Fame usually comes to those who are thinking about something else - very rarely to those who say to themselves, 'Go to, now, let us be a celebrated individual!'.
Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.Read
I cannot give you the formula for success, but I can give you the formula for failure - which is: Try to please everybody.
Interpretation
Trying to please everyone can lead to failure, while focusing on your own goals is key to success.
This quote by Herbert Bayard Swope highlights the futility of attempting to satisfy everyone around you. It suggests that in the pursuit of success, one must prioritize personal ambitions and values instead of seeking approval from all, as this approach often leads to dissatisfaction and hindered progress.
In practice
During a motivational speech about achieving personal goals, one could mention this quote to emphasize the importance of staying true to oneself.
Fame usually comes to those who are thinking about something else - very rarely to those who say to themselves, 'Go to, now, let us be a celebrated individual!'.
Sweat equity is the best equity.
Failure is success in progress
If you want to make money playing poker, find a game with a few suckers, fish, donkeys, live ones, or whatever you choose to call a bad player. Just don't let that sucker be you.
I can understand wanting to have a million dollars but once you get beyond that, I have to tell you, it's the same hamburger.
I didn't want to be a big star. I wanted to be a really good actor.
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