In criticism I will be bold, and as sternly, absolutely just with friend and foe. From this purpose nothing shall turn me.

No one has ever drowned in sweat.

By perseverance the snail reached the ark.

And I love that even in the toughest moments, when we’re all sweating it – when we’re worried that the bill won’t pass, and it seems like all is lost – Barack never lets himself get distracted by the chatter and the noise. Just like his grandmother, he just keeps getting up and moving forward… with patience and wisdom, and courage and grace.

Really, you don’t lose until you stop trying.

It is folly for an eminent man to think of escaping censure, and a weakness to be affected with it. All the illustrious persons of antiquity, and indeed of every age in the world, have passed through this fiery persecution.

If you are born an artist, you have no choice but to fight to stay an artist.

You tend to feel very hurt when people attack you and feel indifferent when you get praise. You think, ‚Of course they like it. They should like it.‘

Talent without working hard is nothing.

The world has the habit of making room for the man whose actions show that he knows where he is going.

However my parents – both of whom came from impoverished backgrounds and neither of whom had been to college, took the view that my overactive imagination was an amusing quirk that would never pay a mortgage or secure a pension.

I can’t do nothing just a little.

Those who say it can’t be done are usually interrupted by others doing it.

You simply have to put one foot in front of the other and keep going. Put blinders on and plow right ahead.

What by a straight path cannot be reached by crooked ways is never won.

It is better to risk starving to death then surrender. If you give up on your dreams, what’s left?

The probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just.

Victory belongs to the most persevering.

What is success? I think it is a mixture of having a flair for the thing that you are doing; knowing that it is not enough, that you have got to have hard work and a certain sense of purpose.

I went through every emotion with tryna pursue what I’m doing, you know what I mean? And I think what’s gon‘ separate whoever’s gon go for something, that you ain’t gon‘ quit.

My biggest criticism is how can people be so easily satisfied? Even people with talent.

You have to understand that people that are hurting are going to criticize.

If it doesn’t work out there will never be any doubt that the pleasure was worth all the pain.

We must walk consciously only part way toward our goal, and then leap in the dark to our success.

Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.

We can improve our relationships with others by leaps and bounds if we become encouragers instead of critics.

What starts the process, really, are laughs and slights and snubs when you are a kid. If your anger is deep enough and strong enough, you learn that you can change those attitudes by excellence, personal gut performance.

If I wished to do something, even if I couldn’t find anyone who wanted to make the effort with me, I would go out solo climbing. I did find solo climbing very challenging and a little frightening. You knew that you were completely on your own, and you had to overcome all the problems and possible dangers.

Plato was a bore.

The problem with Yanks is they are wimps.

A man will fight harder for his interests than for his rights.

The President is always abused. If he isn’t, he isn’t doing anything.

The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today.

I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live by the light that I have. I must stand with anybody that stands right, and stand with him while he is right, and part with him when he goes wrong.

First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.

There is one quality which one must possess to win, and that is definiteness of purpose, the knowledge of what one wants, and a burning desire to possess it.

Do your damnedest in an ostentatious manner all the time.

It doesn’t matter where you come from, what you have or don’t have, what you lack, or what you have too much of. But all you need to have is faith in God, an undying passion for what you do and what you choose to do in this life, and a relentless drive and the will to do whatever it takes to be successful in whatever you put your mind to.

I am a slow walker, but I never walk back.

You might win some, you might lose some. But you go in, you challenge yourself, you become a better man, a better individual, a better fighter.

Even when folks are hitting you over the head, you can’t stop marching. Even when they’re turning the hoses on you, you can’t stop.

Not having hope is not an excuse for not doing something.

Anytime someone tells me that I can’t do something, I want to do it more.

Chaos is a friend of mine.

Everybody has goals, aspirations or whatever, and everybody has been at a point in their life where nobody believed in them.

You must take the compromise to win, or else nothing. That means: you race or you do not.

You can’t knock on opportunity’s door and not be ready.

I’ve had big record label presidents look me in the face and say, ‚Your music sucks, you don’t know who you are, your music is all over the place, and we don’t know how to market this stuff. Pick a lane and come back to us.‘

I attribute my success to this – I never gave or took any excuse.

A man who has no office to go, to I don’t care who he is, is a trial of which you can have no conception.

People have to understand one thing: at the age of 18, I arrived at a dream club like Manchester United. It was a dream come true. But, even at that moment, I was thinking about playing in England for some years and then going to play in Spain. Even at that time I was thinking that way, and I always gave 100% everything.

But if I have a lot of imagination, I could tell myself whatever I wanted, you know. I handle myself quite well. I’m kind of fascist with myself, you know. There’s no discussion. There is an order. You follow it.

But in truth, should I meet with gold or spices in great quantity, I shall remain till I collect as much as possible, and for this purpose I am proceeding solely in quest of them.

If a man knows not what harbor he seeks, any wind is the right wind.

I was the kid that was the 199th pick that never had the body for it. People didn’t think I’d play one year in the NFL, and now I’m going on my 17th year.

You know, not to sound corny or nuthin‘, but I felt like a fighter comin‘ up, man. I felt like, you know, I’m being attacked for this reason or that reason, and I gotta fight my way through this.

I’m here. I’m not going anywhere. No matter what the injury – unless it’s completely debilitating – I’m going to be the same player I’ve always been. I’ll figure it out. I’ll make some tweaks, some changes, but I’m still coming.

No sanction can stand against ignited minds.

Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.

I am prepared to resort to anything, to submit to anything, for the sake of the commonwealth.

I am extraordinarily patient, provided I get my own way in the end.