Importance Of Taking Action Quotes Initiate You To Do It Now

Taking Action And Using Initiative: Do you know why business leaders and other people are so successful in what they do?

Simply, because they chose to take action.

Instead of wasting time, talking and thinking about what they could achieve, they just do it. Just like the Chinese proverb below.

You need to cook the rice, if you want to eat it.

Importance Of Taking Action In Life

In life it is all about committing. Taking the leap, and make things happen. These days with so much competition abound, you need to take the initiative.

You must have the guts, the heart and passion to ship, to quote from Seth Godin’s book “Poke The Box“.

He says the winners turn initiative into a passion and a practice.

Action is the word.

Below here is a list of the importance of taking action quotes initiate you to do it now.

“Action is the test of ideality”. – Edward Counsel

(Maxims: Political, Philosophical, And Moral By Edward Counsel, Second Edition, Melbourne: A. H. Massina & Co., 1892, 3988, P. 114)

(The quote is also found here.)

“Action is eloquence.” – William Shakespeare

(The Tragedie Of Coriolanus By William Shakespeare, Edited By Horace Howard Furness, Philadelphia & London: J. B. Lippincott Company, 1928, Act III, Sc. II, P. 355)

(The quote is also found in: Coriolanus By William Shakespeare, London: John Cawthorn, 1818, Act III, Sc. II, P. 83)

(The quote is also found here.)

“Our actions often make the cause; and there is a cause for actions.” – Edward Counsel

(Maxims: Political, Philosophical, And Moral By Edward Counsel, Second Edition, Melbourne: A. H. Massina & Co., 1892, 428, P. 19)

(The quote is also found here.)

“The son who delights his father by his good actions; the wife who seeks only her husband’s good; the friend who is the same in prosperity and in adversity.” – Bhartrihari

(The Satakas Of Bhartrihari Translated Into English From The Original Sanskrit By Biscoe Hale Wortham, London: Trübner & Co., 1886, Niti Sataka The Character Of The Good, 68, P. 11)

(The quote is also found in: The Satakas Of Bhartrihari Translated Into English From The Original Sanskrit By Biscoe Hale Wortham, London: Routledge, 2013, Niti Sataka The Character Of The Good, 68, P. 11)

“Speak out in acts; the time for words has passed, and deeds alone suffice.” – John Greenleaf Whittier

(Voices Of Freedom By John Greenleaf Whittier, Sixth And Complete Edition, Philadelphia: Thomas S. Cavender, 1846, Stanzas For The Times – 1846, P. 29)

(The quote is also found in: Voices Of Freedom By John Greenleaf Whittier, Fifth And Complete Edition, Boston: Wait, Pierce And Co., 1846, Stanzas For The Times – 1844, P. 29)

“The only true method of action in this world is to be in it, but not of it.” – Madame Swetchine

“La seule bonne manière d’agir dans le monde est d’être avec lui, sans être à lui.” (French)

(The Writings Of Madame Swetchine, Edited By Count De Falloux, Translated By H. W. Preston, Boston: Roberts Brothers, 1869, Ch. II, Thoughts, LXVII, P. 69)

(The quote is also found here and here.)

(The quote in French is found in: Madame Swetchine Sa Vie Et Ses Oeuvres, LXVII, Publiees Par Le Comte De Falloux, II, Pensées, Morgeaux Choisis, Traités Divers, Paris: Libraire Académique, Didier Et Ce Libraires-Éditeurs, 1860, Et A La Librairie D’Augusie Vaton, Pensées, P. 121)

(The quote in French is also found in: Madame Swetchine: Choix De Mèditations Et De Prières, Publiees Par Le Comte De Falloux, Tours Alfred Mame Et Fils, Éditeurs, 1868, Pensées, P. 159)

(Another source of the quote in French is found here.)

“Idlers cannot even find time to be idle, or the industrious to be at leisure. We must be always doing or suffering.” – Johann Georg Ritter Von Zimmermann

(Aphorisms And Reflections On Men, Morals And Things, Translated From cal Mss. Of J. G. Zimmermann With Notes Critical And Explanatory, London: London : Printed by Thomas Maiden, Sherbourne-lane For Vernor and Hood, J. Cuthell, J. Walker, Lackington, Allen and Co., J. Nunn, Ogilvy & Son, Darton & Harvey, W. Otridge and Son, R. Lea, and J. Scatcherd, 1800, Reflections Of Zimmermann, P. 13)

“Our best actions are not always our best intentions.” – Edward Counsel

(Maxims: Political, Philosophical, And Moral By Edward Counsel, Second Edition, Melbourne: A. H. Massina & Co., 1892, 3110, P. 81)

(The quote is also found here.)

“Actions are often the pictures of the intent.” – Edward Counsel

(Maxims: Political, Philosophical, And Moral By Edward Counsel, Second Edition, Melbourne: A. H. Massina & Co., 1892, 3980, P. 114)

(The quote is also found here.)

“Excite only just sentiments; applaud only prudent actions and resolutions.” – Edward Counsel

(Maxims: Political, Philosophical, And Moral By Edward Counsel, Second Edition, Melbourne: A. H. Massina & Co., 1892, 5488, P. 177)

(The quote is also found here.)

