Favorite motivational quotes

[Colinmarshall]

I can't get enough quotations. To me they're like addictive candy. Sure, they're fun and all, but frequently insubstantial and they just leave you wanting more. Nevertheless, they seem to give myself and others quite a bit of enjoyment.

What are some of your guys' favorite motivational quotes? (Quotes that weren't originally intended to motivate but motivate you all the same are encouraged.)

Some selections from my collection:

"It seems to me that most people have vast potential. Most people can do extraordinary things if they have the confidence or take the risks. Yet most people don't. They sit in front of the telly and treat life as if it goes on forever." - Philip Adams

"Great ability develops and reveals itself increasingly with ever new assignment." - Baltasar Gracian

"Whenever I hear 'It can't be done,' I know I'm close to success." - Michael Flatley

"That's my philosophy: a $10 shine on a $2 pair of boots." - John Winger (Bill Murray), Stripes

[commie_sho]

"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work."
- Thomas A. Edison

[Violet]

Originally posted by Colinmarshall
"It seems to me that most people have vast potential. Most people can do extraordinary things if they have the confidence or take the risks. Yet most people don't. They sit in front of the telly and treat life as if it goes on forever." - Philip Adams

I like that one!

My favorite is by Hannibal: In essence, he said, "We will find a way, or we will make one!" :cool:

[Superdude]

"Do...or do not. There is no try" Yoda

"Luck is the residue of design" Branch Rickey, professional baseball manager

[mhendo]

"Hard work often pays off after time, but laziness always pays off now."

"Mediocrity: It takes a lot less time and most people won't notice the difference until it's too late."

"If you can't learn to do something well, learn to enjoy doing it poorly."

"The harder you try, the dumber you look."

"When you earnestly believe that you can compensate for lack of skill by doubling your efforts, there's no end to what you can't do."

"The only consistent feature of all your dissatisfying relationships is you."

:D

These and other gems brought to you by the Demotivators (http://www.demotivators.com/indem.html) website.

[dinoboy]

I love that site mhendo *wiping tears of laughter away from eyes*, I wasted ten minutes there...

Is time enjoyed really 'wasted'? explain THAT to my boss.


These have always been some of my favorites:

"It is awfully hard work doing nothing" -- Oscar Wilde

"Contemplation is the highest form of activity" -- Aristotle

"Admit nothing, deny everything, demand proof" -- unknown (read off of a flyer in a police station)

[Max Carnage]

"With great power comes great responsibility" -- Ben Parker

[Archergal]

I like these:

"Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to the end, requires some of the same courage which a soldier needs."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson -

Mile by mile,
life's a trial.

Yard by yard,
life is hard.

Inch by inch,
life's a cinch.


The end is in the beginning.
Nevertheless, we go on.


Walk as far as you can see to walk
in the light you are given,
& when you have reached
what you thought was the end,
more light will shine on your path.

Quaker saying


You can lead a horse to water
but a pencil must be lead.

(Well, the last one may not be very motivational...)

[plnnr]

Get your ass off the couch and go cut the damn grass.
-Robert L. Tyson (my dad)

[green_dragon]

Like an iceberg, the greater part of yourself is under the surface, control your mind and your emotions and the is NOTHING you cannot overcome - never give up, and if you fall down get back on your feet; just keep on going!

Martial arts teacher

Check out this motivational/inspirational form on this martial arts message board:

http://www.geoffthompson.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=forum;f=3

[Scarlett67]

"You've got to jump off cliffs all the time -- and build your wings on the way down." —Ray Bradbury

"There are no passengers on spaceship Earth. Everybody's crew." —R. Buckminster Fuller

"Destiny is not a mattter of chance, it is a matter of choice." —William Jennings Bryan

"Most of us will never do great things, but we can do small things in a great way." —James F. Clarke

"Isn't it strange that princes and kings
And clowns that caper in sawdust rings
And ordinary folks like you and me
Are builders of eternity?
To each is given a bag of tools,
An hourglass and a book of rules,
And each must build, ere his life is flown,
A stumbling block or a stepping stone." —Author unknown

A recent addition:
"You're only given a little spark of madness. You mustn't lose it." —Robin Williams

[NoClueBoy]

"What the hell are you doing in the bathroom all day and night? Why don't you get out of there and give someone else a chance?" - Igor's Dad

[gscotb]

I heard this one from Eric Michael Dyson: God loves you just the way you are, but He doesn't want you to stay that way.

