Greatest Quotations on Perseverance and Persistence

— compiled by Michael Josephson

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. ~ Maya Angelou
It’s always too soon to quit. Norman Vincent Peale
If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again. American proverb
Winners never quit and quitters never win. – unknown
A river cuts through rock, not because of its power, but because of its persistence. Jim Watkins
Passionate commitment is powerful, but its power will often be drained by setbacks, disappointments and failures. Persistence is the power that allows you to regenerate your passion and your will to keep trying until you succeed. – Michael Josephson
If you do what you ought to do, when you ought to do it, the time will come when you can do the what you want to do, when you want to do it. Zig Ziglar
Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up. ~ Thomas Edison
The question is not how many times do you have to try before you quit but how many times you have to try before you succeed. When something is important enough, quitting is not an option.- Michael Josephson
Education. Desire. Planning. All these contribute to success but none of them are enough without persistence. – Michael Josephson
When you are frustrated and exhausted and ready to say “enough!” the voice of persistence says, “Not yet, we’re almost there”. And when even that extra effort doesn’t bring success, persistence says, “We’ve come this far, we can’t quit now.” And finally, persistence smiles and says, “I knew we could do it.” Michael Josephson
Pursue success like you ride a bicycle remembering you won’t fall off unless you stop peddling. Michael Josephson
I believe that persistent effort, supported by a character-based actions, will enable you to get more of the things money will buy and all of the things money won’t buy. Zig Ziglar
Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” ~Winston Churchill
The key to persistence is keep your eye on the prize and to want it enough to justify the cost to attain it. Michael Josephson
Perseverance is the sometimes screaming, sometimes encouraging coach in your head that won’t let you quit. – Michael Josephson
The key of persistence opens all doors closed by setbacks and disappointments. Michael Josephson
A little more persistence, a little more effort, and what seemed hopeless failure may turn to glorious success. ~ Elbert Hubbard
Only when persistence has its way and success is ours do we realize that all the effort it took to get us there was the necessary price. – Michael Josephson
Persistence is essential to success, and the more of it you display, the more you will accomplish. It is persistence that will allow you to make the most of your ability.- David ran Roov
Passionate commitment to a dream backed persistence: – that’s the formula for success. – Michael Josephson
Consider the postage stamp: Its usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing till it gets there. ~ Josh Billings
Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is to always try just one more time. ~ Thomas Edison
Success is the fruit of a tree called persistence. Michael Josephson
Ambition is the path to success. Persistence is the vehicle you arrive in. ~ Bill Bradley
It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer. ~ Albert Einstein
Energy and persistence conquer all things. ~ Benjamin Franklin
Persistence is the twin sister of excellence. One is a matter of quality; the other, a matter of time. ~ Marabel Morgan
As long as there’s breath in You–Persist! ~ Bernard Kelvin Clive
No great achievement is possible without persistent work. ~ Bertrand Russell
Champions keep playing until they get it right. ~ Billy Jean King
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. — Calvin Coolidge
Persistence is like a Genie that creates a magical force in your life. ~ Lucas Remmerswaal
Persistence and determination are always rewarded. ~ Christine Rice
Talent is nothing without persistence. ~ Dean Crawford
Character consists of what you do on the third and fourth tries. ~ James A. Michener
The most essential factor is persistence–the determination never to allow your energy or enthusiasm to be dampened by discouragement. ~ James Whitcomb Riley
If you’re going through hell, keep going. — Winston Churchill
If you can’t fly, then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward. — Martin Luther King, Jr.
Perseverance is failing 19 times and succeeding the 20th. ~ Julie Andrews
Slight persistent effort can move you successfully forward in anything you do. ~Kelli Wilson
My strength lies solely in my tenacity. ~ Louis Pasteur
If you can’t fly, then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward. ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
Patience, persistence, and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success. ~ Napoleon Hill
Persistence is to the character of man as carbon is to steel. ~ Napoleon Hill
It always seems impossible until it is done. ~ Nelson Mandela
He conquers who endures. ~ Persius
Press on. Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. ~ Ray Kroc
The three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile are, first, hard work; second, stick-to-itiveness; third, common sense. ~ Thomas Edison
Let me tell you what winning means… you’re willing to go longer, work harder, give more than anyone else. ~ Vincent Lombardi
It’s the constant and determined effort that breaks down all resistance, sweeps away all obstacles Claude M. Bristol
Permanence, perseverance, and persistence in spite of all obstacles, discouragement, and impossibilities: It is this, hat in all things distinguishes the strong soul from the weak. ~ Thomas Carlyle
With ordinary talent and extraordinary perseverance, all things are attainable. ~Thomas Foxwell Buxton
I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it. ~Thomas Jefferson
We are made to persist. That’s how we find out who we are. ~ Tobias Wolff
Continuous effort–not strength or intelligence–is the key to unlocking our potential. ~ Winston Churchill
Paralyze resistance with persistence. ~ Woody Hayes
When I thought I couldn’t go on, I forced myself to keep going. My success is based on persistence, not luck Estee Lauder
We keep moving forward, opening new doors and doing new things. Our curiosity keeps taking us down new paths Walt Disney
Have the dogged determination to follow through to achieve your goal; regardless of circumstances or whatever other people say, think, or do Paul Meyer
Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent Marilyn vos Savant
