In a gentle way, you can shake the world.

There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow men. True nobility lies in being superior to your former self.

My parents were just constantly affirming me in everything that I did. Late at night, I’d wake up and hear my mother talking over my bed, saying, ‚You’re going to do great on this test. You can do anything you want.‘

Every man is said to have his peculiar ambition. Whether it be true or not, I can say, for one, that I have no other so great as that of being truly esteemed of my fellow-men, by rendering myself worthy of their esteem. How far I shall succeed in gratifying this ambition is yet to be developed.

If you want a love message to be heard, it has got to be sent out. To keep a lamp burning, we have to keep putting oil in it.

The good part about youngsters is that they are so fearless. You want to be like them.

I was always trying – I never wanted to let my fans down; I always wanted them to see me in my art form.

If you don’t like what you’re doing, then don’t do it.

I don’t have much positive to say about motor neuron disease, but it taught me not to pity myself because others were worse off, and to get on with what I still could do. I’m happier now than before I developed the condition.

Most people want to avoid pain, and discipline is usually painful.

He that wrestles with us strengthens our nerves and sharpens our skill. Our antagonist is our helper.

That nice, soft pillow and the warm blanket, and it’s all comfortable, and no one wants to leave that comfort – but if you can wake up early in the morning, get a head start on everyone else that’s still sleeping, get productive time doing things that you need to do – that’s a huge piece to moving your life forward.

Protect your enthusiasm from the negativity of others.

You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.

Finite to fail, but infinite to venture.

There’s only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that’s your own self.

I gather from motivation around me – from a lot of personalities who have done well in their respective fields.

I tell my fellow reggaetoneros, keep giving it your all and bring more creativity.

Nothing succeeds like success. Get a little success, and then just get a little more.

You’ve really got to start hitting the books because it’s no joke out here.

We are all of us stars, and we deserve to twinkle.

You will never fulfill your destiny doing work you despise.

If you wish to be a success in the world, promise everything, deliver nothing.

When you are organizing a group of people, the first thing that we do is we talk about the history of what other people have been able to accomplish – people that look like them, workers like them, ordinary people, working people – and we give them the list: these are people like yourself; this is what they were able to do in their community.

Life is one grand, sweet song, so start the music.

There are 309 million people out there that are trying to improve their lot in life. And we’ve got a system that allows them to do it.

Big results require big ambitions.

I always try to do as much as I can do. I’m never a person that does not enough, because I’d regret not doing enough and think I probably could have done more. I probably go too far and have to reel myself back in, which works in some things, and other things it doesn’t work.

I know that I always wanted things. I was always proud of my people, proud of my home, but I always wanted more. I think most people do.

Life loves the liver of it.

I’ve got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom.

I’d rather give my life than be afraid to give it.

Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.

A passionate belief in your business and personal objectives can make all the difference between success and failure. If you aren’t proud of what you’re doing, why should anybody else be?

Take off your bedroom slippers. Put on your marching shoes,‘ he said, his voice rising as applause and cheers mounted. ‚Shake it off. Stop complainin‘. Stop grumblin‘. Stop cryin‘. We are going to press on. We have work to do.

If there was nothing wrong in the world there wouldn’t be anything for us to do.

I am only an average man but, by George, I work harder at it than the average man.

I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‚Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.‘

The great secret of success is to go through life as a man who never gets used up.

A leader is a dealer in hope.

I can’t keep somebody from being a star, and I can’t make somebody a star, and nobody can.

It takes time to persuade men to do even what is for their own good.

Remember your dreams and fight for them. You must know what you want from life. There is just one thing that makes your dream become impossible: the fear of failure.

Energy and persistence conquer all things.

Love is the answer to everything. It’s the only reason to do anything. If you don’t write stories you love, you’ll never make it. If you don’t write stories that other people love, you’ll never make it.

The greatest mistake you can make in life is continually fearing that you’ll make one.

Our work is never over.

Ambition can creep as well as soar.

Do not let Sunday be taken from you. If your soul has no Sunday, it becomes an orphan.

The starting point of all achievement is desire.

Just do some kind of workout. Doesn’t matter if it’s going for a walk around the block, going for a jog, doing some calisthenics, lifting weights, going to a pool and swimming – you name it. But do something that gets your blood flowing and gets your mind in the game.

Things won’t get better dwelling on the past. Accept what has happened. Then move forward.

You were not created to just get by with an average, unrewarding, or unfulfilling life. God created you to leave your mark on this generation.

Difficulties mastered are opportunities won.

Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere.

You have to be someone.

I know I’m stronger in the songs than I really am. Sometimes I need to hear it myself. We all need to hear those empowering songs to remind us.

When a person starts to talk about their dreams, it’s as if something bubbles up from within. Their eyes brighten, their face glows, and you can feel the excitement in their words.

When I do something, I do it full steam ahead.

We need to internalize this idea of excellence. Not many folks spend a lot of time trying to be excellent.

The future doesn’t belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave.