Quotes to inspire

Dis

couragement

 and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success.” ~Dale Carnegie

While it’s easy to use failure as a great way to get discouraged about your next endeavor, it’s a far better idea to use those emotions as fuel to drive you forward to eventual success.

If there were an easy path to success then everyone would take it, and it wouldn’t be so in demand.

Failing and learning to deal with discouragement in a healthy and productive way is a sort of litmus test for successful people. So if life every gets you down, and you don’t feel like you can succeed at what you’re currently doing, remember that this can be a turning point in your eventual success story.

2. Christopher Reeve Was an Example of Hope

“Once you choose hope, anything’s possible.” ~Christopher Reeve

Christopher Reeve is a perfect example of choosing hope rather than giving it up. He didn’t let his accident end his life, he chose to hope that one day he would walk again and he made great strides towards that goal. While he may not have achieved it he still goes down as a man that didn’t give up and achieved things that others would have deemed impossible. Hope can start small as long as you hold onto it, it grows like a snowball going down a hill. Hope builds confidence that things will turn out fine, which only makes it easier to hope some more.

3. Napoleon Hill Encourages Taking the Final Step

“Most great people have attained their greatest success one step beyond their greatest failure.” ~Napoleon Hill

What if you knew that it was just one more step until you accomplished your greatest success? You’d surely take that step, even if you knew it would be a hard one to take.

If you’re going through a tough time right now, it could be that better times are just around the corner, and if you push past what you’re going through you could get what it is you really want.

Letting a setback or a perceived failure get the better of you is a sure way not to get what you want, so be sure to take that next step because it might just be the one that puts you one top.

4. Abraham Lincoln on Predicting the Future

“The best way to predict the future is to create it.” ~Abraham Lincoln

If you’ve been worried about how the future will turn out because things aren’t going as you planned, this is a good life lesson: you can create the future you want, which immediately helps you stop worrying about it. By creating your future rather than fearing it you regain the element of control and stop looking at yourself as the victim of things that are happening to you. They say the future is unknown, and largely it is, but you can do things today that will influence your tomorrows, and that makes today a very powerful thing indeed.

5. Will Smith on What the First Step Entails

“The first step is you have to say that you can” ~Will Smith

Most people think that the first step should be an action item, but Will Smith is saying that before you do anything else you have to say that you can do it. This could mean that if you don’t first convince yourself that it can be done, your future actions won’t hold much water because you’re not in the right mindset. Getting your thinking right before embarking on your next venture is good advice, and can make the actions you take towards your goal more powerful and effective. So if life has been tough lately, be sure that you haven’t been sucked into saying “I can’t.” and start to turn things around.

6. Robert F. Kennedy on Daring to Fail

“Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” ~Robert F. Kennedy

Life presents us with challenges when we set out to accomplish something great, so if you’re going through tough times it probably means you’re taking on a big project. Just remember that you wouldn’t want to cut your achievements short in order to protect yourself from the sting of failure. It’s all about finding the right perspective when it comes to the big picture of your life, and what you want to do with it. If you’ve noticed that you are sometimes too hard on yourself when things don’t go your way, remember that in the grand scheme of things you’ll be fine and overall you’ll make it.

7. Og Mandino on Persistence

“If I persist long enough I will win.” ~Og Mandino

Persistence can be tough when the going gets rough, but keep it in mind that as long as you keep going, you’ll eventually get to where you want to be. It’s refreshing to know that all that’s required is to keep plugging away at things, even if in the moment it doesn’t seem like you’re accomplishing much at all. It may not happen today, or tomorrow, or this year, but having the belief that as long as you keep at it you’ll win is a helpful ally in achieving your dreams. Just knowing that you have the power to win no matter what can help to brighten a cloudy day.

8. Albert Einstein on Dealing with Difficulty

“In the middle of a difficulty lies opportunity.” ~Albert Einstein

We’ve all heard a version of this saying, something to the effect of each cloud has a silver lining, but when you hear from a renowned genius that each difficulty has an opportunity within it, you take notice. Just because you’re facing a difficulty is no reason to give up or get down on yourself. Find that opportunity that’s hidden within whatever difficulty you’re facing, and see how you can make the most out of it. What a difference that will make when instead of setting you back, difficulties only serve to move you forward.

9. Elizabeth Barrett Browning on How to Spend Today

“Light tomorrow with today.” ~Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Often we lose sight of how important today can be, and if things have gotten tough for you it may be because you didn’t properly use your yesterdays, and now you’re dealing with the consequences. So instead of rueing that you should have done more in the past, use the opportunity you have today to make a better tomorrow. It’s so hard to wrap your head around the idea that your future will be better because of what you’re doing right now, today, and that you’re living the sum of all of your previous todays. But once you do the sky’s the limit.

