We all have goals, objectives and hopes that keep us alive. These dreams that we fight for every day. But sometimes it is not always easy to keep walking in the canyon and we have to remember what differentiates successful people from those who are not.
Many famous people throughout history have spoken or written meaningful, motivating sentences. Short sentences which, despite their apparent simplicity, say a lot and have a great power of inspiration, because they are able to excite us in an instant.
Related article: “60 Motivational Phrases to Focus on Success”
Table of Contents
Motivational phrases in English
Along the following lines you can find a list of motivating and inspiring phrases in EnglishSo, you can remember what makes you tick, or why you use them as “WhatsApp” or “Facebook” status. Do not miss them!
1. The best way to predict the future is to invent it
Translation: The best way to predict the future is to create it
Alan kay it reminds us that everyone is an engineer of his own destiny. We are building our future ourselves.
2. Things work best for those who get the most out of their operation
Translation: Things work best for those who make the most of the way things are
A sentence from John wooden. Sometimes life doesn’t turn out the way we wanted it to, but if we know how to benefit from these experiences, we can use them to our advantage to grow and improve.
3. To live a creative life, we must lose the fear of making mistakes
Translation: To live a creative life, we must lose the fear of making mistakes
Many people fear uncertainty and are unable to step out of their comfort zone. That way, they will never be creative.
4. If you are not prepared to risk the usual, you will have to settle for the ordinary.
Translation: If you are not ready to risk what is usual, you will have to settle for the ordinary
A sentence from Jim rohn. Great things happen when we take risks and let go of the comforts.
5. Trust because you are willing to accept the risk, not because it is safe or secure
Translation: Trust because you are willing to accept the risk, not because it is safe or precise
Accept the real risk to achieve your goals. Nobody will give you anything.
6. It shows eighty percent success
Translation: 80% of success appears
A slightly ironic sentence. As usual in Woody allen. To get things done, you have to move and take action.
7. I have not failed. I just found 10,000 ways that didn’t work
Translation: I have not failed. I just found 10,000 ways that don’t work
Another tongue-in-cheek phrase on motivation. Mistakes are used to learn and improve, he reminds us Thomas A. Edison.
8. If you do what you have always done, you will get what you have always done.
Translation: If you do what you have always done, you will get what you have always achieved
To achieve new and exciting things, you need to change your ways and the way you act.
9. Success goes from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm
Translate: Success is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm
It is easy to collapse in the face of failure. The winners get up and keep fighting as many times as necessary. A sentence from Winston Churchill.
10. If the opportunity does not present itself, build a gate
Translation: if the opportunity does not present itself, build a door
No one will give you anything in this life. If you want something with all your might, fight for it every day.
11. Dreamers are the saviors of the world
Translation: Dreamers are the saviors of the world
Ordinary people think like the vast majority. James allen it reminds us that special people are those who daydream.
12. You cannot have a positive life or a negative mind.
Translation: You cannot have a positive mind and a negative mind
It is impossible to have a positive mindset if you have a negative mind. So think positive and eat the world.
13. With love and patience, nothing is impossible
Translation: With love and patience, nothing is impossible
Love and patience are two of the core values of real successful people.
14. There are no shortcuts to a place worth visiting
Translation: There are no shortcuts to a place worth going
Shortcuts aren’t good if you want to get it right and achieve your goals. Step by step you will achieve your goals if you work every day
15. Anyone who seeks will find
Translation: who seeks finds
This Sophocles phrase is similar to another popular phrase: “Whoever follows it obtains it.”
16. A goal is a dream with a deadline
Translation: A goal is a dream with a deadline
A beautiful sentence from Napoleon Hill. Goals are dreams that will one day be achieved.
17. The best dreams happen when you are awake
Translation: The best dreams happen when you are awake
Fantasies are good, but there is nothing like wanting something and getting it.
18. Trust dreams, for in them lies the door to eternity.
Translation: Trust dreams, because in them is the key to eternity
It is impossible to be happy if we do not fight or fulfill our desires. A sentence from Khalil Gibran.
19. Happiness is when what you think, what you say and what you do are in harmony.
Happiness is when what you think, what you say and what you do are in harmony
A beautiful phrase Mahatma Gandhi, which reminds us of one of the great truths of personal development.
20. Believe and act like it’s impossible to fail
Translate: Believe and act like it’s impossible to fail
Another principle of personal development is to leave limiting beliefs behind. Believing that it is possible is the way to success.
21. Don’t count the days, make the days count
Translation: Don’t count the days, make the days count
Make every day special. To achieve the goals, you must also experience and enjoy the present.