“Action is nature’s language.” – Edward Counsel

(Maxims: Political, Philosophical, And Moral By Edward Counsel, Second Edition, Melbourne: A. H. Massina & Co., 1892, 981, P. 32)

(The quote is also found here.)

“Deem not him the idle that produces worth; we are not idle always when at leisure, for rest oftentimes the action of the soul.” – Edward Counsel

(Maxims: Political, Philosophical, And Moral By Edward Counsel, Second Edition, Melbourne: A. H. Massina & Co., 1892, 986, P. 32)

“Peace only exists where virtue is action.” – Edward Counsel

(Maxims: Political, Philosophical, And Moral By Edward Counsel, Second Edition, Melbourne: A. H. Massina & Co., 1892, 2060, P. 58)

(The quote is also found here.)

“Justify thine own resolves by just action to others.” – Edward Counsel

(Maxims: Political, Philosophical, And Moral By Edward Counsel, Second Edition, Melbourne: A. H. Massina & Co., 1892, 2167, P. 60)

(The quote is also found here.)

“Firmness with prudence will strengthen action.” – Edward Counsel

(Maxims: Political, Philosophical, And Moral By Edward Counsel, Second Edition, Melbourne: A. H. Massina & Co., 1892, 2440, P. 66)

(The quote is also found here.)

“An unjust action is a spring of falsehood.” – Edward Counsel

(Maxims: Political, Philosophical, And Moral By Edward Counsel, Second Edition, Melbourne: A. H. Massina & Co., 1892, 2470, P. 67)

(The quote is also found here.)

“The justice of an action involves also its responsibility.” – Edward Counsel

(Maxims: Political, Philosophical, And Moral By Edward Counsel, Second Edition, Melbourne: A. H. Massina & Co., 1892, 3245, P. 84)

(The quote is also found here.)

“Honesty need seek no trial – its action confirms the dictates of conscience.” – Edward Counsel

(Maxims: Political, Philosophical, And Moral By Edward Counsel, Second Edition, Melbourne: A. H. Massina & Co., 1892, 5489, P. 177)

(The quote is also found here.)

“Self-interest is a chain upon our actions.” – Edward Counsel

(Maxims: Political, Philosophical, And Moral By Edward Counsel, Second Edition, Melbourne: A. H. Massina & Co., 1892, 500, P. 21)

(The quote is also found here.)

“Good actions are mirrors which reflect themselves.” – Edward Counsel

(Maxims: Political, Philosophical, And Moral By Edward Counsel, Second Edition, Melbourne: A. H. Massina & Co., 1892, 1114, P. 35)

(The quote is also found here.)

“Consider good actions and thoughts as debts to Heaven.” – Edward Counsel

(Maxims: Political, Philosophical, And Moral By Edward Counsel, Second Edition, Melbourne: A. H. Massina & Co., 1892, 1821, P. 52)

(The quote is also found here.)

“Desire and hope are the keys of many actions.” – Edward Counsel

(Maxims: Political, Philosophical, And Moral By Edward Counsel, Second Edition, Melbourne: A. H. Massina & Co., 1892, 2864, P. 75)

(The quote is also found here.)

“Actions are the tools of fortune.” – Edward Counsel

(Maxims: Political, Philosophical, And Moral By Edward Counsel, Second Edition, Melbourne: A. H. Massina & Co., 1892, 3106, P. 81)

(The quote is also found here.)

“…I have always thought the actions of men the best interpreters of their thoughts.” – John Locke

(An Essay Concerning Human Understanding By John Locke, In Two Volumes, Vol. I, New York: Printed By Samuel Mark, 1825, Book I, Ch. III, No Innate Practical Principles, P. 45)

(The quote is also found in: An Essay Concerning Human Understanding By John Locke, In Two Volumes, Vol. I, Oxford: At The Clarendon Press, 1894, Book I, Ch. III, No Innate Practical Principles, PP. 66-67)

(Another source of the quote is found here.)

“Well done is better than well said.” – Benjamin Franklin

(Poor Richard’s Almanack By Franklin, Benjamin, The U. S. C. Publishing Co., 1914, 609, P. 57)

(The quote is also found in: Poor Richard’s Almanack By Benjamin Franklin, Introduction By Paul A. Volgker, Skyhorse Publishing, 2007, On Money And Business, P. 33)

“Words may show a man’s wit but actions his meaning.” – Benjamin Franklin

(Poor Richard’s Almanack by Benjamin Franklin, Selections from apothegms and proverbs, with a brief sketch of the life of Benjamin Franklin, The U. S. C. Publishing Co., 1914, 657, P. 61)

(The quote is also found in: A Benjamin Franklin Reader Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 1945, Poor Richard’s Almanack, 1749, P. 299)

(Another source of the quote is found here.)