Whenever you make a mistake or get knocked down by life, don’t look back at it too long. Mistakes are life’s way of teaching you. Failures are part of growth. Shake off your blunders. Never quit. Og Mandino
Know what you want to do, hold the thought firmly, and do every day what should be done, and every sunset will see you that much nearer the goal. Elbert Hubbard
Let us not be content to wait and see what will happen, but give us the determination to make the right things happen Peter Marshall
Focus on the solution, not the problem Walter Anderson
The majority of people meet with failure because of their lack of persistence in creating new plans to take the place of those which fail Napoleon Hill
Persistent people begin their success where others end in failure Edward Eggleston
Champions know there are no shortcuts to the top. They climb the mountain one step at a time. Judi Adler
If it worth having it worth working for. Stick to it. Your hard work will pay off. MJ
Feel free to abandon any goal that isn’t worth working for. – MJ
If you want something badly enough to endure the frustration and disappointment encountered in every journey to success, persistence is the coach that won’t let you quit. MJ
People do not lack strength; they lack will. Victor Hugo
There is no chance, no destiny, no fate that can circumvent or hinder or control the firm resolve of a determined soul Ella Wheeler Wilcox
RESILIENCY Vitality shows not only in the ability to persist, but in the ability to start over F. Scott Fitzgerald
Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish. John Quincy Adams
I’m very determined and stubborn. There’s a desire in me that makes me want to do more and more, and to do it right. Each one of us has a fire in our heart for something. It’s our goal in life to find it and to keep it lit. Mary Lou Retton
Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it. Michael Jordan
Keep on going and the chances are you will stumble on something, perhaps when you are least expecting it. I have never heard of anyone stumbling on something sitting down Charles F. Kettering
You can surmount the obstacles in your path if you are determined, courageous and hard-working. Never be faint-hearted. Be resolute, but never bitter Ralph J. Bunche
If it doesn’t exist, create it Accept nothing nearly right or good enough Henry Royce
The last dejected effort often becomes the winning stroke. W.J. Cameron
If your plan isn’t working, adjust your plan. Never give up Matt Martin
It does not matter how slowly you go, so long as you do not stop Confucius
Inspiration grows into full-scale creation through persistence and imagination Carol Lloyd
If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something Franklin D. Roosevelt
As you work toward your goal, anxiously anticipating the light at the end of the tunnel, don’t forget to notice the light that shines upon you today. Michelle C. Ustaszeski
Act decidedly and take the consequences. No good is ever done by hesitation. Thomas Henry Huxley
While no road is ever straight, dedication and persistence will always lead you to your dreams. Arte Moreno
Victory belongs to the most persevering Napoleon Bonaparte
Life is not easy for any of us. But what of tit? We must have perseverance confidence in ourselves and the importance of our goal. Marie Curie (paraphrased)
As you go along your road in life, you will, if you aim high enough, also meet resistance but no matter how tough the opposition may seem, have courage still and persevere. Madeleine Albright
Lots of people limit their possibilities by giving up easily. Never tell yourself this is too much for me or
It’s no use. I can’t go on. If you do you’re licked by your own thinking. Keep believing and keep on keeping on. Norman Vincent Peale
Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another. Walter Elliot
There is nothing so fatal to character as half-finished tasks. David Lloyd George
Stand up to your obstacles and do something about them. You will find that they haven’t half the strength you think they have Norman Vincent Peale
Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever. Lance Armstrong
What this power is, I cannot say. All I know is that it exists and it becomes available only when you are in that state of mind in which you know exactly what you want and are fully determined not to quit until you get it. Alexander Graham Bell
One who gains strength by overcoming obstacles possesses the only strength which can overcome adversity. Albert Schweitzer
The race goes not always to the swift … but to those who keep on running. Author Unknown
The only thing that stands between a man and what he wants from life is often merely the will to try it and the faith to believe that it is possible. Richard M. DeVos
A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles. Christopher Reeve
Obstacles cannot crush me. Every obstacle yields to stern resolve. He who is fixed to a star does not change his mind. Leonardo da Vinci
Everyone’s got it in him, if he’ll only make up his mind and stick at it. None of us is born with a stop-valve on his powers or with a set limit to his capacities. There’s no limit possible to the expansion of each one of us. Charles M. Schwab
Pursue one great decisive aim with force and determination. Karl von Clausewitz
Do not wait; the time will never be ‘just right.’ Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along. Napoleon Hill
The rock that is an obstacle in the path of one person becomes a stepping stone in the path of another. Author Unknown
If you consistently do the best you can, with integrity, you will regret less and move forward with greater ease. Brian Koslow
The test of character is not persistence when you expect a light at the end of the tunnel. The true test is performance and persistence when you see no light coming. James A. Ray
It’s the constant and determined effort that breaks down all resistance and sweeps away all obstacles. Claude M. Bristol
Nothing ever comes to one that is worth having except as a result of hard work. Booker T. Washington
Either I will find a way, or I will make one. Philip Sidney
There is genius in persistence. It conquers all opposition. It gives confidence. It annihilates obstacles. Everybody believes in a determined man. People know that when he undertakes a thing, the battle is half won, for his rule is to accomplish whatever he sets out to do. Orison Swett Marden
Perseverance is a great element of success. If you only knock long enough at the gate, you are sure to wake up somebody. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a persons’ determination. Tommy Lasorda

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