Greatness is a word that stirs the soul. It speaks of dreams, ambition, and the relentless pursuit of excellence. The path to greatness can be challenging, but the wisdom of those who have walked it before can offer guidance and inspiration.
Quotes about greatness have the power to ignite our inner spark. They remind us of our potential and the extraordinary feats humans can achieve. Here is a selection of some of the best quotes on greatness to inspire and motivate you on your journey.
Quotes on Personal Greatness
“What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are tiny matters compared to what lives within us.”
“The only journey is the one within.”
“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”
“Greatness is not in where we stand, but in what direction we are moving.”
“You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.”
“The measure of who we are is what we do with what we have.”
“The only limit to our realization of tomorrow is our doubts of today.”
“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.”
“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.”
“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.”
“The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.”
“It is never too late to be what you might have been.”
“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”
“Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed.”
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”
“What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.”
“Dream big and dare to fail.”
“If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”
“The best way to predict the future is to invent it.”
“Keep your face always toward the sunshine—and shadows will fall behind you.”
“Don’t watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.”
“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”
“Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot; but make it hot by striking.”
“Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.”
“Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.”
“Greatness is the dream of youth realized in old age.”
“The more difficulties one has to encounter, within and without, the more significant and the higher in inspiration his life will be.”
“In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.”
“The only way to do great work is to love what you do.”
“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow.'”
“Greatness is not found in possessions, power, position, or prestige. It is discovered in goodness, humility, service, and character.”
Inspirational Quotes from Leaders
“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.”
“In a gentle way, you can shake the world.”
“The only limit to our realization of tomorrow is our doubts of today.”
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena.”
“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”
“Greatness is not in where we stand, but in what direction we are moving. We must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it – but sail we must and not drift, nor lie at anchor.”
“To achieve greatness, start where you are, use what you have, do what you can.”
“Leadership is not about being in charge. It is about taking care of those in your charge.”
“Great leaders are not defined by the absence of weakness, but rather by the presence of clear strengths.”
“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.”
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
“The function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers.”
“You don’t lead by hitting people over the head – that’s assault, not leadership.”
“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.”
“Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.”
“A great person attracts great people and knows how to hold them together.”
“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the water to create many ripples.”
“The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things.”
“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.”
“True greatness consists in being great in little things.”
“Leaders think and talk about the solutions. Followers think and talk about the problems.”
“The mark of a great man is one who knows when to set aside the important things in order to accomplish the vital ones.”
“Leadership is not a position or a title, it is action and example.”
“The task of the leader is to get his people from where they are to where they have not been.”
“Leadership is lifting a person’s vision to high sights, the raising of a person’s performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations.”
“A good objective of leadership is to help those who are doing poorly to do well and to help those who are doing well to do even better.”
“Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.”
“The courage of leadership is giving others the chance to succeed even though you bear the responsibility for getting things done.”
“True leadership stems from individuality that is honestly and sometimes imperfectly expressed. Leaders should strive for authenticity over perfection.”
“Greatness is not found in possessions, power, position, or prestige. It is discovered in goodness, humility, service, and character.”
Quotes to Ignite Ambition
“The only limit to our realization of tomorrow is our doubts of today.”
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.”
“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.”
“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.”
“Don’t watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.”
“It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.”
“What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality.”
“Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.”
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”
“Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot; but make it hot by striking.”
“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear—not absence of fear.”
“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”
“Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.”
“The only way to achieve the impossible is to believe it is possible.”
“Don’t be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart.”
“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”
“If you want to achieve greatness stop asking for permission.”
“Great things never come from comfort zones.”
“Little by little, one travels far.”
“You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.”
“Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change.”
“Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.”
“Dream big and dare to fail.”
“I will not lose, for even in defeat, there’s a valuable lesson learned, so it evens up for me.”
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”
“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”
“Ambition is the path to success. Persistence is the vehicle you arrive in.”
“Greatness is not in where we stand, but in what direction we are moving. We must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it—but sail we must, and not drift, nor lie at anchor.”
“The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack in will.”
“Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom.”
“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”
Wisdom Quotes for Greatness
“The only limit to our realization of tomorrow is our doubts of today.”
“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”
“Greatness comes from humble beginnings; it comes from grunt work. It means you’re the least important person in the room—until you change that with results.”
“To handle yourself, use your head; to handle others, use your heart.”
“Success is not in what you have, but who you are.”
“Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.”
“The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively.”
“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”
“You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one.”
“Greatness is not found in possessions, power, position, or prestige. It is discovered in goodness, humility, service, and character.”
“The price of greatness is responsibility.”
“True greatness consists in being great in little things.”
“Greatness is not in what you do, but how you do it with love and respect.”
“In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.”
“The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things.”
“You don’t have to be famous to be great.”
“True greatness is when your name is like ampere, watt, and hertz—when it’s spelled with a small letter.”
“Great men are not born great, they grow great.”
“Greatness and madness are next-door neighbors and they borrow each other’s sugar.”
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
“Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them.”
“To achieve greatness, start where you are, use what you have, do what you can.”
“Greatness lies not in being strong, but in the right use of strength.”
“Your greatness is revealed not by the lights that shine upon you, but by the light that shines within you.”
“True greatness comes when you’re able to overcome obstacles and move forward with grace and humility.”
“Greatness is not measured by what a man or woman accomplishes, but by the opposition he or she has overcome to reach his goals.”
“Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person.”
“Greatness is not in where we stand, but in what direction we are moving.”
“Greatness is maximizing your potential and using it for the benefit of others.”
“The greatest achievement is not in never falling, but in rising again after you fall.”
“Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance.”