[Shirley Ujest]

I love quotes too!

Some are motivational, others are the de-motivational and the rest a just fun, fun, fun!

Motivators;

The value of an experiment is not determined on how much it costs. It is determined on how much you learn. ( Mort Crim. (Detroit news anchor and motivational speaker.)


To dream of the person you would like to be is a waste of the person you are. (Unknown)

If you can solve your problem then what is the need of worrying?

If you cannot solve it, then what is the use of worrying? Shatideva.

The way to change others' minds is with affection, and not anger. Dali Lama

When we focus on solving the problem we avoid placing blame.

We are all pilgrims on the same journey, but some pilgrims have better road maps. Nelson DeMille

Success isn't what you acheive, it is what you overcome.

You can get by on charm for about 15 minutes, after that, you better know something. H. Jackson Brown.

The difference between involvement and commitment is like an egg and ham breakfast.

The chicken was involved, the ham was committed
Anonymous.

Until you have courage to lose sight of the shore you will not know the terro of being forever lost at sea.

Your role my be thankless, but if you're willing to give it your all, you just might bring success to those you outlast you.

When you have absolutely no other basis on which to base an argument, abuse the plantiff. Cicero

If you have your life to live over again, you'd need more money.


De-Motivators:

If you are not a part of the solution, there's good money to be made in prolonging the problem.

The best leaders inspire by example.

When that is not an option, brute intimidation works pretty well, too.

If all else fails, immortality can always be assured by spectacular error. ( John Kenneth Galbraith.)

One good thing about being wrong is the joy it brings to others.

It is easier to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission.

I'm living so far beyond my income that we may almost be said to be living apart e e cummings




[b] Shirley-ism

Hard work, determination, education, networking will never get one as far in life as dumb luck, sheer stupidity and blinding ignorance.

Bullshit done well is a compliment.
Bullshit done poorly remains bullshit.

Indecision is the key to flexibilty.

[Quartz]

I forget where I read it, but the phrase, "If it's to be, it's up to me" has always stuck.

[seal_cleaner]

"The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on."

[OldBroad]

I don't know the source of this one but it has been helpful when I've needed to be reminded me to set my ego aside:

"Failure is not an option. It is a privilege reserved only for those who try."

I also love the demotivators. I posted a few in my office in the days when "motivation" was running amok.

[Zebra]

My favorites come from here (http://www.despair.com/index.html).

My current favorite?

This one. (http://www.despair.com/motivation.html)

[glee]

When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane

Everyone has a photographic memory. Some just don't have film.

I intend to live forever - so far, so good.

Eagles may soar, but weasels don'rt get sucked into jet engines.

Honk if you love peace + quiet

Remember, half the poeple you know are below average

The problem with the gene pool is that there is no lifeguard

[bradministrator]

"It's not that I'm lazy, it's that I just don't care." - Peter Gibbons

[The Controvert]

If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipate.

[CrankyAsAnOldMan]

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." -- Margaret Mead

You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.' You must do the thing you think you cannot do.
--Eleanor Roosevelt

"Stop worrying about what you 'should' do and go find what makes you happy" Paula Wallace (the dean of my undergrad college)

[lolagranola]

There is always something to do. There are hungry people to feed, naked people to clothe, sick people to comfort and make well. And while I don't expect you to save the world I do think it's not asking too much for you to love those with whom you sleep, share the happiness of those whom you call friend, engage those among you who are visionary and remove from your live those who offer you depression, despair and disrespect.

-Nikki Giovanni

[Khadaji]

Accidents happen - that's why there's a word for it. Khadaji

[Balance]

"Enjoy yourself. If you cannot enjoy yourself, enjoy someone else." --Don Juan & Miguel

I think the sheer confidence in this one makes up for any lack of flowery language:
"We can do this." --Gesten (and the other hertasi), in The Black Gryphon

[DeVena]

It is better to be a lion for a day than a sheep all your life. - Elizabeth Kenny

And don't forget dear old Auntie Mame: "Life's a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death!"

[skeptic_ev]

What lies behind us and what lies before for us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. --Ralph Waldo Emerson

Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear. --Ambrose Redmoon

Nolites te bastardes carborundorum.* --Margaret Atwood in The Handmaid's Tale

*Don't let the bastards grind you down. (Pseudo Latin)

[Chicago Faucet]

"This. Too. Shall. Pass." I reserve this for the worst of my bad days. The days of black eyes and bloody fists. It is best said slowly with emphasis on the pauses.