“The evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft interred with their bones.” – William Shakespeare

(Julius Caesar By William Shakespeare, Oxford And London: John Henry And James Parker, 1856, Act III, Sc. II, P. 98)

(The quote is also found in: Shakespeare’s Tragedy Of Julius Caesar, Oxford At The Clarendon Press, 1911, Act III, Sc. II, P. 38)

“It is the past, the present, and the future. what was done, what is doing, what will be done; ‘the infinite conjugation of the verb To do.'” – Thomas Carlyle

(On Heroes, Hero-worship, & The Heroic In History: Six Lectures ; Reported, With Emendations And Additions By Thomas Carlyle, London: James Fraser, 1841, Lecture I: The Hero As Divinity, P. 33)

(The quote is also found in: On Heroes, Hero-worship, & The Heroic In History By Thomas Carlyle, Edited And With Notes And An Introduction By Henry David Gray, New York: Longs, Green, And Co., 1906, Lecture I: The Hero As Divinity, P. 20)

“Right thinking means right action.” – Orison Swett Marden

(How to Get what You Want By Orison Swett Marden, New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company Publishers, 1917, Ch. III. Playing The Glad Game, P. 75)

(The quote is also found in: How to Get what You Want By Orison Swett Marden, Fv Éditions, 2016, Ch. III. Playing The Glad Game)

“Man is an animal that cannot long be left in safety without occupation; the growth of his fallow nature is apt to run into weeds.” – George Stillman Hillard

(Six Months in Italy By George Stillman Hillard, In Two Volumes, Vol. I, London: John Murray, 1853, Ch. XIX, Excursion To Pompeii, PP. 109-10)

(The quote is also found in: Six Months in Italy By George Stillman Hillard, Boston: Ticknor And Fields, 1853, Ch. XIX, Excursion To Pompeii, P. 361)

“A barking dog is often more useful than a sleeping lion.” – Washington Irving

(The Lives And Letters Of Washington By Nephew Pierre M. Irving, In Three Volumes, Vol II, New York : G. P. Putnam, 1869, Ch. IV, To Pierre Paris Irving, December 7, 1824, P. 60)

(The quote is also found in: Lives And Letters Of Washington Vol. II Irving By His Nephew Pierre M. Irving, New York : G. P. Putnam, 1862, Life And Letters 1824, December 7, 1824, P. 221)

“It (action) is the last resource of those who know not how to dream.” – Oscar Wilde

(The Artist As Critic: Critical Writings Of Oscar Wilde, Edited By Richard Ellmann, Random House, 1969, P. 359)

(The quote is also found in: Intentions: The Decay Of Lying, Pen, Pencil And Poison, The critic As artist, The Truth Of Masks By Oscar Wilde, New York: Brentano’s, 1905, P. 128)

“For emotion for the sake of emotion is the aim of Art, and emotion for the sake of action is the aim of life, and of that practical organisation of life that we call society.” – Oscar wilde

(The Critic As Artist: With Some Remarks Upon The Importance Of Doing Nothing By Oscar Wilde, P. 29)

(The quote is also found in: Intentions: The Decay Of Lying, Pen, Pencil And Poison, The critic As Artist, The Truth Of Masks By Wilde, Oscar, The Critic As Artist, New York: Brentano’s, 1905, P. 169)

(Another source of the quote is found here.)

“Actions are the first tragedy in life, words are the second. Words are perhaps the worst. Words are merciless.” – Oscar Wilde

(Lady Windermere’s Fan By Oscar Wilde, Edited By Ian Small, A & C Black, 2014, Act IV, P. 72)

(The quote is also found in: Lady Windermere’s Fan By Oscar Wilde, The Floating Press, 2009, Act IV, P. 105)

(Another source of the quote is found here.)

“There are two kinds of men in the world, two great creeds, two different forms of natures: men to whom the end of life is action, and men to whom the end of life is thought.” – Oscar Wilde

(Essays And Lectures By Oscar Wilde, London: Methuen & Co. Ltd, The English Renaissance Of Art, P. 151)

(The quote is also found in: Miscellanies By Oscar Wilde, London: Methuen & Co. Ltd, The English Renaissance Of Art, P. 274)

“…the one person who has more illusions than the dreamer is the man of action” – Oscar Wilde

(The Artist As Critic: Critical Writings Of Oscar Wilde, Edited By Richard Ellmann, Random House, 1969, P. 359)

(The quote is also found in:Intentions: The Decay Of Lying, Pen, Pencil And Poison, The critic As artist, The Truth Of Masks By Oscar Wilde, New York: Brentano’s, 1905, P. 128)

“When man acts he is a puppet. When he describes he is a poet.” – Oscar Wilde

(The Artist As Critic: Critical Writings Of Oscar Wilde, Edited By Richard Ellmann, Random House, 1969, P. 361)

(The quote is also found in: Intentions: The Decay Of Lying, Pen, Pencil And Poison, The critic As artist, The Truth Of Masks By Oscar Wilde, New York: Brentano’s, 1905, P. 131)

“If we lived long enough to see the results of our actions, it may be that those who call themselves good would be sickened with a dull remorse and those whom the world calls evil stirred by a noble joy.” – Oscar Wilde

(The Artist As Critic: Critical Writings Of Oscar Wilde, Edited By Richard Ellmann, Random House, 1969, P. 129)

(The quote is also found in: Intentions: The Decay Of Lying, Pen, Pencil And Poison, The critic As artist, The Truth Of Masks By Oscar Wilde, New York: Brentano’s, 1905, P. 360)

“Nothing diminishes anxiety faster than action.” – Walter Anderson

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“Skill to do comes of doing.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

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“…the most powerful way to shape our lives is to get ourselves to take action.” – Anthony Robbins

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(The quote is also found here.)