22. If you want to achieve greatness, stop asking permission
Translation: If you want to achieve greatness, stop asking permission
These are your dreams. So don’t ask anyone for permission to fight for them. No one will be happier to get them than you.
23. Always turn a negative situation into a positive one
Translation: always turn a negative situation into a positive one
Michael jordan, The legendary NBA star, reminds us that chess is a normal thing in life. You have to know how to take advantage of it.
24. The most effective way to do this is to do this
Translation: The most efficient way to do it is to do it
A sentence from Amelia Earhart. Achieving goals requires action.
25. When you do what you fear most, you can do anything to do
Translation: When you do what you fear most, you can do it all
When you overcome your great fears, there are none that are impossible.
26. No pain, no gain
Translation: Without pain there is no reward
A legendary phrase widely used by athletes. To achieve the goals, you have to work hard.
27. A man is only the product of his thoughts what he thinks, becomes himself
Translation: A man is nothing but the product of his thoughts, what he thinks is what he becomes
Another excellent sentence from Mahatma Gandhi. Our own mind is of great importance for success because limiting beliefs are great obstacles. You have to think positively.
28. A day of worry is more exhausting than a week of work
Translate: A worrying day is more exhausting than a work week
A sentence from John lubbock. Like the previous one, it also reminds us that we have to think positively, because thinking negatively is very exhausting.
29. Make your masterpiece every day
Translation: Make your masterpiece every day
A sentence from John wooden. Work every day to do your big job.
30. If everything is under control, you are not moving fast enough
Translation: If you have everything under control you are not moving fast enough
Another tongue-in-cheek quote on motivation and inspiration. You have to do different things to get different results.
31. If there is no struggle, there is no progress
Translation: If there is no struggle, there is progress
A sentence from Frédéric douglass, similar to the phrase “no pain, no gain”.
32. It is during our darkest moments that we need to focus to see the light.
Translation: It’s during our darkest moments that we have to focus to see the light
A phrase from the Greek philosopher Aristotle. Difficult times are for learning and thinking.
33. Without hard work nothing grows more than weeds
Translation: Without hard work nothing grows except weeds
Without effort and hard work, the rewards don’t come. You have to give a little each day to reach the goals.
34. The power of the imagination makes us infinite
Translation: The power of imagination makes us infinite
A sentence from John muir which reminds us that the imagination is powerful.
35. Never let your memories be bigger than your dreams
Translation: Never let your memories be bigger than your dreams
To achieve big goals, you have to think big. If you really want to fight for it.
36. Don’t raise your voice, improve your argument
Translation: Don’t raise your voice, improve your argument
An inspiring phrase on how we should treat others. You have to reason things out. Impulsiveness is not good advice.
37. Please try again. Fail again. Fail better
Translation: Please try again. Fail again. fail better
Failures are lifelong learning. Next time you try it, you will surely have learned your lesson.
38. I attribute my success to this: I have never given or taken excuses
Translation: I attribute my success to this: I never find excuses
We must move forward despite adversities. Above all, be realistic and don’t look for excuses.
39. We become what we think
Translation: we are what we think
What we think affects our behavior. If we think positively, our attitude will be positive.
40. We know what we are, but we don’t know what we can be
Translation: We know who we are, but not who we could be
This sentence from William Shakespeare it refers to the fact that we are the ones who decide what we want to be.
41. You must do the things that you think you cannot do
Translation: You have to do the things you think you can’t do
A sentence from Eleanor Roosevelt. If you want to learn and grow, do different things. Things you don’t usually do.
42. Well done is better than well said
Translation: Well done is better than well said
by Benjamin franklinWhen you have a goal, you have to do it. Words are unnecessary. The important thing is the action.
43. Once you have chosen hope, anything is possible
Translation: When you choose hope, anything is possible
They say hope is the last thing lost. He thinks the same Christopher reeve with this sentence.
44. I’d rather die of passion than of boredom
Translation: I’d rather die of passion than of boredom
the artist Vincent Van Gogh one day he left us this sentence for the record. Better to give everything for a good cause than to do nothing.
45. Change your thoughts and change your world
Translation: Change your thoughts and it will change your world
Which means Norman Vincent in addition with this phrase is that our thoughts determine how we act.
46. Enthusiasm moves the world
Translation: Enthusiasm moves the world
Arthur balfour he expresses by this sentence that there is nothing better to act than to be enthusiastic.
47. All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them
Translation: All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them
Great phrase from the iconic Walt disney. Courage is essential to move forward through difficult times.