"We spend our youth attaining money, and our money attaining youth."

"You must learn to smile." This is a quote that I swiped from The Magus, which is a book that has always been in my top ten.

"The only way to find a needle in a haystack is to jump right in."

"Bring it on." I was saying this before George Bush stole it.

[Gatopescado]

These come from my dad:

"You better (stop doing whatever is pissing him off) or your ass will be sucking swamp water!"

"You better (start doing whatever he told you to) or I'll kick your ass till your nose bleeds!"

"Work smart, not hard."

This one is from my favorite cartoon: "Being drunk is the best feeling in my poor world."

_____________
She told me she loved me like a brother. She was from Arkansas, hence the Joy!

[mascaroni]

If at first you don't succeed, give up. - Homer Simpson

[Cormac36]

I know this is a cludging together of different quotes, but I heard it from a very wise man many years ago, and it has always worked for me:

The truth shall set you free,
but first it will make you mad.
Knowledge will make you strong,
but first it will make you afraid.

Over time the anger and the fear, fade
But the freedom and strength remain.

[Cormac36]

I know this is a cludging together of different quotes, but I heard it from a very wise man many years ago, and it has always worked for me:

The truth shall set you free,
but first it will make you mad.
Knowledge will make you strong,
but first it will make you afraid.

Over time the anger and the fear, fade
But the freedom and strength remain.

[Buck The Diver]

"Most men lead lives of quiet desperation."-Thoreau

This quote has always kept me in unusual jobs and will probably lead me to a unique demise.

"Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway."-John Wayne

This one has gotten me through some tough times.

[Odinoneeye]

"When things are hard, of course you give them up. Now let's go inside and watch TV."

Homer Simpson

Always been my mantra.

[Manatee]

"It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something." -- FDR

"We learn from failure, not from success!" - Stoker, Dracula

[Sublight]

"That which does not make you stronger, kills you." -me

Just suddenly came to me yesterday while taking a leak, and feels more true than Nietzsche's version.

[Engineer Dude]

"Kids, you tried your hardest, and you failed miserably. The lesson here is, never try." - Homer Simpson

[DoctorJ]

You find it where you lost it. These words of my now deceased uncle are a mantra for a friend of mine and I who have taken up serious online poker, whenever we start having a bad run of cards.

Whatever doesn't kill me only postpones the inevitable.

[Meurglys]

"If a thing's worth doing, it's worth doing badly."
Of course, once you've had a bit of practice, it'll be worth doing it well...

[jjimm]

If you don't look after your customer, someone else will.

I like this because it can be both motivational or demotivational: "someone else will? Cool! What's on TV then?"

[Balle_M]

"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."

- Theodore Roosevelt

[Zoe]

From the poem "George Gray" in Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters:

...lift the sail
And catch the winds of destiny
Wherever they drive the boat.
To put meaning in one's life may end in madness,
But life without meaning is the torture
Of restlessness and vague desire---
It is a boat longing for the sea and yet afraid.

http://smiley00.tripod.com/poem225.html

[culov]

"You tried and failed miserably, the lesson is, never try..."

-Homer Simpson

"If practice makes perfect, but nobody is perfect, why practice?"

-GD

[caffeine_overdose]

"Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed...every morning a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn't matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle... when the sun comes up, you better be running."

[phouka]

"...Come, my friends,
Tis not too late to seek a newer world.
Push off, and sitting well in order,
Smite the sounding furrows. For
My purpose holds to sail beyond the sunset,
And the baths of all the western stars
Until I die."

Ulysses, Alfred Lord Tennyson

[chique]

From what we get, we can make a living; what we give, however, makes a life.
-Arthur Ashe

[sleeping]

You picked just the right time, Colinmarshall.

More "motivational" posters here (http://www.somethingawful.com/articles.php?a=1669).

[fizgig]

"Mediocre people do exceptional things all the time." ~OK GO.

"If there's something you want to do... you should do it!" ~My friend's dad, the wise John Kirk

"When your passion and your contribution are the same, you have found your purpose." ~can't remember the source

[ccwaterback]

To succeed, jump as quickly at opportunities as you do at conclusions.

[ianzin]

A couple of favourites are...

"To succeed in life you need not only initiative, but also finishiative" - Zaida Jones Blaine, in the Chicago Tribune

"I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed." - Michael Jordan

But I think this takes some beating...

