Quotes About Adversity

Nine months after we submitted the original screenplay for 'The Attack,' the studio that was involved pulled out. I've been told that 'you don't write in a French way; you can't make these multicultural films.'

The more I loved the king, the more I opposed his injustice until his brow fell lowering upon me. He heaped calumny after calumny on my head, and I chose to be driven out rather than to subscribe.

Ever since I became a Muslim, I've had to deal with attempts to damage my reputation and countless insinuations seeking to cast doubt on my character and trying to connect me to causes which I do not subscribe to.

Misfortune had made Lily supple instead of hardening her, and a pliable substance is less easy to break than a stiff one.

Before I was attacked, I would write about the future - just goals, lists and plans. I'd scribble without depth or substance about the things I wanted to do with my life, whether short or long-term, and how I thought my future would be: a successful career in TV and modelling, marriage, a family.

I had some pretty substantial injuries.

Rehabbing any significant injury is a substantial challenge independently; braving the process twice makes for even longer odds.

I was adrift for a while. I worked as a substitute teacher; I sold cars.

While there's no substitute for real experience, I believe it helps to hear and share stories of resourcefulness in action - almost like case studies in school.

Football is open to anyone, especially somebody like me who grew up in the Paris suburbs.

Frankly, I think that's something that black people in America have often done - finding ways under very, very difficult circumstances to be subversive, but also to push things forward. And I think that applies to music. I think it applies to dance. I think it applies to a number of things.

I was 14, and I left on my own. Living in a subway train, and police used to come in with a nightstick and say, 'You can't sleep here.' I'd get up and go across the street, get on another train, and go back the other way.

If at first you don't succeed, blame your parents.

If at first you don't succeed... so much for skydiving.

If you are different, or you have minimum possibilities, you can still succeed. I am living proof of that.

There's no more powerful lesson than knowing that your setbacks will one day help you succeed.

Our country and our nation have again only one message to those who attack us - you will not succeed!

To me, obstacles in life build character. You have to be able to overcome adversity in order to succeed and appreciate the simple things life has to offer... that's where most of my inspiration for writing and singing comes from.

This game is a game of failure, and you're going to fail a heck of a lot more than you succeed in it.

The attack did not succeed as well as I had hoped, no small impediment having been the loss of my right leg.

I've learned that if one is arrogant and if something bad happens to him, people won't want him to succeed. They will make more of an effort to bring him down.

I am ready to accept all accusations, allegations, anger - but I have to succeed.

We're far more defined by our mistakes than the things that we succeed at.

What scares me? Oh, now that's a big question. I don't know what scares me - cockroaches, nuclear apocalypse. Fear is an interesting thing. It has a place in all of our lives. I try to be as fearless as possible. I don't always succeed, but I like to think I try.