Quotes on Overcoming Obstacles
“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.”
“Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny.”
“Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.”
“The only way to achieve the impossible is to believe it is possible.”
“Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.”
“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.”
“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”
“The human spirit is stronger than anything that can happen to it.”
“Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.”
“The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something.”
“Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.”
“It’s not whether you get knocked down; it’s whether you get up.”
“Life is very interesting. some of your greatest pains become your greatest strengths.”
“Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass but about learning to dance in the rain.”
“Out of difficulties grow miracles.”
“The best way out is always through.”
“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.”
“I am thankful for all of those who said NO to me. It’s because of them I’m doing it myself.”
“Problems are not stop signs; they are guidelines.”
“A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.”
“Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goals.”
“When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.”
“The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.”
“There is no education like adversity.”
“Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome.”
“Permanence, perseverance and persistence in spite of all obstacles, discouragements, and impossibilities: It is this, that in all things distinguishes the strong soul from the weak.”
“Defeat may serve as well as victory to shake the soul and let the glory out.”
“You don’t drown by falling in the water; you drown by staying there.”
“Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith.”
“Difficulties in life are intended to make us better, not bitter.”
“When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what the storm is all about.”
“Resilience is the ability to attack while running away.”
Quotes to Boost Confidence
“`html
“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.”
“Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius, and it’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.”
“Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.”
“You are enough just as you are.”
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.”
“Confidence comes not from always being right but from not fearing to be wrong.”
“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.”
“The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.”
“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”
“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”
“Confidence is the most beautiful thing you can possess.”
“Believe in your infinite potential. Your only limitations are those you set upon yourself.”
“The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.”
“Self-confidence is the first requisite to great undertakings.”
“Don’t wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles, and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident, and more and more successful.”
“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”
“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.”
“The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.”
“Your success will be determined by your own confidence and fortitude.”
“I am not afraid of storms for I am learning how to sail my ship.”
“It’s not who you are that holds you back, it’s who you think you’re not.”
“You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”
“I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.”
“With confidence, you have won before you have started.”
“The best way to gain self-confidence is to do what you are afraid to do.”
“When you have a lot of confidence and you feel like nobody can beat you, it’s game over for everyone else.”
“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”
“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.”
“Confidence is contagious. So is lack of confidence.”
“You will never find time for anything. If you want time, you must make it.”
“Your potential is endless. Go do what you were created to do.”
“Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today.”
“`
Quotes for Achieving Dreams
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”
“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.”
“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.”
“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”
“Dream big and dare to fail.”
“The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams.”
“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”
“Every great dream begins with a dreamer.”
“What is not started today is never finished tomorrow.”
“Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.”
“Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.”
“Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”
“Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.”
“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”
“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”
“Dreams are the seeds of change. Nothing ever grows without a seed, and nothing ever changes without a dream.”
“The only limit to our realization of tomorrow is our doubts of today.”
“Dreams don’t work unless you do.”
“To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.”
“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”
“Believe in your dreams, no matter how impossible they seem.”
“If you can dream it, you can do it.”
“In dreams begins responsibility.”
“Dare to dream big. The bigger the dream, the greater the reward.”
“Don’t watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.”
“Dream as if you’ll live forever. Live as if you’ll die today.”
“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”
“The future belongs to those who prepare for it today.”
“Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.”
“Dreams are the touchstones of our character.”
“Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear.”
“The power of imagination makes us infinite.”
“Dreams are illustrations… from the book your soul is writing about you.”
Philosophical Quotes on Greatness
“The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively.”
“Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.”
“Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person.”
“To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.”
“The greatness of humanity is not in being human, but in being humane.”
“Greatness is not found in possessions, power, position, or prestige. It is discovered in goodness, humility, service, and character.”
“Greatness lies, not in being strong, but in the right use of strength.”
“The measure of a man is what he does with power.”
“Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them.”
“Man’s greatness lies in his power of thought.”
“To be great is to be misunderstood.”
“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”
“True greatness consists in being great in little things.”
“Greatness is a road leading towards the unknown.”
“Great men are not always wise.”
“Keep away from those who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you believe that you too can become great.”
“Greatness is not in where we stand, but in what direction we are moving.”
“One of the greatest values of life is going through the life process. The great learners are great earners.”
“Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.”
“The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.”
“Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance.”
“Greatness is not something one discovers. It is something one finds in the process of achieving a significant moral act.”
“Greatness springs not from the ego, but from the soul.”
“The roots of true achievement lie in the will to become the best that you can become.”
“Peace is not the absence of war; it is a virtue; a state of mind; a disposition for benevolence; confidence; and justice.”
“If you want to achieve greatness stop asking for permission.”
“Greatness is a spiritual condition worthy to excite love, interest, and admiration; and the outward proof of possessing greatness is that we excite love, interest, and admiration.”
“Greatness, whether athletic or otherwise, doesn’t come from those content on just being but from those who seek being the difference.”
“The moments when you’re alone are the moments that make you feel lonely, but it’s also when you realize your greatness.”
“A truly great person does not make others feel small.”
“Greatness is not in where we stand, but in what direction we are moving. We must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it – but sail we must and not drift, nor lie at anchor.”
To Wrap It Up
Greatness comes in many forms, and the quotes we’ve explored show just how varied and inspiring it can be. These words from great minds encourage us to strive for better, face challenges with courage, and believe in our potential. They remind us that the path to greatness is open to anyone willing to take the first step.
As you revisit these quotes, let them serve as small sparks of motivation in your daily life. Whenever you feel stuck or doubtful, a quick glance at these powerful lines can lift your spirits and renew your sense of purpose. Greatness isn’t just for a select few; it’s for anyone ready to work for it.
