Life quotes
page 4

“Ships that pass in the night, and speak each other in passing,
Only a signal shown and a distant voice in the darkness;
So on the ocean of life we pass and speak one another,
Only a look and a voice, then darkness again and a silence.”

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Tales of a Wayside Inn

Pt. III, The Theologian's Tale: Elizabeth, sec. IV.
Source: Tales of a Wayside Inn (1863-1874)

Life, Silence, Distant, Night

“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.”

Maya Angelou (1928–2014) American author and poet

As quoted in Conversations with Maya Angelou (1989) by Jeffrey M. Elliot

Motivational, Wise, Deep, Inspirational

“If you live long enough, you'll make mistakes. But if you learn from them, you'll be a better person. It's how you handle adversity, not how it affects you. The main thing is never quit, never quit, never quit.”

Bill Clinton (1946) 42nd President of the United States

Learning, Personality

“Perpetual Optimism is a Force Multiplier.”

Colin Powell (1937) Former U.S. Secretary of State and retired four-star general

Optimism, Wise, Attitude, Positive

“Live for each second without hesitation”

Elton John (1947) English rock singer-songwriter, composer and pianist

Motivational, Deep, Happy, Inspirational

“The whole secret of a successful life is to find out what is one's destiny to do, and then do it.”

Henry Ford (1863–1947) American industrialist

Life, Secret, Success, Motivational

“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”

Oliver Goldsmith (1728–1774) Irish physician and writer

Variant: Our greatest glory consists not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.
Source: The Citizen of the World, Or, Letters from a Chinese Philosopher, Residing in London, to His Friends in the Country, by Dr. Goldsmith

Time, Motivational, Deep, Success

“Our character is what we do when we think no one is looking”

H. Jackson Brown, Jr. (1940) American writer

Thinking

“Think of the solution, not the problem”

Terry Goodkind (1948) American novelist

Problem, Thinking, Motivational, Wise

“When everything seem to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it….”

Henry Ford (1863–1947) American industrialist

Motivational, Deep, Success, Inspirational

“We can't plan life. All we can do is be available for it.”

Lauryn Hill (1975) American singer, rapper, songwriter, record producer, actress

Life

“Life is ours to be spent, not to
be saved.”

D.H. Lawrence (1885–1930) English novelist, poet, playwright, essayist, literary critic and painter

Life, Funny, Happy

“What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882) American philosopher, essayist, and poet

Variant: Your actions speak so loudly, I can not hear what you are saying.

Motivational, Success, Inspirational

“You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.”

Dr. Seuss (1904–1991) American children's writer and illustrator, co-founder of Beginner Books

Oh, the Places You'll Go! (1990)
Source: Oh, The Places You'll Go!

Shoe, Motivational, Wise, Deep

“You have succeeded in life when all you really WANT is only what you really NEED.”

Vernon Howard (1918–1992) American writer

Life

“The art of life is to know how to enjoy a little and to endure much.”

William Hazlitt (1778–1830) English writer

"Common Places," No. 1, The Literary Examiner (September - December 1823), reprinted in The Collected Works of William Hazlitt (1902-1904)

Life, Art

“Sorrow looks back, Worry looks around, Faith looks up”

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882) American philosopher, essayist, and poet

Faith, Sad, Wise

“Success is getting what you want.
Happiness is wanting what you get.”

Andrew Carnegie (1835–1919) American businessman and philanthropist

Happiness, Success, Motivational, For women

“We no longer live life. We consume it.”

Vicki Robin (1945) American writer

Life, Wise

“Life is short and truth works far and lives long: let us speak the truth.”

Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860) German philosopher

Source: The World as Will and Representation, Vol 1

Life, Truth, Wise

“It makes a big difference in your life when you stay positive.”

Ellen DeGeneres (1958) American stand-up comedian, television host, and actress

Source: Seriously... I'm Kidding

Life, Attitude, Positive

“The true secret of happiness lies in the taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life.”

William Morris (1834–1896) author, designer, and craftsman

Life, Happiness, Secret, Happy

“Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882) American philosopher, essayist, and poet

Life, Success, Motivational, Wise

“Don't look at your feet to see if you are doing it right. Just dance.”

Anne Lamott (1954) Novelist, essayist, memoirist, activist

Source: Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

Dance, Motivational, Success, Inspirational

“Be more concerned with your character than with your reputation, for your character is what you are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.”

