There is only one lasting motivation; and that is self-motivation. Others can inspire us but only you can take action.

We must reject the idea that every time a law's broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions.

Work out your own salvation. Do not depend on others.

The place to improve the world is first in one's own heart and head and hands.

You can’t change how people treat you or what they say about you. All you can do is change how you react to it.

To a greater force, and to a better nature, you, free, are subject, and that creates the mind in you, which the heavens have not in their charge. Therefore if the present world go astray, the cause is in you, in you it is to be sought.

Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anybody else expects of you. Never excuse yourself. Never pity yourself. Be a hard master to yourself—and be lenient to everybody else.

Everything good is costly and the development of the personality is one of the most costly of all things. It will cost you your innocence, your illusions, your certainty.

A little knowledge that acts is worth infinitely more than much knowledge that is idle.

There are risks and costs to a program of action. But they are far less than the long range risks and costs of comfortable inaction.

Think lovingly, speak lovingly, act lovingly, and every need shall be supplied.

You cannot have a proud and chivalrous spirit if your conduct is mean and paltry; for whatever a man’s actions are, such must be his spirit.

What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as freedom should not be highly rated.

A true artist is not one who is inspired, but one who inspire others.

My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.

Love inspires, illumines, designates and leads the way.

If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy and inspires your hopes.

When you want to help people, you tell them the truth. When you want to help yourself, you tell them what they want to hear.

The average person puts only 25% of his energy and ability into his work. The world takes off its hat to those who put in more than 50% of their capacity, and stands on its head for those few and far between souls who devote 100%.

The greatest leader is not the the one who necessarily does the greatest things. He is the one who gets people to do the greatest things. He is

I have endured a great deal of ridicule without much malice; and have received a great deal of kindness, not quite free from ridicule. I am used to it.

It is the responsibility of leadership to work intelligently with what is given, and not to waste time fantasizing about a world of flawless people and perfect choices.

Man must cease attributing his problems to his environment, and learn again to exercise his will - his personal responsibility in the realm of faith and morals.

Good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision, and relentlessly drive it to completion.

Thinking too well of people often allows them to be better than they otherwise would.

If a businessman makes a mistake, he suffers the consequences. If a bureaucrat makes a mistake, you suffer the consequences.

Religion is a great force—the only real motive force in the world; but what you fellows don't understand is that you must get a man through his own religion and not through yours.

Good and evil, reward and punishment, are the only motives to a rational creature; these are the spur and reins whereby al mankind are set on work, and guided.

Leaders must be close enough to relate to others, but far enough ahead to motivate them.

Desire is the key to motivation, but it’s the determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal—a commitment to excellence—that will enable you to attain the success you seek.

If you develop a pure and sincere motivation, in you are motivated by a wish to help on the basis of kindness, compassion, and respect, then you can carry on any kind of work, in any field, and function more effectively.

The change in motion is proportional to the motive force impressed; and is made in the direction of the right line in which that force is impressed.