“…our action on each other, good as well as evil, is so incidental and at random that we can seldom hear the acknowledgments of any person who would thank us for a benefit, without some shame and humiliation.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

(Essays: Second Series By R. W. Emerson, Boston: Ticknor & Fields, 1867, Essay V. Gifts, P. 160)

(The quote is also found in: Essays: Second Series By R. W. Emerson, Boston: James Munroe And Company, 1844, Essay V. Gifts, P. 179)

“Men do what is called a good action, as some piece of courage or charity, much as they would pay a fine in expiation of daily non-appearance on parade.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

(Essays By Ralph Waldo Emerson, First Series, Boston: Philips, Sampson & Co., 1854, Essay II. Self-Reliance, P. 46)

(The quote is also found in: Essays By Ralph Waldo Emerson, First Series, Boston: James Munroe & Company, 1847, Essay II. Self-Reliance, P. 46)

“Remember this difference: in the head, knowledge and action are two different things; in the heart, knowledge IS action.” – Rajneesh (Osho)

(The Book of the Books: Discourses On The Dhammapada Of Gautam The Buddha, Volume 2, Rajneesh Foundation International, 1982, Ch. 5, In The Litter Of The Wayside, P. 159)

(The quote is also found in: The Dhammapada: The Way Of The Buddha, Vol 2, Ch. 5, In The Litter Of The Wayside)

(Another source of the quote is found here.)

“In Buddha’s vision, the action brings its own result; no judge is needed.” – Rajneesh (Osho)

(The Book of the Books: Discourses On The Dhammapada Of Gautam The Buddha, Volume 2, Rajneesh Foundation International, 1982, Ch. 7, You Are The Source)

(The quote is also found in: The Book: An Introduction To The Teachings Of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, Vol. 5, Rajneesh Foundation International, 1984, P. 292)

(Another source of the quote is found here.)

“…whenever you avoid taking responsibility for your actions, you are offending truth.” – Rajneesh (Osho)

(The Book of the Books: Discourses On The Dhammapada Of Gautam The Buddha, Volume 8, Rajneesh Foundation International, 1982, Ch. 9, Sannyas Is For Sannyas’ Sake)

(The quote is also found in: The Dhammapada: The Way Of The Buddha, Vol. 8, 9. Discover Your Original Face)

“If your love is only a feeling and it is not translated into action, it won’t affect the larger humanity. You have to make it a reality, you have to materialize it.” – Rajneesh (Osho)

(The Book of the Books: Discourses On The Dhammapada Of Gautam The Buddha, Volume 10, Rajneesh Foundation International, 1982, Ch. 13, Religion Is A Song, Poetry, A Dance Of Your Heart)

(The quote is also found in: Creativity: Unleashing The Forces Within By Osho, New York: St. Martin’s Griffin, 1999, Preparing The Canvas, The Three Cs, P. 3)

“Knowledge is only potential power until it comes into the hands of someone who knows how to get himself to take effective action.” – Anthony Robbins

(Unlimited Power: The New Science Of Personal Achievement By Tony Robbins, Free Press, 1986, Sect. I: The Modelling Of Human excellence, Ch. I The Commodity Of Kings, P. 7)

(The quote is also found in: Unlimited Power: The New Science Of Personal Achievement By Tony Robbins, Simon and Schuster, 2012, Sect. I: The Modelling Of Human excellence, Ch. I The Commodity Of Kings)

“I do not believe in a fate that falls on men however they act; but I do believe in a fate that falls on man unless they act.” – G.K. Chesterton

(General Speaking: A Book Of Essays By G. K. Chesterson, Leipzig: Bernhard Tauchnitz, 1929, Ch. XX. On Holland, P. 131)

(The quote is also found in: Collected Works of G.K. Chesterton: The Illustrated London News, 1920-1922, Volume 32 of The Collected Works of G.K. Chesterton, Gilbert Keith Chesterton By G. K. Chesterton, Ignatius Press, 1989, A Visit To Holland, P. 367)

“…great acts are made up of small deeds.” – Lao Tzu

“天下大事，必作於細” (Mandarin)

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(The quote is also found in: Tao Te Ching By Laozi, Translated By Jane English, Gia-fu Feng, Vintage Books, 1989, 63, P. 65)

(Another source of the quote is found here.)

(The quote in Mandarin is found here.)

Note: You can find various English translation of Tao Te Ching HERE.

“Deliberation is the work of many men. Action , of one alone.” – Charles De Gaulle

“Délibérer est le fait de plusiers. Agir est le fait d’un seul.” (French)

()

(The quote in French is found in: Mémoires De Guerre L’Unité 1942-1944: Général De Gaulle, Paris: Librairie Plon, Les Petits-Fils De Plon Et Nourrit, 1956, Politique, P. 159)

(The quote in French is also found in: De Gaulle En Son siècle: La, Tome 2 Par Institut Charles de Gaulle, La Documentation Française, 1991, P. 461)

“Act the way you’d like to be and soon you’ll be the way you act.” – Dr. George W. Crane

(Detroit Free Press, Detroit, Michigan, Sunday, May 16, 1954, Women Section, P. 33)

Note: Scroll down the page and you can find the quote in the OCR Text.

