Quotes by Author | Beyond Motive

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Quotes by Author

"Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things."

"Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things."

Robert Brault, American Author

149

"The barbarians never take a city until someone holds the gates open to them. And it's your own multicultural authorities who will do it for you."

"The barbarians never take a city until someone holds the gates open to them. And it's your own multicultural authorities who will do it for you."

Christopher Hitchens, American Author

Warning, City, Authority, Betrayal

127

"It seems to me that if you or I must choose between two courses of thought or action, we should remember our dying and try so to live that our death brings no pleasure on the world."

"It seems to me that if you or I must choose between two courses of thought or action, we should remember our dying and try so to live that our death brings no pleasure on the world."

John Steinbeck, American Author

Death, Thought, Action, Dying

124

"When ambition ends, happiness begins."

"When ambition ends, happiness begins."

Thomas Merton, American Author

Happiness, Ambition

122

"Writing is like driving at night in the fog. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way."

"Writing is like driving at night in the fog. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way."

E. L. Doctorow, American Author

Driving, Night, Writing

112

"Direct your attention to people; love, help and care for them."

"Direct your attention to people; love, help and care for them."

Sunday Adelaja, Nigerian Author

Care, Love, Influence, Service

110

"Rather than being your thoughts and emotions, be the awareness behind them."

"Rather than being your thoughts and emotions, be the awareness behind them."

Eckhart Tolle, German Author

Mindfulness, Awareness, Thoughts, Emotions

88

"Art is a revolt against fate."

"Art is a revolt against fate."

Andre Malraux, French Author

84

"Recollection builds up our personality. Our individuality is based on all the little pieces we assembled in the past. ['The past was her best friend']"

"Recollection builds up our personality. Our individuality is based on all the little pieces we assembled in the past. ['The past was her best friend']"

Erik Pevernagie, Belgian Author

Identity, Memory, Personality, Past

84

"In every religion there is an element of the supernatural, varying with the influence of pure reason over its devotees."

"In every religion there is an element of the supernatural, varying with the influence of pure reason over its devotees."

Charles Eastman, Sioux Author

Religion, Influence, Reason, Supernatural

83

"When we give up the chase, we give up our wishing."

"When we give up the chase, we give up our wishing."

Stephen Richards, British Author

Mindset, Chase, Wish, Give-up, Desire

81

"Our challenge is not to let life mold us or break us."

"Our challenge is not to let life mold us or break us."

Sunday Adelaja, Nigerian Author

Courage, Challenge, Life, Mold, Break

80

"It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt."

"It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt."

Mark Twain, American Author

Wisdom, People, Doubt, Fool, Open

79

"Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible."

"Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible."

Tony Robbins, American Author

Motivational, Goals, First

78

"Everywhere I go, I'm asked if I think the universities stifle writers. My opinion is that they don't stifle enough of them. There's many a best seller that could have been prevented by a good teacher."

"Everywhere I go, I'm asked if I think the universities stifle writers. My opinion is that they don't stifle enough of them. There's many a best seller that could have been prevented by a good teacher."

Flannery O'Connor, American Author

Opinion, Writers

77

"Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it."

"Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it."

Henry David Thoreau, American Author

Motivational, Success

76

"You have within you right now, everything you need to deal with whatever the world can throw at you."

"You have within you right now, everything you need to deal with whatever the world can throw at you."

Brian Tracy, American Author

Now, Right, World

73

"To complain is always nonacceptance of what is. It invariably carries an unconscious negative charge. When you complain, you make yourself into a victim. When you speak out, you are in your power. So change the situation by taking action or by speaking out if necessary or possible; leave the situation or accept it. All else is madness."

"To complain is always nonacceptance of what is. It invariably carries an unconscious negative charge. When you complain, you make yourself into a victim. When you speak out, you are in your power. So change the situation by taking action or by speaking out if necessary or possible; leave the situation or accept it. All else is madness."

Eckhart Tolle, German Author

Acceptance, Complaining, Power, Change

72

"Life is a comedy for those who think... and a tragedy for those who feel."

"Life is a comedy for those who think... and a tragedy for those who feel."

