Samuel Smiles

Energy of will may be defined to be the very central power of character in a man.

Samuel Smiles

Even happiness itself may become habitual. There is a habit of looking at the bright side of things, and also of looking at the dark side.

Samuel Smiles

He who labours not, cannot enjoy the reward of labour.

Samuel Smiles

He who never made a mistake, never made a discovery.

Samuel Smiles

Hope is like the sun, which, as we journey toward it, casts the shadow of our burden behind us.

Samuel Smiles

It is a mistake to suppose that men succeed through success; they much oftener succeed through failures. Precept, study, advice, and example could never have taught them so well as failure has done.

Samuel Smiles

It will generally be found that men who are constantly lamenting their ill luck are only reaping the consequences of their own neglect, mismanagement, and improvidence, or want of application.

Samuel Smiles

Labor is still, and ever will be, the inevitable price set upon every thing which is valuable.

Samuel Smiles

Length of years is no proper test of length of life. A man’s life is to be measured by what he does in it and what he feels in it.

Samuel Smiles

Life will always be to a large extent what we ourselves make it.

Samuel Smiles