“We should judge ourselves by our motives, but others by their actions.” – William Nevins

(Select Remains Of the Rev. William Nevins: With A Memoir By William Nevins, Third Edition, Revised And Corrected, New York: John S. Taylor, 1837, Extracts From Discourses, P. 383)

(The quote is also found in: Select Remains Of the Rev. William Nevins: With A Memoir By William Nevins, New York: John S. Taylor, 1836, Extracts From Discourses, P. 383)

“It is not enough to know, we must also apply; it is not enough to will, we must also do.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

“Es ist nicht genug zu wissen, man muß auch anwenden; es ist nicht genug zu wollen, man muß auch tun.” (German)

(The Maxims And Reflections Of Goethe By Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Translated By Bailey Saunders With A Preface, The Macmillian Company, 1906, Life And Character, 324, P. 130)

(The quote is also found in: Maxims And Reflections By Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe, Translated By Thomas Bailey Saunder, Life And Character, 324, P. 28)

(Another source of the quote is found here.)

(The quote in German is found in: Johann Wolfgang Goethe: Maximen und Reflexionen, Die Sammlung Hofenberg Erscheint Im Verlag Der Contumax GmbH & Co., 2016, Aus Makariens Archiv, P. 87)

(The quote in German is also found in: Johann Wolfgang Goethe: Sämtliche Werke, Volume 41, G. Müller, 1829, Aus Makariens Archiv, P. 395)

“The vision must be followed by the venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps – we must step up the stairs.” – Vance Havner

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“Great things do not done just happen by impulse but are a succession of small things linked together. ” – Vincent van Gogh

“Grote dingen gebeuren niet alleen door een impuls, maar als een opeenvolging van kleine dingen die met elkaar verbonden zijn.” (Dutch)

(Letter to Theo van Gogh from The Hague, 22 October 1882, Translated by Mrs. Johanna van Gogh-Bonger, Edited by Robert Harrison, number 237)

Another translation of the quote is:

“…great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.” – Vincent van Gogh

(Dear Theo: An Autobiography Of Vincent Van Gogh From His Letters, Edited By Irving Stone, London: Constable & Company Ltd., 1837, Book II The Hague December 1881-September 1883, P. 187)

(The quote is also found here.)

Note: You can view the actual hand-written letter in Dutch HERE.

“He who has made a thousand things and he who has made none, both feel the same desire to make something.”- Antonio Porchia

“Quien ha hecho mil cosas y quien no ha hecho ninguna, sienten iguales deseos: hacer una cosa.” (Spanish)

(Voices By Antonio Porchia, Translated By W.S. Merwin, Copper Canyon Press, Bilingual Edition April 2003, P. 103)

(The quote is also found in: Voices By Antonio Porchia, Translated By W.S. Merwin, Copper Canyon Press; Bilingual Edition April 2003, P. 103)

Note: You won’t be able to see the quote, but when you type the quote in the “Search Inside This Book” box, it indicates there is this exact line on page 103.

(The quote in Spanish is found in: Voices By Antonio Porchia, Translated By W.S. Merwin, Copper Canyon Press, Bilingual Edition April 2003, P. 102)

(The quote in Spanish is also found here.)

“All glory comes from daring to begin.” – Eugene Fitch Ware

(Some Rhymes Of Ironquill Of Kansas By Eugene Fitch Ware, Chicago: A. C. McClurg And Company, 1892, John Brown, P. 111)

(The quote is also found in: Some Of The Rhymes of Ironquill [Pseud.]: (A Book Of Moods) By Eugene Fitch Ware, Crane, 1899, P. 81)

Note: Free e-book “Some Of The Rhymes Of Ironquill“.

“Don’t find fault. Find a remedy.” – Henry Ford

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“A goal is a dream with muscle added.” – Bud Shuster

(Believing in America By Bud Shuster, Publisher: William Morrow & Co, 1983, P. 240)

“The best way out is always through.” – Robert Frost

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(The quote is also found in: North of Boston By Robert Frost, New York, Henry Holt and Company, 1915, A Servant To Servants, P. 66)

“How can a man come to know himself? Never by thinking, but by doing. Try to do your duty, and you will know at once what you are worth.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

“Wie kann man sich selbst kennenlernen? Durch Betrachten niemals, wohl aber durch Handeln. Versuche, deine Pflicht zu tun, und du weißt gleich, was an dir ist!” (German)

(The Maxims And Reflections Of Goethe, Translated By Bailey Saunders, New York: The MacMillan Company, 1906, Life And Character, 2, P. 59)

(The quote is also found in: Maxims and Reflections By Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe, Translated By Thomas Bailey Saunders, 2017, Life And Character, 2, P. 7)

(The quote in German is found in: Johann Wolfgang Goethe: Maximen Und Reflexionen, Die Sammlung Hofenberg Erscheint Im Verlag Der Contumax GmbH & Co., 2016, Betrachtungen im Sinne Der Wanderer, Kunst, Ethisches, Natur, P. 57)

(The quote in German is also found in: Goethes sämtliche Werke, Volume 41 (German Edition), G. Müller, 1829, Betrachtungen im Sinne Der Wanderer, Kunst, Ethisches, Natur, P. 361)

“Everything you want is out there waiting for you to ask. Everything you want also wants you. But you have to take action to get it.” – Jack Canfield

(The Aladdin Factor: How to Ask For What You Want–And Get It By Jack Canfield & Mark Victor Hansen, New York: Berkley Books, 1995, Part III, Ch. 14: What Are You Waiting For? Go For It!)