48. Judge not daily for the harvest you reap, but for the seeds you sow
Translation: Judge not daily by what you reap, but by the seeds you sow
Achieving goals or reaching goals is the result of daily work.
49. People live by actions and not by ideas
Translation: People live by actions, not ideas
What makes the difference is not having a lot of ideas, but making them and materializing them.
50. If you change the way you look at things, they change the things you look at
Translation: If you change the way you see things, the things you look at change
The expert in positive psychology, Wayne dyer, State with this sentence that if we change our way of thinking, they will also change our attitudes and our way of seeing the world.
51. I’ll go anywhere as long as I’m early
Translation: I’ll go anywhere, as long as it’s forward
This sentence from David Livingston it’s similar to the phrase, “Don’t look back or gain momentum.”
52. The creation of a thousand forests occurs in a single acorn
Translation: The creation of a thousand forests is in an acorn
Goals are achieved with daily work, he says Ralph Waldo Emerson.
53. Everything you can imagine is real
Translation: everything you can imagine is real
A sentence from Pablo Picasso. What you see, you can achieve if you do.
54. Life is not about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself
Translation: Life is not about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself
You create your life with your efforts. So, work on it.
55. Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the value of continue that matters
Translation: Success is not the end, failure is not fatal: the courage to continue what matters
A sentence for the history of Winston Churchill. Falling is not the end of the world, as long as you have the courage to follow.
56. You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough
Translation: You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough
We have to fight for what we want, because we will no longer have an opportunity to do so.
57. We live with the scars we choose
Translation: We live with the scars we choose
We decide what affects us and what does not when it comes to moving forward.
58. Opportunities do not pass, create them
Translation: opportunities don’t happen, you create them
Opportunities do not come alone, we must seek them out.
59. Great minds discuss ideas; the spirits of the milieu discuss the events; little minds argue about people
Translation: Great minds discuss ideas: Common minds discuss events, Small minds discuss people
A sentence spoken by Eleanor Roosevelt on different smart people.
60. Good things come to people who wait, but the best are those who go out looking for them.
Translation: Good things happen to the people who they wait, but better things happen to the people who go out to get them
Patience is a quality that makes us great. But going to fight for our goals makes us huge.
61. No one can make you feel inferior without your consent
Translation: No one can make you feel inferior without your consent
Another sentence from Eleanor Roosevelt. We can decide what affects us.
62. Those who are foolish enough to think they can change the world are the ones who
Translation: Those who are so crazy to think they can change the world, are the ones who change it
Thinking big means stepping outside the norm and thinking differently.
63. The distance between madness and genius can only be measured with success
Translation: The distance between madness and genius is only measured by success
A lot of great people have something that makes them special and different. Success drives you from madness to admiration.
64. No masterpiece has ever been created by a lazy artist
Translation: No work of art has ever been created by a lazy artist
Work and effort have their long term rewards.
65. If you can’t just explain it, you don’t understand it well enough.
Translation: If you can’t explain it in a simple way, you haven’t understood it enough
great Albert Einstein. It is only if we are able to teach someone something that we understand it.
66. Do something that scares you every day
Translation: Do something scary everyday
A phrase that expresses the importance of daily work and perseverance.
67. What does it mean to be alive if you don’t at least try to do something remarkable?
Translation: What is the reason to be alive if you are not trying to do something memorable
The most beautiful thing in this life is to fight for what makes you happy and makes you alive.
68. Your problem is not the problem. Your reaction is the problem
Translation: Your problem is not the problem. Your reaction is the problem
Another motivational phrase that talks about limiting beliefs.
69. Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower
Translation: Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower
Steve Jobs, The founder of Apple. Innovation is an essential characteristic of good leaders.
70. There are two types of people who will tell you that you cannot change the difference in this world: those who are afraid to try and those who are afraid that you will succeed.
Translation: There are two types of people who will tell you that you cannot tell the difference in this world: those who are afraid to try and those who are afraid to succeed
Don’t listen to what they tell you. Be true to your dreams, because the one that will make you happy is yours.
71. I find that the more I work, the luckier I seem
Translation: I realize that the more I work the luckier I get
Another phrase about perseverance and hard work. If you don’t play, you don’t win.
72. Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day after day and day after day.
Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated every day
Phrasing Robert Collier. Daily work is the key to success. Continuous efforts make the difference.
73. All progress takes place outside the comfort zone
Translate: Progress is outside the comfort zone
The comfort zone may seem like a very comfortable place, but it doesn’t allow you to grow taller.
74. People often say that motivation does not last. Finally, not the bathroom either. That’s why we recommend it daily
Translation: Some people say motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither did the bath. That’s why we recommend it daily
You need to be constantly motivated to move forward despite adversity.
