Go forward with joyful confidence.
George EliotRead
But indefinite visions of ambition are weak against the ease of doing what is habitual or beguilingly agreeable; and we all know the difficulty of carrying out a resolve when we secretly long that it may turn out to be unnecessary. In such states of mind the most incredulous person has a private leaning towards miracle: impossible to conceive how our wish could be fulfilled, still - very wonderful things have happened!
Interpretation
What this quote means
Ambition can be hindered by the comfort of habits and desires for ease, yet extraordinary outcomes can still occur.
This quote by George Eliot emphasizes the struggle between the ambitious aspirations we hold and the natural inclination to remain in our comfort zones. It highlights the challenge of committing to our goals when we might secretly wish for them to not be necessary, revealing a paradox of human desire where even the most skeptical individuals can still harbor hopes for miraculous outcomes despite their doubts.
Themes
AmbitionHabitsComfortMiraclesResolve
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech discussing the balance between ambition and comfort.
More from George Eliot
All quotes βYou must love your work, and not be always looking over the edge of it, wanting your play to begin. And the other is, you must not be ashamed of your work, and think it would be more honorable to you to be doing something else. You must have a pride in your own work and in learning to do it well.
George EliotRead
She thought it was part of the hardship of her life that there was laid upon her the burthen of larger wants than others seemed to feel β that she had to endure this wide hopeless yearning for that something, whatever it was, that was greatest and best on this earth.
George EliotRead
Life seems to go on without effort when I am filled with music.
George EliotRead
I think I should have no other mortal wants, if I could always have plenty of music. It seems to infuse strength into my limbs and ideas into my brain. Life seems to go on without effort, when I am filled with music.
George EliotRead
Our dead are never dead to us until we have forgotten them: they can be injured by us, they can be wounded; they know all our penitence, all our aching sense that their place is empty, all the kisses we bestow on the smallest relic of their presence.
George EliotRead
Similar quotes
You are Brilliant and the Earth is Hiring.
Paul HawkenRead
It's easy to make a buck. It's a lot tougher to make a difference.
Tom BrokawRead
It's my belief that I was a writer - a very hardworking writer - well before I was published. I did care what others thought, and it was embarrassing when people asked me what I had published, so I didn't talk much about writing; rather, I just kept writing.
Min Jin LeeRead
The marathon always starts after 30K. That's where the problems start. You start without any problems, without any pain. All the pain comes after 30K. Sometimes, it's possible to have pain even in the finger.
Haile GebrselassieRead
You've got to remember what your priorities are. When you're playing, what u do on the field is the most important thing.
Peyton ManningRead
To win the big stakes in this changed world, you must catch the spirit of the great pioneers of the past, whose dreams have given to civilization all that it has of value, the spirit that serves as the life-blood of our own country β your opportunity and mine, to develop and market our talents.
Napoleon HillRead