In American literature, there are few names that are as iconic as that of Mark Twain.
Twain might not have known it at the time, but in my opinion, he was the original life coach. He sought to inspire people to live the kind of life that lead to happiness, freedom, and fulfillment. I think everyone has something to learn from the man who so eloquently said, “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”
Here are 20 of Mark Twain’s most inspirational quotes:
“If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.”
“To succeed in life, you need two things: ignorance and confidence.”
“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear – not absence of fear”
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
“It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.”
“Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please.”
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
“Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.”
“I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.”
“You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.”
“The lack of money is the root of all evil.”
“A man’s character may be learned from the adjectives which he habitually uses in conversation.”
“Better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open it and remove all doubt.”
“Never put off till tomorrow what may be done day after tomorrow just as well”.
“Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.”
“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”
“The man who does not read has no advantage over the man who cannot read.”
“Don’t go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.”
“A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.”
“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.”
“Good friends, good books, and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life.”
