Talent and effort, combined with our various backgrounds and life experiences, has always been the lifeblood of our singular American genius.

Most of us experience a life full of wonderful moments and difficult moments. But for many of us, even when we are most joyful, there is fear behind our joy.

There are people in the world who have skills and strength and talent that I will never have. Never. These notions that you can ‚be whatever you want to be as long as you want it bad enough‘ are not true. They are fairy tales.

Whatever you do, do with all your might.

I feel like people can relate to me because we all go through wins and roadblocks and passion and pain, and it’s a vibe.

It’s so easy to settle for less than God’s best for us because we don’t always feel like taking responsibility for our behavior or putting forth some effort to do what we need to do so we can accomplish great things for God and help people. But the cost of settling for less is actually harder than being completely obedient to God’s will.

I can play a lot of different instruments adequately but nothing really well.

The one excellent thing that can be learned from a lion is that whatever a man intends doing should be done by him with a whole-hearted and strenuous effort.

What one has, one ought to use: and whatever he does he should do with all his might.

Britney Spears was an incredible dancer. That kid was amazing.

The man who does more than he is paid for will soon be paid for more than he does.

The Artist is he who detects and applies the law from observation of the works of Genius, whether of man or Nature. The Artisan is he who merely applies the rules which others have detected.

People who are unable to motivate themselves must be content with mediocrity, no matter how impressive their other talents.

Life can be boring unless you put some effort into it.

To be sensual, I think, is to respect and rejoice in the force of life, of life itself, and to be present in all that one does, from the effort of loving to the making of bread.

If you are lucky enough to find something that you love, and you have a shot at being good at it, don’t stop, don’t put it down.

I had my moments of being humiliated, and then I had moments of doing something humiliating. I’m glad I lived out both roles.

It is my absolute belief that Indians have unlimited talent. I have no doubt about our capabilities.

Life is a series of experiences, each one of which makes us bigger, even though sometimes it is hard to realize this. For the world was built to develop character, and we must learn that the setbacks and grieves which we endure help us in our marching onward.

There is no failure except in no longer trying.

I have no definite talent or trade, and how I stay alive is largely a matter of magic.

Everything is an open book. I don’t speak on other people’s hardship, but if it happened in my life or something that has been an experience on my particular journey, I’m going to talk about it. That’s what my fan base appreciates the most. I’m universal. You can relate to the things I say or that I go through.

My name is Adam Sandler. I’m not particularly talented. I’m not particularly good-looking. And yet I’m a multi-millionaire.

Most of one’s life is one prolonged effort to prevent oneself thinking.

Thousands of geniuses live and die undiscovered – either by themselves or by others.

His talent was as natural as the pattern that was made by the dust on a butterfly’s wings. At one time he understood it no more than the butterfly did and he did not know when it was brushed or marred.

Those places I don’t understand, just doing bad food. It takes some doing. Making good pasta is so much easier than making bad stuff. It actually takes quite an effort to make poor linguine pomodora.

It’s a rule to give all, and it can make the difference if you work more. If you don’t have to give all, and you still win, what’s this?

The truth is, I’m just a rough old New Zealander who has enjoyed many challenges in his life.

Genius, when young, is divine.

What you put into life is what you get out of it.

I believe that every one of us has a gift. And I believe that mine is the ability to take the complex and make it simple.

I’ve been in the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus since I was 8.

Everywhere is nowhere. When a person spends all his time in foreign travel, he ends by having many acquaintances, but no friends.

If I had never ventured beyond being a stand-up comic, then I would be sitting in my house today working on my Leonardo DiCaprio impression.

I think as long as I do a good job and put in all my effort to proving that I’m worth it, then everything should be fine.

Celebrity is the chastisement of merit and the punishment of talent.

Most of the time spent wrestling with technologies that don’t quite work yet is just not worth the effort for end users, however much fun it is for nerds like us.

We must not sit still and look for miracles; up and doing, and the Lord will be with thee. Prayer and pains, through faith in Christ Jesus, will do anything.

Why, if someone is good in one field can they not be accepted or given the slightest opportunity to express and be creative in other fields?

I think this is the most extraordinary collection of talent, of human knowledge, that has ever been gathered at the White House – with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone.

It is only through labor and painful effort, by grim energy and resolute courage, that we move on to better things.

Education comes from within; you get it by struggle and effort and thought.

How many a man has thrown up his hands at a time when a little more effort, a little more patience would have achieved success.

The best effort of a fine person is felt after we have left their presence.

I think that I’ve had a very strange life.

Acting helped me as I was growing up. It helped me learn about myself, helped me travel, helped me understand life, express myself, all those wonderful things. So I’m very, very grateful; it’s a fun job. It’s a luxury.

Natural ability without education has more often raised a man to glory and virtue than education without natural ability.

There is no such thing as Something for nothing.

Talent and intelligence never yet inoculated anyone against the caprice of the fates.

Basically, I’m one of the greatest producers ever. And I’m also one of the greatest DJs ever. And I’m also one of the best executives ever.

The healthiest competition occurs when average people win by putting above average effort.

Sincerity makes the very least person to be of more value than the most talented hypocrite.

My life as a child did not prepare me for the fact that the world is full of cruel and bitter things.

What you are, you are by accident of birth; what I am, I am by myself. There are and will be a thousand princes; there is only one Beethoven.

Who’s to say what’s a good voice and not a good voice?

People with great gifts are easy to find, but symmetrical and balanced ones never.

Truth cannot be brought down; rather, the individual must make the effort to ascend to it. You cannot bring the mountaintop to the valley. If you would attain to the mountaintop, you must pass through the valley, climb the steeps, unafraid of the dangerous precipices.

Ridicule is the tribute paid to the genius by the mediocrities.

I grew up in a rural area called Vega Baja and I’m the first of so many talented people in this area to make it out. I take great pride to represent where I come from and I am able to show my fans, and everyone who listens and watches me, that anything is possible.

Irrespective of whether you have talent or not, one has to work hard. Just being talented doesn’t mean anything; you can end up wasting it before you realize.