Category Archives: failure

A fall into a ditch makes you wiser.

A fall into a ditch makes you wiser. – Chinese Proverb What does that mean? At first you don’t know what a ditch is. Then you fall in. Now you know. You are now wiser, and know to avoid falling … Continue reading

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Whatever one of us blames in another, each one will find in his own heart.

Whatever one of us blames in another, each one will find in his own heart. – Seneca What does that mean? This is a translator’s version of “And so each man will find in his own breast the fault which … Continue reading

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Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.

Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm. – Winston Churchill What does that mean? We all have days when things refuse to go right for us. Sometimes we get mad, sometimes … Continue reading

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You’ve been criticizing yourself for years and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens.

You’ve been criticizing yourself for years and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens. – Louise Hay What does that mean? This is an interesting quote, in that it describes so many of us, at least at some point … Continue reading

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A little more persistence, a little more effort, and what seemed hopeless failure may turn to glorious success.

A little more persistence, a little more effort, and what seemed hopeless failure may turn to glorious success. – Elbert Hubbard What does that mean? A slightly longer version of the quote is as follows: “A little more persistence, a … Continue reading

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I look only to the good qualities of men. Not being faultless myself, I won’t presume to probe into the faults of others.

I look only to the good qualities of men. Not being faultless myself, I won’t presume to probe into the faults of others. – Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi What does that mean? I like this quote, because I don’t like others … Continue reading

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The first forty years of life give us the text; the next thirty supply the commentary on it.

The first forty years of life give us the text; the next thirty supply the commentary on it. – Arthur Schopenhauer What does that mean? As I am past that point of inflection, I find this quote fascinating. Personally, I might … Continue reading

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No amount of falls will really undo us if we keep on picking ourselves up each time.

No amount of falls will really undo us if we keep on picking ourselves up each time. – C.S.Lewis What does that mean? This is another significantly shortened quote, per the limits of Twitter. A longer version is as follows: “I know … Continue reading

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The mind unlearns with difficulty what it has long learned.

The mind unlearns with difficulty what it has long learned. – Seneca What does that mean? This is the ‘old dog, new tricks’ quote. Most of us are creatures of habit. We learn something, we do it for a while, and it … Continue reading

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Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.

Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go. – T. S. Eliot What does that mean? I like this quote, as it says something perfectly logical, but which few people have actually … Continue reading

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Light troubles speak; the weighty are struck dumb.

Light troubles speak; the weighty are struck dumb. – Seneca What does that mean? In the play, the speaker has a great desire, but cannot bring themselves to speak of it. It is in this pained situation that the quote was … Continue reading

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Don’t make excuses for why you can’t get it done. Focus on all the reasons why you must make it happen.

Don’t make excuses for why you can’t get it done. Focus on all the reasons why you must make it happen. – Ralph Marston What does that mean? This is a line from a much longer text, about 6 tweets long. The … Continue reading

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Men are born to succeed, not fail.

Men are born to succeed, not fail. – Henry David Thoreau What does that mean? While some might feel this quote is overly optimistic, I believe it is exactly right. When we are born, we can do nothing. We can … Continue reading

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Failure is only postponed success as long as courage coaches ambition. The habit of persistence is the habit of victory.

Failure is only postponed success as long as courage coaches ambition. The habit of persistence is the habit of victory. – Herbert Kaufman What does that mean? There is a lot packed into those two short lines. The very first part … Continue reading

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I can be changed by what happens to me, but I refuse to be reduced by it.

I can be changed by what happens to me, but I refuse to be reduced by it. – Maya Angelou What does that mean? Things happen in life. Some of those things change our path in life. Some of them even change … Continue reading

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