Quotes from Orison Swett Marden

A strong, successful man is not the victim of his environment. He creates favorable conditions. His own inherent force and energy compel things to turn out as he desires.

Wanted, a man who will not lose his individuality in a crowd, a man who has the courage of his convictions, who is not afraid to say "No," though all the world say "Yes.

It is what we do easily and what we like to do that we do well.

It is psychological law that whatever we desire to accomplish we must impress upon the subjective or subconscious mind.

The Creator has not given you a longing to do that which you have no ability to do.

Our destiny changes with our thought; we shall become what we wish to become, do what we wish to do, when our habitual thought corresponds with our desire.

We fail to see that we can control our destiny; make ourselves do whatever is possible; make ourselves become whatever we long to be.

Put the uncommon effort into the common task... make it large by doing it in a great way.

Doing common things uncommonly well.

There can be no failure to a man who has not lost his courage, his character, his self respect, or his self-confidence. He is still a King.

Defeats and failures are great developers of character. They have made the giants of our race by giving Titanic muscles, brawny sinews, and far-reaching intellects.

We lend power to the things we fear!

They may well fear fate who have any infirmity of habit or aim: but they who rest on what is have a destiny beyond destiny, and can make mouths of fortune.

Be larger than your task.

Discouragement, fear, doubt, lack of self-confidence, are the germs which have killed the prosperity and happiness of tens of thousands of people.

There are powers inside of you which, if you could discover and use, would make of you everything you ever dreamed or imagined you could become.

The golden opportunity you are seeking is in yourself. It is not in your environment, it is not in luck or chance, or the help of others; it is in yourself alone.

A good system shortens the road to the goal.

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.

Joyfulness keeps the heart and face young. A good laugh makes us better friends with ourselves and everybody around us

No young man starting in life could have better capital than plenty of friends. They will strengthen his credit, support him in every great effort, and make him what, unaided, he could never be. Friends of the right sort will help him more -- to be happy and successful -- than much money...

We lift ourselves by our thought. We climb upon our vision of ourselves. If you want to enlarge your life, you must first enlarge your thought of it and of yourself. Hold the ideal of yourself as you long to be, always everywhere.

The influential man is the successful man, whether he be rich or poor.

What a great discrepancy there is between men and the results they achieve! It is due to the difference in their power of calling together all the rays of their ability, and concentrating them upon one point