10. James Allen Helps Us Appreciate the Dreamers

“The dreamers are the saviors of the world.” ~James Allen

When life gets tough it’s easy to stop dreaming, or to scale back our dreams because it feels like they are unattainable. But you should never sell yourself short just because things are going poorly at any given time. Dreams are bigger than your problems, and they can help you overcome whatever is thrown at you as long as you keep your focus and attention on them. This quote will help you remember that without dreamers in the world the world would be a pretty lousy place. Stand among the other dreamers and be the savior that’s needed.

11. John Wooden on Focusing on Your Abilities

“Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” ~John Wooden

It’s easy to look at the abilities you lack and start to feel bad that you don’t know enough, or can’t do enough. This alone can be the start of a bad day, because once you start thinking like that it’s hard for anything else to go your way that day. But once you shift the focus to your long list of abilities, to all of the things you do know, and all of the things you can do, you start getting inspired rather than discouraged, and more things start to go your way. You’ll start playing to your strengths instead of wallowing in your weaknesses.

12. Michael Jordan on Why He Succeeded

“I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” ~Michael Jordan

Most would consider Michael Jordan a giant success when it comes to the game of basketball, but he was humble enough to realize that even more than is innate greatness it was the attempts and the many failures that led to that success. He didn’t make 100% of his shots, but he wasn’t afraid to shoot the ball when the game was on the line, or to take plenty of shots knowing that some would go in. If failures have been piling up in your life just remember that it’s part of playing the game, and at least you’re in the game taking shots.

13. Frederick Douglass on What Struggle Leads To

“If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” ~Frederick Douglass

Struggle is often lamented as a bad thing, as a sign that you won’t get what you want and things are going to turn out poorly. But this quote is a reminder that unless you’re struggling you aren’t making any progress. Think about it: a life without struggle would mean that you are playing it safe, staying with what you know, and limiting your own evolution and growth. Struggle is a sign that you are pushing yourself, testing your limits, and making real progress. Armed with this new perspective you can take on the world.

14. Helen Keller on Overcoming Defeat

“Defeat is simply a signal to press onward.” ~Helen Keller

Many people view defeat as a signal to give up and try something else. But here’s a way to get inspired to just keep moving forward when you face defeat of any sort. Amazing things start to happen when you press on without any sign that things will get better. Things start to get better simply because you’ve kept pressing on. The universe bends to you because it realizes that you’re not going to take no for an answer. There may be no more uplifting idea than a universe that is conspiring with you to achieve your dreams as long as you keep striving forward.

Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success.” ~Dale Carnegie

While it’s easy to use failure as a great way to get discouraged about your next endeavor, it’s a far better idea to use those emotions as fuel to drive you forward to eventual success.

If there were an easy path to success then everyone would take it, and it wouldn’t be so in demand.

Failing and learning to deal with discouragement in a healthy and productive way is a sort of litmus test for successful people. So if life every gets you down, and you don’t feel like you can succeed at what you’re currently doing, remember that this can be a turning point in your eventual success story.

2. Christopher Reeve Was an Example of Hope

“Once you choose hope, anything’s possible.” ~Christopher Reeve

Christopher Reeve is a perfect example of choosing hope rather than giving it up. He didn’t let his accident end his life, he chose to hope that one day he would walk again and he made great strides towards that goal. While he may not have achieved it he still goes down as a man that didn’t give up and achieved things that others would have deemed impossible. Hope can start small as long as you hold onto it, it grows like a snowball going down a hill. Hope builds confidence that things will turn out fine, which only makes it easier to hope some more.

3. Napoleon Hill Encourages Taking the Final Step

“Most great people have attained their greatest success one step beyond their greatest failure.” ~Napoleon Hill

What if you knew that it was just one more step until you accomplished your greatest success? You’d surely take that step, even if you knew it would be a hard one to take.

If you’re going through a tough time right now, it could be that better times are just around the corner, and if you push past what you’re going through you could get what it is you really want.

Letting a setback or a perceived failure get the better of you is a sure way not to get what you want, so be sure to take that next step because it might just be the one that puts you one top.

4. Abraham Lincoln on Predicting the Future

“The best way to predict the future is to create it.” ~Abraham Lincoln

If you’ve been worried about how the future will turn out because things aren’t going as you planned, this is a good life lesson: you can create the future you want, which immediately helps you stop worrying about it. By creating your future rather than fearing it you regain the element of control and stop looking at yourself as the victim of things that are happening to you. They say the future is unknown, and largely it is, but you can do things today that will influence your tomorrows, and that makes today a very powerful thing indeed.

5. Will Smith on What the First Step Entails

“The first step is you have to say that you can” ~Will Smith

Most people think that the first step should be an action item, but Will Smith is saying that before you do anything else you have to say that you can do it. This could mean that if you don’t first convince yourself that it can be done, your future actions won’t hold much water because you’re not in the right mindset. Getting your thinking right before embarking on your next venture is good advice, and can make the actions you take towards your goal more powerful and effective. So if life has been tough lately, be sure that you haven’t been sucked into saying “I can’t.” and start to turn things around.