Horace Walpole, English Author

Life, Comedy, Tragedy

72

"We learn wisdom from failure much more than from success. We often discover what will do, by finding out what will not do; and probably he who never made a mistake never made a discovery."

"We learn wisdom from failure much more than from success. We often discover what will do, by finding out what will not do; and probably he who never made a mistake never made a discovery."

Samuel Smiles, Scottish Author

Wisdom, Success, Mistake, Failure

72

"If you fell down yesterday, stand up today."

"If you fell down yesterday, stand up today."

H. G. Wells, English Author

Resilience, Today, Yesterday

70

"The reward of one duty is the power to fulfill another."

"The reward of one duty is the power to fulfill another."

George Eliot, British Author

Power, Duty, Reward

66

"And this we should believe: that hope and volition can bring us closer to our ultimate goal: justice for all, injustice for no-one."

"And this we should believe: that hope and volition can bring us closer to our ultimate goal: justice for all, injustice for no-one."

Eyvind Johnson, Swedish Author

Hope, Injustice

65

"We make up horrors to help us cope with the real ones."

"We make up horrors to help us cope with the real ones."

Stephen King, American Author

65

"All is worthwhile if the soul is not small."

"All is worthwhile if the soul is not small."

Fernando Pessoa, Portuguese Author

63

"Don't be afraid your life will end; be afraid that it will never begin."

"Don't be afraid your life will end; be afraid that it will never begin."

Grace Hansen, American Author

Life, End, Will

63

"How many hours are there in a mile? Is yellow square or round? Probably half the questions we ask-half our great theological and metaphysical problems-are like that."

"How many hours are there in a mile? Is yellow square or round? Probably half the questions we ask-half our great theological and metaphysical problems-are like that."

C. S. Lewis, British Author

Philosophy, Question, Confusion, Curiosity

63

"The writer identifies the thought behind every written word."

"The writer identifies the thought behind every written word."

Lailah Gifty Akita, Ghanaian Author

Skill, Writer, Identifies, Thought, Word

63

"The day we decide to drop the flimsy makeshift scenarios in our cluttered mind and eschew the 'alleluias' of self-importance, life can become genuine, lucid and graceful, like a flow of wellness in the glow of a new morning. ['Words flew away like birds']"

"The day we decide to drop the flimsy makeshift scenarios in our cluttered mind and eschew the 'alleluias' of self-importance, life can become genuine, lucid and graceful, like a flow of wellness in the glow of a new morning. ['Words flew away like birds']"

Erik Pevernagie, Belgian Author

Simplicity, Ego, Authenticity, Grace, Clarity

63

"Without Hitler, the State of Israel probably would not exist today. To that extent he was probably the Jews' greatest friend."

"Without Hitler, the State of Israel probably would not exist today. To that extent he was probably the Jews' greatest friend."

David Irving, British Author

Friendship, Friend, Israel, State, Today

62

"Once you have mastered time, you will understand how true it is that most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a year - and underestimate what they can achieve in a decade!"

"Once you have mastered time, you will understand how true it is that most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a year - and underestimate what they can achieve in a decade!"

Tony Robbins, American Author

Success, Time, People, Will

62

"The religion of the Indian is the last thing about him that the man of another race will ever understand."

"The religion of the Indian is the last thing about him that the man of another race will ever understand."

Charles Eastman, Sioux Author

Religion, Man, Race, Will

60

"You can have power over people as long as you don't take everything away from them. But when you've robbed a man of everything, he's no longer in you power."

"You can have power over people as long as you don't take everything away from them. But when you've robbed a man of everything, he's no longer in you power."

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Russian Author

Power, People, Man

60

"You don't get results by focusing on results. You get results by focusing on the actions that produce results."

"You don't get results by focusing on results. You get results by focusing on the actions that produce results."

Mike Hawkins, American Author

Action, Actions, Results

59

"Especially moments when things are very difficult and complicated for me and I am still trying to grasp what is happening and I am still trying to understand and to reach family back home."

"Especially moments when things are very difficult and complicated for me and I am still trying to grasp what is happening and I am still trying to understand and to reach family back home."

