Martyrdom: The only way a man can become famous without ability.

With a tree, all the growth takes place at the growing tips. Humanity is exactly the same. All the growth takes place in the growing tip: among that one percent of the population. It’s made up of pioneers, the beginners. That’s where the action is.

Fame has also this great drawback, that if we pursue it, we must direct our lives so as to please the fancy of men.

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 four things are followed – having a great aim, acquiring knowledge, hard work, and perseverance – then anything can be achieved.

It’s cool to be recognised by your peers.

The love of life is necessary to the vigorous prosecution of any undertaking.

For success of any mission, it is necessary to have creative leadership. Creative leadership is vital for government, non-governmental organisations as well as for industries.

My success isn’t a result of arrogance – it’s a result of belief.

Forward, as occasion offers. Never look round to see whether any shall note it… Be satisfied with success in even the smallest matter, and think that even such a result is no trifle.

By prevailing over all obstacles and distractions, one may unfailingly arrive at his chosen goal or destination.

God will not look you over for medals degrees or diplomas, but for scars.

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

When a team takes ownership of its problems, the problem gets solved. It is true on the battlefield, it is true in business, and it is true in life.

Your success, or lack of success, is your responsibility. Even when you have a chain of command that you don’t like as well, its your responsibility to work with the up chain of command.

If people take anything from my music, it should be motivation to know that anything is possible as long as you keep working at it and don’t back down.

That’s been one of my mantras – focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.

Why did I become Jackie Chan? Mostly because I work very hard. When people were sleeping, I was still training.

Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.

I didn’t know how to deal with success. If there was a Rock Star 101, I would have liked to take it. It might have helped me.

I don’t measure my success anymore by the Grammys. I can’t because I’ll just end up crushed.

There are basically two types of people. People who accomplish things, and people who claim to have accomplished things. The first group is less crowded.

Success is getting what you want. Happiness is liking what you get.

Success is like reaching an important birthday and finding you’re exactly the same.

My understanding of racial discrimination as a child was highly distorted because the most prominent man in Archery was an African-American bishop. When he came home from up north, where he was in charge of A.M.E. churches in five states, it was front-page news. He was the most successful man in my life.

We need to steer clear of this poverty of ambition, where people want to drive fancy cars and wear nice clothes and live in nice apartments but don’t want to work hard to accomplish these things. Everyone should try to realize their full potential.

Things won are done, joy’s soul lies in the doing.

Pennies do not come from heaven. They have to be earned here on earth.

One thing I just want to say to the military families – while you might not wear a uniform, I know – we all know, the nation knows – that you serve and sacrifice right alongside of your loved ones. And we are so grateful and proud of all of you for your service to this nation.

Success is due to our stretching to the challenges of life. Failure comes when we shrink from them.

In the book of Gaga, fame is in your heart, fame is there to comfort you, to bring you self-confidence and worth whenever you need it.

Overcoming fear is the first step to success for entrepreneurs. The winners all exemplify that, and the hard work and commitment they have shown underlines what is needed to set up a business.

All I can do is try to create my own brand and have people appreciate me for that.

Finding good partners is the key to success in anything: in business, in marriage and, especially, in investing.

A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well.

I want a president with a record of public service, someone whose life’s work shows our children that we don’t chase fame and fortune for ourselves: we fight to give everyone a chance to succeed.

A man has as many social selves as there are individuals who recognize him.

If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.

I get so excited when a song I wrote that’s very personal to me goes No. 1 and I look down and see people singing the words back to me.

All achievements, all earned riches, have their beginning in an idea.

Aim for the sky and you’ll reach the ceiling. Aim for the ceiling and you’ll stay on the floor.

If you’re afraid to fail, then you’re probably going to fail.

So many people have this idea: I want to achieve something great or be somebody great. And they neglect the step that leads to greatness. They don’t honor this step at this moment because they have this idea of some future moment where they are going to be great.

I like the idea of working in different genres and transcending genres and hopefully finding success, and ultimately make movies people like.

Things do not happen. Things are made to happen.

As far as a glass ceiling, I feel that all you can do is give it your absolute best with whatever gifts the universe has given you. And if you make it in some way that other people can recognize, that’s fine. But even if you don’t quote-unquote make it, you’re fine if you’ve given it your whole heart and soul.

The starting point of all achievement is desire.

I like to hide behind the characters I play. Despite the public perception, I am a very private person who has a hard time with the fame thing.

If you care enough for a result, you will most certainly attain it.

Moderation is a fatal thing. Nothing succeeds like excess.

It feels good being a restaurant owner because it’s part of my dreams of being the biggest mogul.

It needs time. Nobody wants to hear it, but that’s the truth: if you want to have success in the future, you have to be ready to work now.

One man cannot practice many arts with success.

Ability hits the mark where presumption overshoots and diffidence falls short.

Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm.

There are millions of Americans outside Washington who are tired of stale political arguments and are moving this country forward. They believe, and I believe, that here in America, our success should depend not on accident of birth, but the strength of our work ethic and the scope of our dreams.

I was the one who took football off the back pages and put it on to page one.

Appreciation is a wonderful thing: It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.

If you get to my age in life and nobody thinks well of you, I don’t care how big your bank account is, your life is a disaster.

You can’t try to do things; you simply must do them.

I fear that there are too many priesthood bearers who have done little or nothing to develop their ability to access the powers of Heaven.