Dale Carnegie (1888–1955) American writer and lecturer

Thinking, Wise, Deep, Powerful

“The best way to predict your future is to create it”

Peter F. Drucker (1909–2005) American business consultant

Way, Future, Motivational, Deep

“So keep your head high, keep your chin up, and most importantly, keep smiling, because life's a beautiful thing and there's so much to smile about.”

Marilyn Monroe (1926–1962) American actress, model, and singer

Life, Smile, Beauty, Heartbreaking

“I do not try to dance better than anyone else. I only try to to dance better than myself.”

Mikhail Baryshnikov (1948) Soviet-American dancer, choreographer, and actor born in Letonia, Soviet Union

Dance, Motivational, For women, Success

“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.”

Dr. Seuss book Happy Birthday to You!

Variant: There is no one alive who
is Youer than You!
Source: Happy Birthday to You!

Good Morning, Heart Touching, Powerful, Birthday

“Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.”

Carl Sagan (1934–1996) American astrophysicist, cosmologist, author and science educator

This phrase was created by reporter Sharon Begley in the end of a 1977 Newsweek article with an extended profile of Carl Sagan. It was a final conclusion about Sagan's work and the topic of hypotethical extra-terrestrial life forms. "Quote Investigator" http://quoteinvestigator.com/2013/03/18/incredible/ Misattributed

Waiting, Motivational, Success, Inspirational

“You can never cross the ocean until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore”

André Gide (1869–1951) French novelist and essayist

Courage, Motivational, Deep, Success

“Eighty percent of success is showing up.”

Woody Allen (1935) American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, author, playwright, and musician

Success, Deep, Success, Inspirational

“True freedom is impossible without a mind made free by discipline.”

Mortimer J. Adler (1902–2001) American philosopher and educator

Source: How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading

Freedom, Motivational, Success, Inspirational

“If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.”

Jodi Picoult book Small Great Things

Source: Small Great Things

Way, Motivational, Wise, Deep

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results.”

Rita Mae Brown (1944) Novelist, poet, screenwriter, activist

Brown did include this quote in her book Sudden Death (Bantam Books, New York, 1983), p. 68, but it appears she was just paraphrasing a quote that had already been written elsewhere. The earliest known appearance of a similar quote is the "approval version" of the Narcotics Anonymous "Basic Text" released in November 1981, which included the quote "Insanity is repeating the same mistakes and expecting different results." A PDF scan of the 1981 approval version can be found here http://www.nauca.us/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/1981-11-Basic-Text-Approval-Form-White.pdf, with the quote appearing on p. 11 (p. 25 of the PDF), at the end of the fourth paragraph (which begins "We have a disease; progressive, incurable and fatal"). More in this article https://quoteinvestigator.com/2017/03/23/same/ on Quote Investigator website. Misattributed

Wise, Heartbreaking, For Men

“You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing that we call "failure" is not the falling down, but the staying down.”

Mary Pickford (1892–1979) Canadian-American actress

"Why Not Try God?", Chapter 6 (newspaper serial), appeared in St. Petersburg Times, 25 January 1936, sect. 2, p. 3 http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=SQxPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=500DAAAAIBAJ&pg=4725,3554118&dq=pickford+not-the-falling-down&hl=en

Failure, Hope, Moving On, For Men

“Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.”

Clive Staples Lewis (1898–1963) Christian apologist, novelist, and Medievalist

Day 19: Cultivating Community
The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (2002)

Thinking, Motivational, Funny, Success

“We should remember that just as a positive outlook on life can promote good health, so can everyday acts of kindness.”

Hillary Clinton (1947) American politician, senator, Secretary of State, First Lady

It Takes A Village, January 1996
White House years (1993–2000)

Life, Health, Motivational, Deep

“Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.”

Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862) 1817-1862 American poet, essayist, naturalist, and abolitionist

No known citation to Thoreau's works. First found, uncredited, in the 1940s in the variant "Success usually comes to those who are too busy to look for it", p. 711, Locomotive Engineers Journal, Volume 76, 1942. Google Books http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=N6GZAAAAIAAJ&q=%22Success+usually+comes+to+those+who+are+too+busy%22&dq=%22Success+usually+comes+to+those+who+are+too+busy%22&lr=&as_drrb_is=b&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=1900&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=1980&as_brr=0 Misattributed

Business, Success, Motivational, Success

“You are never too old to set another goal, or to dream a new dream.”