6. Robert F. Kennedy on Daring to Fail

“Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” ~Robert F. Kennedy

Life presents us with challenges when we set out to accomplish something great, so if you’re going through tough times it probably means you’re taking on a big project. Just remember that you wouldn’t want to cut your achievements short in order to protect yourself from the sting of failure. It’s all about finding the right perspective when it comes to the big picture of your life, and what you want to do with it. If you’ve noticed that you are sometimes too hard on yourself when things don’t go your way, remember that in the grand scheme of things you’ll be fine and overall you’ll make it.

7. Og Mandino on Persistence

“If I persist long enough I will win.” ~Og Mandino

Persistence can be tough when the going gets rough, but keep it in mind that as long as you keep going, you’ll eventually get to where you want to be. It’s refreshing to know that all that’s required is to keep plugging away at things, even if in the moment it doesn’t seem like you’re accomplishing much at all. It may not happen today, or tomorrow, or this year, but having the belief that as long as you keep at it you’ll win is a helpful ally in achieving your dreams. Just knowing that you have the power to win no matter what can help to brighten a cloudy day.

8. Albert Einstein on Dealing with Difficulty

“In the middle of a difficulty lies opportunity.” ~Albert Einstein

We’ve all heard a version of this saying, something to the effect of each cloud has a silver lining, but when you hear from a renowned genius that each difficulty has an opportunity within it, you take notice. Just because you’re facing a difficulty is no reason to give up or get down on yourself. Find that opportunity that’s hidden within whatever difficulty you’re facing, and see how you can make the most out of it. What a difference that will make when instead of setting you back, difficulties only serve to move you forward.

9. Elizabeth Barrett Browning on How to Spend Today

“Light tomorrow with today.” ~Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Often we lose sight of how important today can be, and if things have gotten tough for you it may be because you didn’t properly use your yesterdays, and now you’re dealing with the consequences. So instead of rueing that you should have done more in the past, use the opportunity you have today to make a better tomorrow. It’s so hard to wrap your head around the idea that your future will be better because of what you’re doing right now, today, and that you’re living the sum of all of your previous todays. But once you do the sky’s the limit.

10. James Allen Helps Us Appreciate the Dreamers

“The dreamers are the saviors of the world.” ~James Allen

When life gets tough it’s easy to stop dreaming, or to scale back our dreams because it feels like they are unattainable. But you should never sell yourself short just because things are going poorly at any given time. Dreams are bigger than your problems, and they can help you overcome whatever is thrown at you as long as you keep your focus and attention on them. This quote will help you remember that without dreamers in the world the world would be a pretty lousy place. Stand among the other dreamers and be the savior that’s needed.

11. John Wooden on Focusing on Your Abilities

“Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” ~John Wooden

It’s easy to look at the abilities you lack and start to feel bad that you don’t know enough, or can’t do enough. This alone can be the start of a bad day, because once you start thinking like that it’s hard for anything else to go your way that day. But once you shift the focus to your long list of abilities, to all of the things you do know, and all of the things you can do, you start getting inspired rather than discouraged, and more things start to go your way. You’ll start playing to your strengths instead of wallowing in your weaknesses.

12. Michael Jordan on Why He Succeeded

“I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” ~Michael Jordan

Most would consider Michael Jordan a giant success when it comes to the game of basketball, but he was humble enough to realize that even more than is innate greatness it was the attempts and the many failures that led to that success. He didn’t make 100% of his shots, but he wasn’t afraid to shoot the ball when the game was on the line, or to take plenty of shots knowing that some would go in. If failures have been piling up in your life just remember that it’s part of playing the game, and at least you’re in the game taking shots.

13. Frederick Douglass on What Struggle Leads To

“If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” ~Frederick Douglass

Struggle is often lamented as a bad thing, as a sign that you won’t get what you want and things are going to turn out poorly. But this quote is a reminder that unless you’re struggling you aren’t making any progress. Think about it: a life without struggle would mean that you are playing it safe, staying with what you know, and limiting your own evolution and growth. Struggle is a sign that you are pushing yourself, testing your limits, and making real progress. Armed with this new perspective you can take on the world.

14. Helen Keller on Overcoming Defeat

“Defeat is simply a signal to press onward.” ~Helen Keller

Many people view defeat as a signal to give up and try something else. But here’s a way to get inspired to just keep moving forward when you face defeat of any sort. Amazing things start to happen when you press on without any sign that things will get better. Things start to get better simply because you’ve kept pressing on. The universe bends to you because it realizes that you’re not going to take no for an answer. There may be no more uplifting idea than a universe that is conspiring with you to achieve your dreams as long as you keep striving forward.