Orison Swett Marden
Orison Swett Marden
Dr. Orison Swett Mardenwas an American inspirational author who wrote about achieving success in life and founded SUCCESS magazine in 1897. His writings discuss common-sense principles and virtues that make for a well-rounded, successful life. Many of his ideas are based on New Thought philosophy...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionWriter
CountryUnited States of America
success struggle achievement
A constant struggle, a ceaseless battle to bring success from inhospitable surroundings, is the price of all great achievements.
self inspire trying
Find your purpose and fling your life out to it. Find a way or make one. Try with all your might. Self-made or never made.
inspirational life fear
Obstacles are like wild animals. They are cowards but they will bluff you if they can. If they see you are afraid of them... they are liable to spring upon you; but if you look them squarely in the eye, they will slink out of sight.
hands mind excellence
Just make up your mind at the very outset that your work is going to stand for quality... that you are going to stamp a superior quality upon everything that goes out of your hands, that whatever you do shall bear the hallmark of excellence.
motivational nature environmental
We make the world we live in and shape our own environment.
inspirational motivational success
Most of our obstacles would melt away if, instead of cowering before them, we should make up our minds to walk boldly through them.
opportunity mind clients
The lack of opportunity is ever the excuse of a weak, vacillating mind. Opportunities! Every life is full of them. Every newspaper article is an opportunity. Every client is an opportunity. Every sermon is an opportunity. Every business transaction is an opportunity, an opportunity to be polite, an opportunity to be manly, an opportunity to be honest, an opportunity to make friends.
respect courage kings
There can be no failure to a man who has not lost his courage, his character, his self respect, or his self-confidence. He is still a King.
success men done
When a man feels throbbing within him the power to do what he undertakes as well as it can possibly be done, this is happiness, this is success.
happiness fear journey
When we are sure that we are on the right road there is no need to plan our journey too far ahead. No need to burden ourselves with doubts and fears as to the obstacles that may bar our progress. We cannot take more than one step at a time.
men tests lost-everything
This is the test of your manhood: How much is there left in you after you have lost everything outside of yourself?
laughter eye air
Laughter brightens the eye, increases the perspiration, expands the chest, forces the poisoned air from the least-used cells, and tends to restore that exquisite poise or balance which we call health.
dream giving-up block
There is a legend of an artist who long sought for a piece of sandalwood, out of which to carve a Madonna. He was about to give up in despair, leaving the vision of his life unrealized, when in a dream he was bidden to carve his Madonna from a block of oak wood which was destined for the fire. He obeyed and produced a masterpiece from a log of common firewood. Many of us lose great opportunities in life by waiting to find sandalwood for our carvings, when they really lie hidden in the common logs that we burn.
life stars flower
Life is not mean, it is grand; if it is mean to any, he or she makes it so. God made it glorious. It is paved with diamonds; its banks he fringed with flowers. He overarched it with stars. Around it He spread the glory of the physical universe-suns, moon, worlds, constellations, systems-all that is magnificent in motion, sublime in magnitude, and grand in order and obedience. God would not have attended life with this broad march of grandeur if it did not mean something.