Orison Swett Marden

Unless you have prepared yourself to profit by your chance, the opportunity will only make you ridiculous. A great occasion is valuable to you just in proportion as you have educated yourself to make use of it.

Orison Swett Marden

We advance on our journey only when we face our goal, when we are confident and believe we are going to win out.

Orison Swett Marden

When we are sure that we are on the right road there is no need to plan our journey too far ahead. No need to burden ourselves with doubts and fears as to the obstacles that may bar our progress. We cannot take more than one step at a time.

Orison Swett Marden

You are never to allow a shadow of doubt to enter your mind that the creator intended you to win in life’s battle.

Orison Swett Marden

You cannot measure a man by his failures. You must know what use he makes of them. What did they mean to him? What did he get out of them?

Orison Swett Marden

You will always have to live with yourself, and it is to your best interest to see that you have good company – a clean, pure, straight, honest, upright, generous, magnanimous companion.

Orison Swett Marden

You will find a stimulating effect in always considering yourself as lucky or fortunate. It is a great thing to form a habit of expecting good from every experience in life. Just think what it means to have everybody think you are lucky and expect that what you undertake will turn out well!

Orison Swett Marden

You will never succeed while smarting under the drudgery of your occupation, if you are constantly haunted with the idea that you could succeed better in something else.

Orison Swett Marden

A fatal penalty awaits those who always look on the dark side of everything, who are always predicting evil and failure, who see only the seamy, disagreeable side of life. They draw upon themselves what they see, what they look for.

Orison Swett Marden

A man who might have been symmetrical, well-rounded, had he availed himself of every opportunity of touching life along all sides, remains a pygmy in everything except his own little specialty, because he did not cultivate his social side.

Orison Swett Marden