(The quote is also found in: The Key To Living The Law Of Attraction: The Secret To Creating The Life Of Your Dreams By Jack Canfield And D. D. Watkins, Hachette UK, 2011, Ch. 14, Action, Two Kinds Of Action)

“Men expect too much, do too little…” – Allen Tate

(Collected Poems, 1919-1976 By Allen Tate, Introduction By Christopher Benfey, New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2014, Part Two, To The Lacedemonians, P. 86)

“The moral worth of an action must be estimated by its intention, as the political worth must by its consequences.” – Johann Caspar Lavater

“Nur die Absicht bestimmt den moralischen, so wie nur der Erfolg auf die Gesellschaft den politischen Werth der Handlung.” (German)

(Essays On Physiognomy: Designed To Promote The Knowledge And Love Of Mankind, Written In German Language By Johann Caspar Lavater, And Translated Into English By Thomas Holcroft, To which Are Added One Hundred Physiognomonical Rules, London: William Tegg And Co., 1853, The Effects Of The Imagination On The Human Form, P. 377)

(The quote is also found in: Physiognomy Or The Corresponding Analogy Between The Conformation Of The Features And The Ruling Passions Of The Mind, Translated From The Original work Of J. C. Lavater, London: Cowie, Low And Co., Ch. XXVIII, The Effects Of The Imagination On The Human Form, P. 163)

(The quote in German is found in: Physiognomische Fragmente zur Beförderung der Menschenkenntnis und Menschenliebe Von Johann Caspar Lavater, Leipzig Und Winterthur, 1778, VII. Fragment, Wirkungen Der Einbildungskraft, Siebentes Fragment, Fortsetzung, Wirkungen Der Einbildungskraft Auf Die Menschliche Bildung, P. 67)

(The quote in German is also found in: Johan Caspar Lavaters Physiognomische Fragmente zur Beförderung Der Menschenkenntniß und Menschenliebe: Dritter Band, Winterthur: In Verlag Heinrich Steiners und Compagnie, 1787, X. Wirkungen Der Einbildungskraft Auf Die Menschliche Bildung, P. 158)

“All our actions take Their hues from the complexion of the heart, As landscapes their variety from light.” – William Thompson Bacon

(Poems By William Thompson Bacon, New Haven: Benjamin & William Noyes, Boston: C. C. Little & Co., 1839, The power Of True Religion, P. 151)

(The quote is also found here.)

“…our knowledge, if it does not determine action, is dead to us.” – Plotinus

“Ἐπεὶ κἀν †ταῖς ἐπιστήμαις· ἐὰν μηδ’ ὅλως ἐνεργῶμεν κατ’ αὐτάς, ἀλλότριαι.” (Greek)

(The Six Enneads By Plotinus, Translated By Stephen MacKenna, London: Faber And Faber Limited, 1962, The First Ennead, Second Tractate, The Virtues, 4, P. 34)

(The quote is also found in: The Six Enneads By Plotinus, Translated By Stephen MacKenna, Penguin Books, 2005, The First Ennead, Second Tractate, The Virtues, 4, P. 71)

(The quote in Greek is found here.)

Note: You can see the quote in Greek and French language over here.

Here are links to each Tractate, Chapter and Ennead.

“Men may doubt what you say, but they will believe what you do.” – Charles Haddon Spurgeon

(Feathers For Arrows Or, Illustrations From My Note Book By Charles Haddon Spurgeon, New York: Sheldon & Company, 1870, Life -Explains Religion, P. 131)

(The quote is also found in: Feathers For Arrows: Or, Illustrations For Preachers And Teachers, From My Notebook By Charles Haddon Spurgeon, London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1870, Life -Explains Religion, P. 131)

“Our own consciousness attests that in our own souls there is a spontaneity of action – action uncaused by any precedent volition of ours.” – Horace Mann

(Thoughts Selected From The Writings Of Horace Mann, Boston: Lee And Shepard, Publishers, 1872, A. Activities Of Nature, P. 63)

(The quote is also found in: Thoughts Selected From The Writings Of Horace Mann, Boston: H. B. Fuller And Company, 1867, A. Activities Of Nature, P. 63)

“It is well to think well ; it is divine to act well.” – Horace Mann

(Thoughts Selected From The Writings Of Horace Mann, Boston: Lee And Shepard, Publishers, 1872, A. Think – Act, P. 199)

(The quote is also found here.)

“The end of man is an action, and not a thought, though it were the noblest.” – Thomas Carlyle

(Sartor Resartus: The Life And Opinions Of Herr Teufelsdrockh, In Three Books By Thomas Carlyle, London: Chapman And Hall, 1872, Ch. VI. Sorrows Of Teufelsdrockh, P. 109)

(The quote is also found in: Sartor Resartus: The Life And Opinions Of Herr Teufelsdröckh , In Three Books By Thomas Carlyle, London: Chapman And Hall, 1831, Book II, Ch. VI. Sorrows Of Teufelsdrockh; P. 109)

(Another source of the quote is found .)

