An athlete may run ten thousand miles in order to prepare for one hundred yards. Quantity gives experience.
Interpretation
Preparation and hard work are essential for success, even in small endeavors.
This quote by Ray Bradbury highlights the importance of extensive preparation and practice in achieving success in any pursuit. An athlete's rigorous training and experience, likened to running thousands of miles, are imperative to excel in a seemingly short and straightforward task, such as sprinting a hundred yards. It serves as a reminder that success often requires significant effort behind the scenes, emphasizing the idea that diligent preparation can lead to great achievements.
In practice
In a motivational speech at a sports event.
I've written about 2,000 short stories; I've only published 300 and I feel I'm still learning. Any man who keeps working is not a failure. He may not be a great writer, but if he applies the old fashioned virtues of hard, constant labor, he'll eventually make some kind of career for himself as a writer. Ray Bradbury, 1967 interview (Doing the Math - that means for every story he sold, he wrote six "un-publishable" ones. Keep typing!)
I never went to college, so I went to the library.
There must be something in books, something we canβt imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You donβt stay for nothing.
I think the sun is a flower, That blooms for just one hour.
The first thing a writer should be is - excited. He should be a thing of fevers and enthusiasms. Without such vigor, he might as well be out picking peaches or digging ditches; God knows it'd be better for his health.
You can't try to do things; you simply must do them.
Life had already given him sufficient reasons for knowing that no defeat was the final one.
Make a conscious effort to surround yourself with positive, nourishing, and uplifting people -- people who believe in you, encourage you to go after your dreams, and applaud your victories.
If you trust in yourself. . .and believe in your dreams. . .and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.
Go as far as you can see and you will see further.
There is only a half step difference between the champions and those who finish on the bottom. And much of that half step is mental.
I really hate relaxing. I've done three movies in a row, worked for two years straight, and to me, idle time is the devil's workshop. I like to focus on something.
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