"What about the main thing in life, all its riddles? If you want, I'll spell it out for you right now. Do not pursue what is illusory, property and position: all that is gained at the expense of your nerves decade after decade, and is confiscated in one fell night. Live with a steady superiority over life - don't be afraid of misfortune, and do not yearn after happiness; it is, after all, all the same: the bitter doesn't last forever, and the sweet never fills the cup to overflowing. It is enough if you don't freeze in the cold and if thirst and hunger don't claw at your insides. If your back isn't broken, if your feet can walk, if both arms can bend, if both eyes see, and if both ears here, then whom should you envy? And why? Our envy of others devours us most of all. Rub your eyes and purify your heart - and prize above all else in the world those who love you and who wish you well. Do not hurt them or scold them, and never part from any of them in anger; after all, you simply do not know: it might be your last act before your arrest, and that will be how you will be imprinted in their memory. " - Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn from "The Gulag Archipelago"

[ccwaterback]

"Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts." (Sign hanging in Einstein's office at Princeton)

[ccwaterback]

If you want to know what God thinks of money, just look at who He gives it to!

No man ever wore a scarf as warm as his daughter’s arm around his neck.

An Irishman has an abiding sense of tragedy which sustains him through temporary periods of joy.

You can accomplish more with a kind word and a shillelagh than you can with just a kind word.

of a gossiper - She has a tongue that would clip a hedge.

Irish Diplomacy - is the ability to tell a man to go to hell so that he looks forward to making the trip.

http://islandireland.com/Pages/folk/sets/sayings.html

[Moo the Magic Cow]

I love quotes:

if age is grace, i'm an amazing disgrace

The tendency of most people is to be lazy and not pursue their dreams, to let life slip by. That's why people freak out when they're 40 and start buying Porsches. That's pretty indicative of what's wrong with everything. How can you live your life like that? -Billy Corgan

"You've got to have stuff that sucks to have stuff that's cool." -Butthead

"To the world you may be one person, but to one person you might just be the world."

"Sex is the most natural, most beautiful, most wonderful thing that money can buy." -Steve Martin

"Don't judge yourself by somebody else's standards. You will always lose." -Billy Corgan

"Girls are like slugs. They serve some purpose but it's hard to imagine what." -Calvin and Hobbes

"Marriage is a wonderful institution, but who would want to live in an institution?" -H. L. Mencken

Life is just one crushing defeat after another until you just wish Flanders was dead. -Homer Simpson

when you do things right people wont be sure you've done anything at all - God(on futurama)

He draws the bow in vain, who has nowhere to point the arrow - Alberti

I mean, sure there are some people that have a goal to work in an office, and bless em, because we need people to do that, but if you want to be an actor or a writer, then channel your most powerful energies to that and don't fall into the grooves of the day-to-day grind just because it's easier... -Bob Nanna

One may have a blazing hearth in one's soul and yet no one ever comes to sit by it. Passersby see only a wisp of smoke rising from the chimney and continue on their way. -Vincent Van Gogh

The tendency of an event to occur varies inversely with one's preparation for it. - David Searles

History teaches us that men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all other alternatives. Abba Eban

"Jesus loves you, but then again, so does Barney."

Body Building is all the rage. Join the Marky Mark master race or you won't get laid. -Jello Biafra

Bickering endlessly over stuff that doesn't matter is not community. It's junior high. -JB

"Don't let it end like this. Tell them I said something." - Pancho Villa's last words

"You call what I've been doing all my life 'work'?" he once scoffed. "No way. Mowing the lawn is work. And telling a joke and getting paid for it is stealing." -Bob Hope

and the kicker:

"Quotation is a serviceable substitute for wit." - Oscar Wilde

[ccwaterback]

"I have spent a lot of time searching through the Bible for loopholes."
- W. C. Fields (1880-1946), US comedian. Said during his last illness

"Why are you weeping ? Did you imagine that I was immortal ?"
- Louis XIV (1638-1715), French king. Noticing as he lay on his deathbed that his attendants were crying

"I owe much; I have nothing; the rest I leave to the poor."
- François Rabelais (1483-1553), French satirist

http://www.egreeley.com/messages/244.html

Leonardo da Vinci:
Italian inventor and artist, died in 1519
"I have offended God and mankind because my work did not reach the quality it should have"

Emily Dickinson:
"The fog is rising…"

http://users.belgacom.net/gc674645/grave/lastword.htm