Motivational quotes

God helps them that help themselves, as Poor Richard says.

Spoken in the essay by Father Abraham, the old man Franklin invents to quote Poor Richard back at a crowd.

Our attempts should be not to extinguish nature, but to repress it; not to stand unmoved at distress, but endeavour to turn every disaster to our own advantage. Our greatest glory is, not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.

Lien Chi Altangi, Goldsmith's invented Chinese philosopher in London, writing to his correspondent in Pekin. Read here in the 1891 Dent printing.

The result of it all may be summed up in his favourite motto, “Be kind, for every one is fighting a hard battle.”

Nicoll, who edited the paper Watson wrote for, summing up how Watson dealt with the people who brought him their troubles.

I won't have a problem with you if you aim high and miss, but I will have a real problem if you aim low and hit.

Another of his father's sayings, recounted in the speech.

It doesn't matter to me any longer how long I live, what matters to me most is how I live.

Believe that life is done testing you and will start giving you more than it took away from you. The wait might have been long but it's about to be over now.

Do something today to get closer to your goals. Even if something goes wrong, you will learn and recover. You don't have to figure out your entire life today. Make that one call. Go for that one discussion. Step out and show up. That's enough for today.

Don't chase people who don't value you. Don't stay at places where you feel more exhausted than excited. Don't expect respect from someone who is never willing to meet you halfway. If they can't honor your presence, they deserve your absence.

If things didn't go as planned, it doesn't mean you failed. If everything doesn't work out, that doesn't make life less meaningful. Great people also make mistakes. They just learn from it and never quit. Some of your darkest chapters will lead you to the most sparkling chapters.

If you dream of it, it isn't impossible. You long for it because it's meant for you. You are meant to drop fears and inhibitions and chase what sets your soul on fire. A shake up in your current life is almost always followed by something better, something awesome.

If you have a dream that lights up your soul, chase it. Believe that you are strong enough to move mountains. Believe that in the moments of uncertainty, you will figure out a way to move forward. Things work out for those who believe in themselves.

If you made wrong choice and realized the mistake much later, it's okay. Even if it changed course of your life drastically, it's still okay. You did what you felt was best. You have already suffered a lot due to that. Worrying is a waste of time. Forgive yourself.