“The history of the Church of Christ from the days of the Apostles has been a history of spiritual movements.” – Henry Parry Liddon

(Sermons Preached Before The University Of Oxford: Second Series, 1868-1879 By Henry Parry Liddon, London: Rivingtons, 1879, Sermon V, Influences Of The Holy Spirit, (Whitsun-Day) St. John III. 8, II, P. 88)

(The quote is also found in: Sermons Preached Before The University Of Oxford: Second Series, 1868-1879 By Henry Parry Liddon, New York: E. P. Dutton And Company, 1880, Sermon V, Influences Of The Holy Spirit, (Whitsun-Day) St. John III. 8. II, P. 88)

“Of things, some are in our power, and others not. In our power are opinion, pursuit, desire, aversion, and in one word, whatever are our own actions.” – Epictetus

“τῶν ἄλλων δυνάμεων οὐδεμίαν εὑρήσετε αὐτὴν αὑτῆς θεωρητικήν, οὐ τοίνυν οὐδὲ δοκιμαστικὴν ἢ ἀποδοκιμαστικήν.” (Greek)

(The Works Of Epictetus, Consisting Of His Discourses, In Four Books, The Enchiridion And Fragments, Translated From The Original Greek By The Late Mrs. Elizabeth Carter, In Two Volumes, Vol. I, London: Printed For F. C. And J. Rivington, 1807, The Enchiridion, I, P. 295)

(The quote is also found here.)

(The quote in Greek is found in: Epicteti Dissertationes Ab Arriano Digestae, Epictetus, Heinrich Schenkl, Editor Leipzig. B. G. Teubner, 1916, Epictetus Discourse 1:1)

“However brilliant an action, it should not be esteemed great unless the result of a great motive.” – Francois La Rochefoucauld

“Quelque éclatante que soit une action, elle ne doit pas pas ser pour grande lorsqu’elle n’est pas l’effet d’un grand dessein.” (French)

(Reflections: Or Sentences And Moral Maxims by Francois Duc De La Rochefoucauld, Prince De Marsillac, Translated From The Editions Of 1678 And 1827 With Introduction, Notes, And Some Account Of The Author And His Times By J. W. Willis Bund, M.A. LL.B and J. Hain Friswell, Simpson Low, Marston & Company, Ltd., 1898, 160, P. 21)

(The quote is also found in: Reflections: Or, Sentences and Moral Maxims By François Duc De La Rochefoucauld, Edited by John William Willis Bund, James Hain Friswell, Brentano’s, 1871, 160, P. 21)

(The quote in French is found in: Réflexions Ou Sentences Et Maximes Morales De La Rochefoucauld, Édition Louis Lacour, Imprimée Par D. Jouaust, Paris: Académie Des Bibliophiles, 1868, 160, PP. 52-53)

(The quote in French is also found here.)

“The reason why the ancients did not readily give utterance to their words, was that they feared lest their actions should not come up to them.” – Confucius

“古者言之不出，恥躬之不逮也” (Mandarin)

(The Chinese Classics: With A Translation, Critical And Exegetical Notes, Prolegomena, And Copius Indexes, By James Legge, In Seven Volumes, Vol. I, Containing Confucian Analects, The Great Learning, And The Doctrine Of the The Mean, Hong Kong: At The Author’s, London: Trübener & Co., 1861, Book IV. Le Jin, Ch. XXII, P. 35)

(The quote is also found in: The Life And Teachings Of Confucius: Analects, Great Learning, Doctrine Of The Mean By James Legge, Jazzybee Verlag, 2015, Book IV, XXII, P. 109)

(The quote in Mandarin is found in: The Analects By Confucius, Translation By James Legge, 4. Li Ren, 22)

“The wise man desires to be slow to speak but quick to act.” – Confucius

“君子欲訥於言、而敏於行” (Mandarin)

(The Analects Of Confucius By William Edward Soothill, Published By The Author, 1910, Vol.II, Book IV, Concerning Virtue, Ch. XXIV, P. 243)

(The quote is also found in: The Analects By Confucius, New York: Courier Corporation, 2012, Book IV, Concerning Virtue, Ch. XXIV, P. 20)

(The quote in Mandarin is found in: The Analects By Confucius, Translation By James Legge, 4. Li Ren, 24)

“He acts before he speaks, and afterwards speaks according to his actions.” – Confucius

“先行其言，而後從之” (Mandarin)

(The Life And Teachings Of Confucius With Explanatory Notes By James Legge, Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott & Co., 1867, Book II, XIII, P. 124)

(The quote is also found in: The Chinese Classics : Translated Into English, With Preliminary Essays And Explanotary Notes By James Legge, Vol. I The Life And Teachings Of Confucius, London: N. Trü bner & Co, 1869, Book II, XIII, P. 124)

(The quote in Mandarin is found in: The Analects By Confucius, Translation By James Legge, Wei Zheng, 13)

“The people may be made to follow a path of action, but they may not be made to understand it.” – Confucius

“民可使由之，不可使知之” (Mandarin)

(The Life And Teachings Of Confucius With Explanatory Notes By James Legge, Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott & Co., 1867, Book VIII, IX, P. 164)

(The quote is also found in: The Chinese Classics (Confucian Analects) By James Legge, Book VIII. T’ai-Po, Ch. IX)

(The quote in Mandarin is found in: The Analects By Confucius, Translation By James Legge, Tai Bo, 9)

“…content yourself with doing, leave the talking to others.” – Baltasar Gracian

“…Contentese con hacer, y dexe para otros el decir.” (Spanish)

(The Art Of Worldly Wisdom By Baltasar Gracián, Translated From The Spanish By Joseph Jacobs, Macmillan And Co., Limited, 1904, ccxcv, Do Not Affect What You Have Not Effected, P. 177)

(The quote is also found in: The Art Of Worldly Wisdom By Baltasar Gracian, Translated From The Spanish By Joseph Jacobs, Macmillan And Company, 1892, ccxcv, P. 177)

(Another souce of the quote is found here.)

