20 Motivational Quotes to Inspire Your Next Business Idea There are many voices out there. All you need to do is listen.
By Murray Newlands Edited by Dan Bova
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As an entrepreneur, manager or leader, the thoughts you have each day matter. Thinking is where the process of launching your next busiess begins and your mind is where work through different scenarios before you invest time and money.
For your thinking to be productive you must be optimistic and inspired. The right frame of mind is crucial to your quest for success. However, this can be challenging if you're facing a slump in your professional life. The voice of others can sometimes be a deeper form of motivation than your own.
Luckily for us, we have been blessed with great minds through the ages. From Leonardo Da Vinci to the Dalai Lama and Sir Richard Branson, your sources for motivational speeches and quotes are endless. If you don't already have a list of favorite motivational quotes to inspire your next business idea, here are 20 that could aid you today.
1. Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy's.
"What do you need to start a business? Three simple things: know your product better than anyone, know your customer, and have a burning desire to succeed."
2. Golda Meir, fourth Prime Minister of Israel.
"Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement."
3. Socrates, a founder of western philosophy.
"The secret of change is to focus all your energy not on fighting the old but on building the new."
4. Tim Ferriss, author of The 4-Hour Work Week.
"The stars will never align, and the traffic lights of life will never all be green at the same time. The universe doesn't conspire against you, but it doesn't go out of its way to line up the pins either. Conditions are never perfect. 'Someday' is a disease that will take your dreams to the grave with you. Pro and con lists are just as bad. If it's important to you and you want to do it 'eventually,' just do it and correct course along the way."
Related: 5 Keys to Inspiring Leadership, No Matter Your Style
5. Daniel Pink, motivational author.
"Human beings have an innate inner drive to be autonomous, self-determined and connected to one another. And, when that drive is liberated, people achieve more and live richer lives."
6. Oprah Winfrey, media proprietor.
"Step out of the history that is holding you back. Step into the new story you are willing to create."
7. Larry Ellison, founder of Oracle Corporation.
"When you innovate, you've got to be prepared for people telling you that you are nuts."
8. Jill Konrath, speaker, author and thought leader.
"I got lucky because I never gave up the search. Are you quitting too soon? Or, are you willing to pursue luck with a vengeance?"
9. Thomas Edison, inventor of the light bulb.
"Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time."
Related: 7 Characteristics of Inspiring Leaders
10. Eleanor Roosevelt, known as "First Lady of the World" for her human rights advocacy.
"You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along. You must do the thing you think you cannot do."
11. Martin Luther King Jr., leader of the civil rights movement.
"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."
12. Mark Cuban, owner of Landmark Theaters and chairman of AXS TV.
"It doesn't matter how many times you fail. It doesn't matter how many times you almost get it right. No one is going to know or care about your failures, and neither should you. All you have to do is learn from them and those around you because all that matters in business is that you get it right once. Then everyone can tell you how lucky you are."
13. Charles Darwin, naturalist, geologist and biologist.
"It is not the strongest species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the most responsive to change."
14. Walter Disney, founder of the Disney Brother Studio and Disneyland.
"If you can dream it, you can do it."
Related: 5 Magical Tips Walt Disney Can Teach Entrepreneurs About Marketing
15. David Brinkley, newscaster for NBC and ABC.
"A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him."
16. Irene Rosenfeld, chairwoman and chief executive officer of Mondel?z International.
"I talk a lot about taking risks, and then I follow that up very quickly by saying, "Take prudent risks.'"
17. Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Twitter.
"Make every detail perfect, and limit the number of details to perfect."
18. Lakshmi Mittal, chairman & CEO of ArcelorMittal
" Always think outside the box and embrace opportunities that appear, wherever they might be."
19. Marissa Mayer, president & CEO of Yahoo!
"If you can push through that feeling of being scared, that feeling of taking a risk, really amazing things can happen."
20. Michael Dell, founder of Dell.
"You don't need to be a genius or a visionary, or even a college graduate for that matter, to be successful. You just need a framework and a dream."
Related: The Forgotten Hollywood Icon Whose Genius Made Wi-Fi Possible
Final Thoughts
Choosing some of these quotes as part of your mantra, carrying them with you and finding motivation through them will help you in your personal and professional life. With the motivational quotes outlined above, you'll not only find the inspiration you need for your next business idea but also be driven to make it a great success.