Clive Staples Lewis (1898–1963) Christian apologist, novelist, and Medievalist

Unknown, but also attributed to Les Brown, a motivational speaker. Commonly attributed to C.S. Lewis, but never with a primary source listed.
Misattributed

Dreams, Motivational, Wise, Deep

“Education costs money, but then so does ignorance.”

Claus Moser, Baron Moser (1922–2015) British statistician and Civil Servant

The Daily Telegraph, 21 August 1990 http://www2.gsu.edu/~dscthw/8350/bayes/perfinfo.pdf

Money, Education, Deep, Inspirational

“The business of business is business.”

Alfred P. Sloan (1875–1966) American businessman

Widely attributed to Milton Friedman, and sometimes cited as being in his work Capitalism and Freedom (1962) this is also attributed to Alfred P. Sloan, sometimes with citation of a statement of 1964, but sometimes with attestations to his use of it as a motto as early as 1923.
Disputed

Business, Motivational, Sad, Funny

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”

Mahatma Gandhi (1869–1948) pre-eminent leader of Indian nationalism during British-ruled India

Variant on aphorism "Study as if you were to live forever. Live as if you were to die tomorrow" pre-dating Gandhi, variously attributed to Isidore of Seville (c. 560 – 636), in FPA Book of Quotations (1952) by Franklin Pierce Adams, to Edmund Rich (1175–1240) in American Journal of Education (1877), or to Alain de Lille in Samuel Smiles's Duty https://books.google.com/books?id=33UzAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA363&dq=live+die+tomorrow+learn+forever&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjd3s_2m57MAhWFMGMKHe-sAl8Q6AEIHDAA#v=onepage&q=live%20die%20tomorrow%20learn%20forever&f=false (1881). The 1995 book "The good boatman: a portrait of Gandhi," states that Gandhi subscribed "to the view that a man should live thinking he might die tomorrow but learn as if he would live forever." In his 2010 Boyer lecture Glyn Davis (Professor of Political Science and Vice-Chancellor of Melbourne University) attributes the quote to Desiderius Erasmus. "He [Erasmus] reworked Pliny to urge 'live as if you are to die tomorrow, study as if you were to live forever'. Many students obey the first clause - the best heed both." There is a similar quote by Johann Gottfried Herder: "Mensch, genieße dein Leben, als müssest morgen du weggehn; Schone dein Leben, als ob ewig du weiletest hier." ["Man, enjoy your life as if you were to depart tomorrow; spare your life as if you were to linger here forever."] (Zerstreute Blätter, 1785). Disputed

Learning, Motivational, Wise, Deep

“Either you will be you or you will not be at all.”

Dejan Stojanovic (1959) poet, writer, and businessman

“The Knight,” p. 81
The Sun Watches the Sun (1999), Sequence: “What After”

Motivational, Wise, Deep, Success

“I've searched all the parks in all the cities — and found no statues of Committees.”

G. K. Chesterton (1874–1936) English mystery novelist and Christian apologist

As quoted in Trust Or Consequences : Build Trust Today Or Lose Your Market Tomorrow (2004) by Al Golin, p. 206; also in Storms of Life (2008) by Dr. Don Givens, p. 136

Search, Motivational, Success, Inspirational

“Happiness is like a butterfly: the more you chase it, the more it will elude you. But if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder.”

Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862) 1817-1862 American poet, essayist, naturalist, and abolitionist

According to The Quote Investigator http://quoteinvestigator.com/2014/04/17/butterfly/, "the earliest instance of this saying was crafted by the enigmatic “L” for “The Daily Crescent” newspaper in New Orleans [in June 1848]. ... The linkage to Henry David Thoreau is unsupported." Misattributed

Happiness, Motivational, Deep, Happy

“Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.”

Alexander Graham Bell (1847–1922) scientist and inventor known for his work on the telephone

As quoted in Sophia's Fire (2005) by Sango Mbella, p. 133.

Success, Success

“All our dreams can come true — if we have the courage to pursue them.”

Walt Disney (1901–1966) American film producer and businessman

Source: How to Be Like Walt : Capturing the Magic Every Day of Your Life (2004), Ch. 3 : Imagination Unlimited, p. 63; Unsourced variant: All your dreams can come true if you have the courage to pursue them.

Dreams, Courage, Motivational, Wise

“The business of business is business.”

