Every time you take a step, even when you don't want to. . . . When it hurts, when it means you rub chins with death, or even if it means dying, that's good. Anything that moves ahead, wins. No chess game was ever won by the player who sat for a lifetime thinking over his next move.
Interpretation
Taking action, even in difficult situations, leads to progress and success.
In this quote, Ray Bradbury emphasizes the importance of taking steps forward in life, regardless of the challenges and fears we may face. He suggests that progress is achieved through action, and that overthinking without taking risks will not lead to victory; instead, it is necessary to confront fears and uncertainties head-on to truly move forward.
In practice
In a motivational speech about overcoming adversity.
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 can’t imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You don’t 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.
If our dreams are sincere desires to achieve, not mere pipe-dreams, there is something deep within ourselves which comes out to meet them and helps to make them realities.
Life's not about sitting at home in front of the TV waiting for your life to begin. Get out there and take some chances.
Celebrating creates an atmosphere of recognition and positive energy. Imagine a team winning the World Series without champagne spraying everywhere. And yet companies win all the time and let it go without so much as a high five. Work is too much a part of life not to recognize moments of achievement. Make a big deal out of them. If you don't, no one will.
I set my own rhythm, and I do believe it was usually a little faster than most other people's.
In a time of darkness, you don't curse the darkness, you light a candle.
If you want to be the best you have to do things that other people aren't willing to do.
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