Called to the throne by the voice of the people, my maxim has always been: A career open to talent without distinction of birth. It is this system of equality for which the European oligarchy detests me.
Start going the extra mile and opportunity will follow you.
Life is a game board. Time is your opponent. If you procrastinate, you will lose the game. You must make a move to be victorious.
One of the most important principles of success is developing the habit of going the extra mile.
Focus on the possibilities for success, not on the potential for failure.
One of the most common causes of failure is the habit of quitting when one is overtaken by temporary defeat.
O Divine Providence, I ask not for more riches but more wisdom with which to make wiser use of the riches you gave me at birth, consisting in the power to control and direct my own mind to whatever ends I might desire.
Practical dreamers do not quit.
Success in its highest and noblest form calls for peace of mind and enjoyment and happiness which come only to the man who has found the work that he likes best.
The strongest oak of the forest is not the one that is protected from the storm and hidden from the sun. It’s the one that stands in the open where it is compelled to struggle for its existence against the winds and rains and the scorching sun.
Man, alone, has the power to transform his thoughts into physical reality; man, alone, can dream and make his dreams come true.
Create a definite plan for carrying out your desire and begin at once, whether you are ready or not, to put this plan into action.
Every time a man rises from defeat, he becomes mentally and emotionally stronger. Thus, in time, one may actually find his self – his true, inner self – through temporary defeat.
If you can’t do great things, do small things in a great way. Don’t wait for great opportunities. Seize common, everyday ones and make them great.
The great leaders of business, industry and finance, and the great artists, poets, musicians and writers all became great because they developed the power of self-motivation.
This vice brings in one hundred million francs in taxes every year. I will certainly forbid it at once – as soon as you can name a virtue that brings in as much revenue.
In politics evils should be remedied not revenged.
Usually, it is man who attacks; as for me, I defend myself, and I often capitulate.
The Empress is legitimate, my cousin is Republican, Morny is Orleanist, I am a socialist; the only Bonapartist is Persigny, and he is mad.
Powerful and mighty is the human mind! It builds or it destroys.
The majority of people who fail to accumulate money sufficient for their needs, are, generally, easily influenced by the “opinions” of others. They permit the newspapers and the “gossiping” neighbors to do their “thinking” for them. “Opinions are the cheapest commodities on earth.