You’ve got to believe you can be a standup before you can be a standup. You have to believe you can act before you can act. You have to believe you can be an astronaut before you can be an astronaut. You’ve got to believe.
Interpretation
Believing in yourself is the first step to achieving your goals.
Eddie Izzard emphasizes the fundamental role of self-belief in achieving any aspiration. Whether one wants to be a comedian, an actor, or an astronaut, the journey begins with the confidence that it is possible to reach that goal. Without this foundational belief, taking the necessary actions toward success becomes significantly more challenging.
In practice
During a motivational speech to inspire students to pursue their dreams.
We stole countries with the cunning use of flags. Just sail around the world and stick a flag in. "I claim India for Britain!" They're going "You can't claim us, we live here! Five hundred million of us!" "Do you have a flag …? "No..." "Well, if you don't have a flag, then you can't have a country. Those are the rules... that I just made up!
Relapse happens, especially when you're dealing with folks who are frankly the least likely to succeed based on their own pasts and difficulties. We can work with the most likely to succeed. I'm not interested in that.
Confidence comes from knowing what you're doing. If you are prepared for something, you usually do it. If not, you usually fall flat on your face.
I shall be well enough when I get to Kentucky or Alabama. The tonic I need is the tonic of opposition. That always sets me on my feet.
Hope is like the sun, which, as we journey toward it, casts the shadow of our burden behind us.
When life knocks you to your knees, and it will, why, get up! If it knocks you to your knees again, as it will, well, isn't that the best position from which to pray?
If you want to get in shape, go to the # gym every single day, change your clothes and take a shower. If you can do that every single day for a month, pretty soon you'll start doing something while you're there.
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