Quotes from Orison Swett Marden

It is every one's sacred duty to keep himself in a condition to do the biggest thing possible to him.

The true doctrine is that labor - systematic, effective, congenial labor - is not only a necessity, but is the source of the highest enjoyment.

There is no failure for the man who realizes his power, who never knows when he is beaten; there is no failure for the determined endeavor; the unconquerable will.

What power can poverty have over a home where loving hearts are beating with a consciousness of untold riches of the head and heart?

Dreams that are realized become an inspiration for new endeavor. It is in the power to make the dream good that we find the hope of this world.

The greatest advantage of books does not always come from what we remember of them, but from their suggestiveness, their character-building power.

Power gravitates to the man who knows how.

Let us open up our natures, throw wide the doors of our hearts and let in the sunshine of good will and kindness.

Never allow yourself to dwell upon your weaknesses, deficiencies, or failures. Holding firmly the ideal and struggling vigorously to attain it will help you to realize it.

When the sacredness of one's word is matched in the attributes of his character throughout, all that constitutes a man, then we find that there is something in a man's life greater than his occupation or his achievements; grander than acquisition or wealth; higher than genius; more enduring than fame.

Work faithfully, and you will put yourself in possession of a glorious and enlarging happiness.

It pays to cultivate popularity. It doubles success possibilities, develops manhood, and builds up character.

By constant contemplation of excellence, we clear our selfhood of all dross and impurities.

What we do for a living does not matter so much as how we do it. It is the spirit in which we do our work that counts, and that counts through all eternity.

Talk happiness. The world is sad enough without your woe.

All who have accomplished great things have had a great aim, have fixed their gaze on a goal which was high, one which sometimes seemed impossible.

In order to keep himself at the top of his condition, to obtain complete mastery of all his powers and possibilities, a man must be good to himself mentally; he must think well of himself.

One can make no better investment than the cultivation of a taste for the beautiful, for it will bring rainbow hues and enduring joys to the whole life. It will not only greatly increase one's capacity for happiness, but also one's efficiency.

Find your purpose and fling your life out to it. Find a way or make one. Try with all your might. Self-made or never made.

If you want to enlarge your life, you must first enlarge your thought of it and of yourself.

Make it a life-rule to give your best to whatever passes through your hands. Stamp it with your manhood. Let superiority be your trademark.

Without this tremendous passion for power, influence, and advantage which money gives, how could nature develop the highest type of man? Without this infinite longing, whence would come the discipline which industry, perseverance, tact, sagacity, and frugality give?

Do not waste time dreaming of great faraway opportunities; do the best you can where you are. Open your petals of power and beauty and fling out the fragrance of your life in the place that has been assigned to you.

The man who practises unselfishness, who is genuinely interested in the welfare of others, who feels it a privilege to have the power to do a fellow-creature a kindness - even though polished manners and a gracious presence may be absent - will be an elevating influence wherever he goes.