75. The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary
Translation: The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary
A sentence from Vidal sassoon. Success is achieved by working very hard.
76. Too many of us don’t live our dreams because we live our fears
Translation: Many of us don’t live our dreams because we live our fears
It is not emotionally healthy to live your life with fears and without fighting for what you want.
77. It doesn’t matter what you look at, it’s what you see
Translation: What matters is not what you look at, but what you see
It is not the events themselves that affect you, but the way you perceive them.
78. Success is loving yourself, loving what you do and loving how you do it.
Translation: Success is loving yourself, loving what you do and loving how you do it
Real success is not in material things. But to get the things you want from the heart.
79. Whenever you are on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect
Translation: When you’re on the side of the majority, it’s time to stop and think
A sentence from Mark Twain. When you follow the same path as the others. Stop thinking if you are truly following your dreams.
80. If you really want something, don’t expect it. Learn to be impatient
Translation: If you want something authentic. Learn to be impatient.
You have to know what motivates him, regardless of what motivates him in the rest of society. Education often doesn’t take into account real talent, creativity, or what makes people passionate.
81. There is only one happiness in this life: to love and to be loved
Translation: There is only one happiness in life, to love and to be loved
George Sand, on the need to love and to be loved in order to create happiness.
82. The measure of who we are is what we do with what we have
Translation: What we are is what we do with what we have
Vince Lombardi, in one of his thoughts on individual identity.
83. A smile is the happiness you will find under your nose
Translation: A smile is the happiness you will find under your nose
Something as simple as a smile can make all the difference. One of the most inspiring English phrases the author is Tom Wilson.
84. Success is preparation and opportunity
Translation: Success is where preparation and opportunity meet
Bobby Unser emphasizes the need to consider the two ingredients of success: the impulses we can control and what we cannot.
85. You cannot have a positive life and a negative mind
Translation: You cannot have a positive life and a negative mind
Joyce Meyer talks about the need to start creating a better life from our ideas.
86. To be successful in management, you have to learn as fast as the world changes
Translation: To be successful in management, you have to learn as fast as the world changes
Warren Bennis understands progress as a constant learning process.
87. The best way to pay for a precious moment is to enjoy it
Translation: The best way to pay for a good time is to enjoy it
Enjoying the moment is the best appreciation of the most special moments. A reflection of Richard Bach.
88. The secret to your success is determined by your daily planner
Translation: The secret to success is determined by our daily schedule.
Long-term success is built on custom. A quote from John C. Maxwell.
89. Always keep your face facing the sun and the shadows will fall behind you.
Translation: always keep your face in the sun, and the shadows will fall on your back
Walt Whitman talks about the posder which can mean having a positive outlook on things.
90. Honesty is the first chapter of the book of wisdom
Translation: Honesty is the first chapter of the book of wisdom
Thomas Jefferson emphasizes the importance of intellectual honesty.
91. Turn your wounds into wisdom
Translation: Turn your wounds into wisdom
Oprah Winfrey talks about resilience.
92. If you don’t have any reviews, you probably won’t succeed
Translation: If you don’t have reviews, you probably won’t have Success
Malcolm X, on a curious symptom that is progressing. The critics.
93. Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud
Translation: It’s about being the rainbow in someone else’s cloud
Making someone happy serves to create shared well-being. A reflection from Maya Angelou.
94. It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is fixed
Translation: It is in your moments of decision that your destiny takes its shape
A quote from Tony Robbins on how we created our future out of our choices.
95. It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see
Translation: It’s not what you look at that matters, but what you see
Henry David Thoreau, in one of the Inspirational Thoughts on the Power of the Imagination.
96. Start hard, grow more and never look back
Translation: Start wide, grow further and never look back
A poetic phrase from Arnold Schwarzenegger on personal growth.
97. Always seek the seed of triumph in all adversity
Translation: Always seek the seed of triumph in every adversity
Even in the darkest of times, there is potential. One of Og Mandino’s most motivating English phrases
98. You always have two options: your commitment versus your fear
Translation: You always have two options: your commitment versus your fear
Sammy Davis, Jr. emphasizes conflicts of interest that may exist in themselves.
99. The greatest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams
Translation: The greatest adventure you can embark on is to live the life of your dreams
Oprah Winfrey emphasizes the courage it takes to make dreams come true.
100. Light up tomorrow with today!
Translation: Brighten up tomorrow with today!
Elizabeth Barrett Browning talks about the possibilities of finding answers in the future in the present.
