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As the saying goes: The dream is free. The hustle is sold separately.
If every man with a dream could become a great man, the world would be filled to the brim with achievers. Unfortunately, however, a dream is not enough. Not even close. A dream remains aloft in the clouds. It’s hard work that assembles the dream into a reality, brick by brick, baby step by baby step.
Indeed, hard work can transform even mediocre people into great men. Human history is littered with men who had great ideas but lacked the drive to put them into action. It also has little shortage of men who started with nothing — not even the greatest amount of natural talent — but were able to make their dream a reality because they put the work in.
It is self-discipline that is the ultimate tool for self-actualization. Whether one seeks to take over the world or simply become a better person, self-discipline is a prerequisite. There are many aspects of our lives that we cannot control. How much work we put in, however, is one of them.
How fortunate that this can make all the difference.
What’s more, some of the greatest people to ever live understood this, intuitively if nothing else. Read the following quotes about what they have to say. Positive thinking is powerful. Positive action and self-discipline are much more so.
The Power of Persistence and Determination
“It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up.”
“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”
“Opportunities are usually disguised as hard work, so most people don’t recognize them.”
“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”
“Some people plant in the spring and leave in the summer. If you’ve signed up for a season, see it through. You don’t have to stay forever, but at least stay until you see it through.”
– Jim Rohn
“I’m convinced that about half of what separates successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance.”
“The three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile are, first, hard work; second, stick-to-itiveness; third, common sense.”
“Extreme people get extreme results.”
The Role of Hard Work in Achieving Greatness
“The dictionary is the only place that success comes before work. Work is the key to success, and hard work can help you accomplish anything.”
“Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty…I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life. I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well.”
“Allowing only ordinary ability and opportunity, we may explain success mainly by one word and that word is WORK! WORK!! WORK!!! WORK!!!! Not transient and fitful effort, but patient, enduring, honest, unremitting and indefatigable work into which the whole heart is put… There is no royal road to perfection.”
“Mohammed Ali worked his butt off. I saw it firsthand. I remember there was a sports writer in the gym when Ali was working out doing sit-ups. He asked Ali, “How many sit-ups do you do?”, and he said, “I don’t start counting until it hurts.” Now think about that, he doesn’t start counting sit-ups until he feels pain. That’s when he starts counting. That is working hard. So you can’t get around to the hard work; it doesn’t matter who you are. Work your ass off. There is no magic pill. There is no magic out there. You can not get around; you have to work and work – it’s all hard work.”
“Everybody has talent, but ability takes hard work.”
“I know the price of success: dedication, hard work and an unremitting devotion to the things you want to see happen.”
“No matter how hard you work, someone else is working harder.”
“If people knew how hard I had to work to gain my mastery, it would not seem so wonderful at all.”
The Relationship Between Effort and Success
“For the great doesn’t happen through impulse alone, and is a succession of little things that are brought together.”
“I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.”
“The average call me obsessed; the successful call me for advice.”
“Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.”
“It is amateurs who have one big bright beautiful idea that they can never abandon. Professionals know that they have to produce theory after theory before they are likely to hit the jackpot.”
“Your real resume is just a cataloging of all your suffering.”
“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.”
“If you need encouragement, don’t become an entrepreneur.”