Edwidge Danticat, Haitian Author

Family, Home, Moments, Trying

59

"Everyone can be a leader irrespective of their age, race, creed, nationality or political affiliation. Once you can figure out your talents and optimize them very well, at the right place and at the right time, you are a leader."

"Everyone can be a leader irrespective of their age, race, creed, nationality or political affiliation. Once you can figure out your talents and optimize them very well, at the right place and at the right time, you are a leader."

Israelmore Ayivor, Ghanaian Author

Leadership, Age, Talent, Opportunity

59

"Contrariwise, if it was so, it might be; and if it were so, it would be; but as it isn't, it ain't. That's logic."

"Contrariwise, if it was so, it might be; and if it were so, it would be; but as it isn't, it ain't. That's logic."

Lewis Carroll, English Author

59

"We should try to understand our innermost needs. We shouldn't use irony to reduce their power."

"We should try to understand our innermost needs. We shouldn't use irony to reduce their power."

Manuel Puig, Argentinian Author

Power, Irony, Needs

58

"Revenge only engenders violence, not clarity and true peace. I think liberation must come from within."

"Revenge only engenders violence, not clarity and true peace. I think liberation must come from within."

Sandra Cisneros, American Author

Peace, Clarity, Revenge, Violence

58

"It's a sad moment, really, when parents first become a bit frightened of their children."

"It's a sad moment, really, when parents first become a bit frightened of their children."

Ama Ata Aidoo, Ghanaian Author

Family, Children, First, Parents

58

"Everything being a constant carnival, there is no carnival left."

"Everything being a constant carnival, there is no carnival left."

Victor Hugo, French Author

Being, Carnival

58

"To feel today what one felt yesterday isn't to feel - it's to remember today what was felt yesterday, to be today's living corpse of what yesterday was lived and lost."

"To feel today what one felt yesterday isn't to feel - it's to remember today what was felt yesterday, to be today's living corpse of what yesterday was lived and lost."

Fernando Pessoa, Portuguese Author

Living, Today, Yesterday

57

"For us Africans, literature must serve a purpose: to expose, embarrass, and fight corruption and authoritarianism. It is understandable why the African artist is utilitarian."

"For us Africans, literature must serve a purpose: to expose, embarrass, and fight corruption and authoritarianism. It is understandable why the African artist is utilitarian."

Ama Ata Aidoo, Ghanaian Author

Corruption, African, Artist, Fight

56

"It's a responsibility of the writer to get the reader out of the story somehow."

"It's a responsibility of the writer to get the reader out of the story somehow."

Michael Ondaatje, Canadian Author

Responsibility, Writer

56

"The name of the new religion," said Rumfoord, "is The Church of God the Utterly Indifferent."

"The name of the new religion," said Rumfoord, "is The Church of God the Utterly Indifferent."

Kurt Vonnegut, American Author

Religion, Indifference, God, Faith

56

"Example moves the world more than doctrine. The great exemplars are the poets of action, and it makes little difference whether they be forces for good or forces for evil."

"Example moves the world more than doctrine. The great exemplars are the poets of action, and it makes little difference whether they be forces for good or forces for evil."

Henry Miller, American Author

Action, Difference, Doctrine, Evil

55

"It is always the best policy to speak the truth, unless, of course, you are an exceptionally good liar."

"It is always the best policy to speak the truth, unless, of course, you are an exceptionally good liar."

Jerome K. Jerome, English Author

55

"Take the attitude of a student, never be too big to ask questions, never know too much to learn something new."

"Take the attitude of a student, never be too big to ask questions, never know too much to learn something new."

Augustine Og Mandino, American Author

Attitude, Questions

55

"Hope cannot be said to exist, nor can it be said not to exist. It is just like roads across the earth. For actually the earth had no roads to begin with, but when many men pass one way, a road is made."

"Hope cannot be said to exist, nor can it be said not to exist. It is just like roads across the earth. For actually the earth had no roads to begin with, but when many men pass one way, a road is made."

Lu Hsun, Chinese Author

Men, Hope, Earth, Road

54

"Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear."

"Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear."

Mark Twain, American Author

Courage, Fear, Absence

54

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