Milton Friedman (1912–2006) American economist, statistician, and writer

Widely attributed to Friedman, and sometimes cited as being in his work Capitalism and Freedom (1962) this is also attributed to Alfred P. Sloan, sometimes with citation of a statement of 1964, but sometimes with attestations to his use of it as a motto as early as 1923.
Disputed

Business, Motivational, Sad, Funny

“You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.”

Mahatma Gandhi (1869–1948) pre-eminent leader of Indian nationalism during British-ruled India

Gandhi: His Life and Message for the World (1954), by Louis Fischer, p. 177 Mahatma Gandhi to Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, August 29, 1947 https://www.gandhiheritageportal.org/ghp_booksection_detail/Ny0yMzUtMg==#page/258/mode/2up. In Letters to Rajkumari Amrit Kaur. 1st edition (April, 1961), p. 246 Posthumous publications (1950s and later)

Faith, Motivational, Deep, Happy

“Few things can help an individual more than to place responsibility on him, and to let him know that you trust him.”

Booker T. Washington (1856–1915) African-American educator, author, orator, and advisor

Source: 1900s, Up From Slavery (1901), Chapter XI: Making Their Beds Before They Could Lie On Them

Help, Deep, Inspirational, Positive

“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”

Nelson Mandela (1918–2013) President of South Africa, anti-apartheid activist

1990s, Long Walk to Freedom (1995)

Time, Good Morning, Powerful

“Those who bring sunshine into the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.”

J. M. Barrie (1860–1937) Scottish writer

As quoted in Christ's Second Coming Fulfilled (1917) by Marion Morris, p. 144

“But life is never easy. There is work to be done and obligations to be met — obligations to truth, to justice, and to liberty.”

John F. Kennedy (1917–1963) 35th president of the United States of America

1963, Address at the Free University of Berlin

Life, Truth, Justice, Motivational

“Action is the foundational key to all success.”

Anthony Robbins (1960) Author, actor, professional speaker

As quoted in Stack the Logs! : Building a Success Framework to Reach Your Dreams (2003) by Frank F. Lunn, p. 45

Success, Motivational, Deep, Success

“But that which is useful is the better.”

Marcus Aurelius book Meditations

III, 6
Meditations (c. 121–180 AD), Book III

Hurtful, Valentine's Day, Teachers' Day, For Bestfriend

“Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”

Thomas Edison (1847–1931) American inventor and businessman

This is presented as a statement of 1877, as quoted in From Telegraph to Light Bulb with Thomas Edison (2007) by Deborah Headstrom-Page, p. 22.
1800s

Life, People, Failure, Success

“Learn as if you were to live forever; live as if you were to die tomorrow.”

John Wooden (1910–2010) American basketball coach

They Call Me Coach (1972)

Learning, Motivational, Wise, Deep

“The big lesson in life, baby, is never be scared of anyone or anything.”

Frank Sinatra (1915–1998) American singer and film actor

The Way You Wear Your Hat (1997)

Life, Baby, Motivational, Deep

“The more man meditates upon good thoughts, the better will be his world and the world at large.”

Confucius (-551–-479 BC) Chinese teacher, editor, politician, and philosopher

Attributed to Confucius in Out of the Blue: Delight Comes Into Our Lives (1996) by Mark Victor Hansen, Barbara Nichols, and Patty Hansen, p. 93
Attributed

World, Motivational, Deep, Happy

“I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.”

Thomas Edison (1847–1931) American inventor and businessman

As quoted in: [J. L.] Elkhorne. Edison — The Fabulous Drone, in 73 Vol. XLVI, No. 3 (March 1967) http://www.arimi.it/wp-content/73/03_March_1967.pdf, p. 52 Disputed

Way, Motivational, Funny, Success

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”

Winston S. Churchill (1874–1965) Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

This quote is commonly attributed to Churchill, but appears in the "Red Herrings: False Attributions" appendix of Churchill by Himself : The Definitive Collection of Quotations (2008) by Richard Langworth, without citation as to where it originates. In American Character, a 1905 address by Brander Matthews, a similar quotation is attributed to L. P. Jacks ( link http://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015059451156?urlappend=%3Bseq=238). ""Our civilization is a perilous adventure for an uncertain prize... Human society is not a constructed thing but a human organization... We are adopting a false method of reform when we begin by operations that weaken society, either morally or materially, by lower its vitality, by plunging it into gloom and despair about itself, by inducing the atmosphere of the sick-room, and then when its courage and resources are at a low ebb, expecting it to perform some mighty feat of self-reformation... Social despair or bitterness does not get us anywhere... Low spirits are an intellectual luxury. An optimist is one who sees an opportunity in every difficulty. A pessimist is one who sees a difficulty in every opportunity... The conquest of great difficulties is the glory of human nature." L. P. Jacks, quoted in American character, by Brander Matthews, 1906 Misattributed Variant: A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.

