aptitude, not just your attitude that determines your ultimate altitude.
—Zig Ziglar (b.1926) American Author, Motivational Speaker, Author
Great things are not accomplished by those who yield to trends and fads and popular opinion.
—Charles Kuralt (1934–97) American Journalist, TV Personality
It might be a good idea if the various countries of the world would occasionally swap history books, just to see what other people are doing with the same set of facts.
—Burton Hillis (William E. Vaughan) (1915–77) American Columnist, Author
We do not know, in most cases, how far social failure and success are due to heredity, and how far to environment. But environment is the easier of the two to improve.
—J. B. S. Haldane (1892–1964) British Biologist, Geneticist
Real success is finding your lifework in the work that you love.
—David McCullough (b.1933) American Historian, Biographer, Author
Success requires first expending ten units of effort to produce one unit of results. Your momentum will then produce ten units of results with each unit of effort.
—Charles J. Givens (1941–98) American Self-Help Writer
Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist, Biographer, Poet, Writer, Literary Critic
Success with money, family, relationships, health, and careers is the ability to reach your personal objectives in the shortest time, with the least effort and with the fewest mistakes. The goals you set for yourself and the strategies you choose become your blueprint or plan. Strategies are like recipes: choose the right ingredients, mix them in the correct proportions, and you will always produce the same predictable results: in this case financial success. The success strategies for managing money and building wealth are called Money Strategies. By learning to use money strategies as a part of your day-to-day life, financial frustration and failure will become a thing of the past.
—Charles J. Givens (1941–98) American Self-Help Writer
We live in deeds|
—Philip James Bailey (1816–1902) English Poet
There is no royal road; you’ve got to work a good deal harder than most people want to work.
—Charles E. Wilson (1886–1972) American Businessperson