15 Inspirational Quotes to Ignite Your Success

15 Inspirational Quotes to Ignite Your Success



Now that we are well into 2015, it’s time to take stock of the promises we made to ourselves. Yes, we’re talking about resolutions. Though resolutions are pivotal triggers to success, it’s far too easy for them to get kicked to the curb. For instance, not so surprisingly, January is the busiest month at the gym. Come February and March, finding a seat at an exercise machine is as easy as it was to buy a doughnut in January.

But don’t give in yet. Put the doughnut down. Keep your dreams and ambitions alive, whether they are business or personal, by keeping this list of inspirational quotes handy. These quotes might just be the inspiration you need to carry you to your goals straight through to the next New Year!



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

When a reporter asked Ali how many sit-ups he did, he said, “I don’t know. I don’t count my sit-ups. I start counting when it hurts and I feel pain, because those are what really count and makes you a champion.”

“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” - Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou’s career spanned over 50 acclaimed years. Her endless creativity allowed her to conquer writing, dancing, acting, singing and producing. No matter what your field of work or personal ambitions, her message relays the idea that when we learn, we grow.

“Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose.” ­– President Lyndon B. Johnson

LBJ delivered this line to America just six days after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. His point was simple: No matter how harsh the past is, there is nothing we can do about it. Therefore, we must not dwell on what is out of our control, but instead focus on what is.



“The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.” - Ayn Rand

Critics were not kind to novelist Ayn Rand’s first two novels. If she had let their opinions determine her future, the world would be deprived of her novelsThe Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged.

“You can never cross the ocean until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.” - Christopher Columbus

Before Columbus set sail, the ultimate example of living in a comfort zone could have been attributed to anyone who wasn’t Columbus himself. There are goals we each want to reach, but we must be willing to face our fears by leaving our comfort zones in order to grasp them.

“If you don’t go after what you want, you’ll never have it. If you don’t ask, the answer is always no. If you don’t step forward, you’re always in the same place.” - Nora Roberts

Before Roberts’ writing career launched, she was a homemaker with deep aspirations. When she finally grew tired of not tackling her dreams, she went on to write over 200 novels. Those novels have sold more than 400 million copies to date.



“Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.” - Babe Ruth

Babe Ruth is arguably the greatest baseball player of all time. He had some of the best nicknames ever. But he also had one of the worst: The King of Strikeouts. That’s because he swung for home runs more than any other player. Ruth played with an all-or-nothing mindset, which earned him the No. 3 spot on the all-time home run list.

“I’d rather be a failure at something I love than a success at something I hate.” - George Burns

When Burns was seven, he and his friends landed jobs as syrup makers, but this “bored” them. So, they would dip into the basement and sing harmony. One day, people overheard them and applauded them with pennies. That’s when George told his buddies, “No more chocolate syrup. It’s show business from now on.” That mentality carried him to his first Oscar at age 80—the oldest winner ever at the time—and to the rare feat of living to 100.

“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired and success achieved.” - Helen Keller

The odds were exceptionally againstHelen Keller. If a person in her situation (of being both deaf and blind) was able to own that admirable outlook, it should be an inspiration for all. She took what she had and became an author, a political activist, a lecturer and an icon.



“Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people.” -Eleanor Roosevelt

Eleanor Roosevelt was a “big picture” person. Because of her fierce focus on her idea of what the world should be—equal rights for all—President Harry S. Truman even went as far as calling her the “First Lady of the World.”

“A lot of times, people who aren’t so blessed with talent are the most competitive and have the biggest heart.” - Tom Brady

To put Tom Brady’s ongoing career into perspective, Peyton Manning, Dan Marino, and John Elway were all first-round draft picks. Brady, however, was drafted in the sixth round. Then when Brady first met Patriots owner Robert Kraft, he told him, “I’m the best decision this organization has ever made.” This competitive nature is perhaps why Brady has more Super Bowl victories than any of the other aforementioned quarterbacks.

“Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.” - Harriet Beecher Stowe

Stowe changed the world. In 1850, when slavery was booming and Congress passed the “Fugitive Slave Law” forbidding aid to “fugitive” slaves, all hope seemed lost. Then came Harriet. She wanted to write a novel addressing the problem of slavery. That novel wasUncle Tom’s Cabin. When meetingPresident Lincoln as a result of her book, he said to her, “So you are the little woman who wrote the book that started this great war. 



“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” - Milton Berle

Berle’s faced his share of adversity throughout his career. He once risked his fame when executives on his hit show rejected the idea of welcoming black performers. Berle’s response to them: “If they don’t go on, I don’t go on.” He won. It was this disposition of doing what he felt was best that made extremely resilient. 

“All our dreams can come true—If we have the courage to pursue them.” - Walt Disney

Walt Disney took courage to a whole new level. Not only was he fired by a newspaper because “he lacked imagination and had no good ideas,” but he was also rejected a reportedly 302 times before securing financing for creating Disney World.

“Be patient with yourself. Self-growth is tender; it’s holy ground. There’s no greater investment.” -Stephen Covey

Covey authored of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, which has sold over 25 million copies. Habit No. 7—“Sharpen the Saw”—probably best explains the above perspective. With this, Covey advises to “preserve and enhance the greatest asset you have—you.”

Now it’s your turn. Swing away. Your home run will come!