Motivational, Wise, Deep, Success

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”

Thomas Edison (1847–1931) American inventor and businessman

As quoted in An Enemy Called Average (1990) by John L. Mason, p. 55.
Date unknown

People, Motivational, Funny, Deep

“It is a rough road that leads to the heights of greatness.”
Confragosa in fastigium dignitatis via est.

Seneca the Younger (-4–65 BC) Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, and dramatist

Source: Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium (Moral Letters to Lucilius), Letter LXXXIV: On gathering ideas, Line 13

Motivational, Success, Inspirational

“If you fell down yesterday, stand up today.”

H. G. Wells (1866–1946) English writer

The Anatomy of Frustration (1936)

Motivational

“Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun's rays do not burn until brought to a focus.”

Alexander Graham Bell (1847–1922) scientist and inventor known for his work on the telephone

Bell Telephone Talk (1901)

Sun, Motivational, Success, Positive

“Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor.”

Truman Capote (1924–1984) American author

From "Self-Portrait" (1972)
Truman Capote: Conversations (1987)

Failure, Success, Motivational, Wise

“I have no plans, and no plans to plan.”

Mario Cuomo (1932–2015) American politician, Governor of New York

On his presidential plans New York Times (14 September 1986)

Success, Hope, Birthday, Graduation

“Life is not living, but living in health.”
Vita non est vivere, sed valera vita est.

Martial book Epigrammata

VI, 70.
Variant translations:
It is not life to live, but to be well.
Life's not just being alive, but being well.
Epigrams (c. 80 – 104 AD)

Life, Health, Sad, For women

“When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on.”

Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945) 32nd President of the United States

The earliest citation yet found does not attribute this to Roosevelt, but presents it as a piece of anonymous piece folk-wisdom: "When one reaches the end of his rope, he should tie a knot in it and hang on" ( LIFE magazine (3 April 1919), p. 585 http://hdl.handle.net/2027/wu.89063018576?urlappend=%3Bseq=65). Misattributed Variant: When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.

Motivational, Deep, Success, Inspirational

“Aim for the moon. If you miss, you may hit a star.”

W. Clement Stone (1902–2002) American New Thought author

As quoted in The Power of Choice (2007) by Joyce Guccione, p. 199
also attributed to Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) and Les Brown (1912–2001)
Misattributed

Star, Motivational

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”

Aristotle (-384–-321 BC) Classical Greek philosopher, student of Plato and founder of Western philosophy

Misattributed
Variant: We are what we repeatedly do, therefore excellence is not an act, but a habit.
Source: Will Durant, The Story of Philosophy: The Lives and Opinions of the World's Greatest Philosophers (1926), reprinted in Simon & Schuster/Pocket Books, 1991, ISBN 0-671-73916-6], Ch. II: Aristotle and Greek Science; part VII: Ethics and the Nature of Happiness: "Excellence is an art won by training and habituation: we do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have these because we have acted rightly; 'these virtues are formed in man by his doing the actions'; we are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit: 'the good of man is a working of the soul in the way of excellence in a complete life... for as it is not one swallow or one fine day that makes a spring, so it is not one day or a short time that makes a man blessed and happy'" (p. 76). The quoted phrases within the quotation are from the Nicomachean Ethics, Book II, 4; Book I, 7. The misattribution is from taking Durant's summation of Aristotle's ideas as being the words of Aristotle himself.

Motivational, Deep, Success, Inspirational

“The standard you walk past, is the standard you accept.”

David Morrison (1956) Australian army general

Message regarding unacceptable behaviour (2013)
Context: I will be ruthless in ridding the army of people who cannot live up to its values. And I need everyone of you to support me in achieving this. The standard you walk past, is the standard you accept. that goes for all of us, but especially those, who by their rank, have a leadership role. NB While on Q & A, ABC TV on 1st February 2016, Australian of the Year, Lieutenant General David Lindsay Morrison attributed; "The standard you walk by is the standard you accept"; to David Hurley, former Chief, Australian Defence Force, explaining the quote; "... doesn't belong to me or [my former speechwriter] Cate McGregor, it belongs to the Governor of NSW, David Hurley."

Past, Motivational, Success, Inspirational