(The quote in Spanish is found in: Obras De Lorenzo Gracian, Tomo Primero, Que Contiene El Criticon, Primera, Segunda, Y Tercera Parte: Y Heroe, En Madirid: En La Imprenta De Pedro Marin, 1773, Oráculo Manual Y Arte De Prudencia, P. 645)

(The quote in Spanish is also found here.)

“Speech is easy, action hard. Actions are the stuff of life, words its frippery.” – Baltasar Gracian

“es facil el decir y dificil el obrar. Las hazanas son la sustancia del vivir, y las sentencias, el ornato.” (Spanish)

(The Art Of Worldly Wisdom By Baltasar Gracián, Translated From The Spanish By Joseph Jacobs, Macmillan And Co., Limited, 1904, CCII, Words And Deeds Made The Perfect Man, P. 121)

(The quote is also found in: The Art Of Worldly Wisdom By Baltasar Gracian, Translated From The Spanish By Joseph Jacobs, Macmillan And Company, 1892, CCII, Words And Deeds Made The Perfect Man, P. 121)

(The quote in Spanish is found in: Obras De Lorenzo Gracian, Tomo Primero, Que Contiene El Criticon, Primera, Segunda, Y Tercera Parte: Y Heroe, Barcelona: En La Imprenta De Maria Angela Marti, Y Gali Viuda, 1757, Oráculo Manual Y Arte De Prudencia, P. 486)

“…obstinacy is more dangerous in actions than in words, for action encounters more risk than talk.” – Baltasar Gracian

“fon eftos porfiados de obra , mas empeñados que los de palabra, quanto va mas ricfgo del hacer al decir” (Spanish)

(The Art Of Worldly Wisdom By Baltasar Gracián, Translated From The Spanish By Joseph Jacobs, Macmillan And Co., Limited, 1904, CXLII, Never From Obstinacy Take The Wrong Side Because Your Opponent Has Anticipated You In Taking The Right One, P. 83)

(The quote is also found in: The Art Of Worldly Wisdom By Baltasar Gracian, Adapted From The Translation By Joseph Jacobs, With Introduction By Willis Barnstone, Boston: Shambhala Publications, 2006, 142, P. 57)

“Action is dangerous where prudence is in doubt..” – Baltasar Gracian

“Son peligrofaslas acciones en duda de prudencia…” (Spanish)

(The Art Of Worldly Wisdom By Baltasar Gracián, Translated From The Spanish By Joseph Jacobs, Macmillan And Co., Limited, 1904, XCI, Never Set To Work At Anything If You Have Any Doubts Of Its Prudence, P. 54)

(The quote is also found in: The Art Of Worldly Wisdom By Baltasar Gracian, Translated From The Spanish By Joseph Jacobs, Macmillan And Company, 1892, XCI, Never Set To Work At Anything If You Have Any Doubts Of Its Prudence, P. 54)

(The quote in Spanish is also found here.)

“Judge not of actions by their mere effect; Dive to the centre, and the cause detect. Great deeds from meanest springs may take their course, And smallest virtues from a mighty source.” – Chauncy Hare Townshend

(The Reigning Vice By Chauncy Hare Townshend, Book VII, The Argument, P. 189)

(The quote is also found in: Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 28, July-December 1830, Edinburgh: William Blackwood, London: T. Cadell, Strand, 1830, The Reigning Vice, Book VII, The Argument, P. 189)

(Another source of the quote is found here.)

“Only the actions of the just smell sweet and blossom in their dust.” – James Shirley

(The Dramatic Works And Poems Of James Shirley, In Six Volumes, Vol. VI, London: John Murray, The Contention Of Ajax And Ulysses, Sc. III, P. 397)

(The quote is also found in: English Literature, An Illustrated Record, Vol 2, Part 2, By Richard Garnett And Edmund Gosse New York: The Macmillan Company, 1904, P. 362)

“Skill to do comes of doing.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

(Society And Solitude Twelve Chapters By Ralph Waldo Emerson, Boston And New York: Houghton, Mifflin And Company, 1870, Old Age, P. 303)

(The quote is also found in: Society And Solitude Twelve Chapters By Ralph Waldo Emerson, Boston: James R. Osgood And Company, 1871, Old Age, P. 287)

“Thought is the seed of action; but action is as much its second form as thought is its first.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

(Society And Solitude Twelve Chapters By Ralph Waldo Emerson, Boston And New York: Houghton, Mifflin And Company, 1870, Art, P. 42)

(The quote is also found in: Society And Solitude Twelve Chapters By Ralph Waldo Emerson, Boston: James R. Osgood And Company, 1871, Art, P. 34)

“The miracle of the seed and the soil is not available by affirmation; it is only available by labor.” – Jim Rohn

(The Treasury Of Quotes By Jim Rohn, Brolga Publishing, 1994, Activity/Labor, P. 11)

“…the hypocrites, the only disinterested action these men can accuse themselves of is, that of serving the devil without receiving his wages…” – Charles Caleb Colton

(Lacon, Or, Many Things In A Few Words: Addressed To Those who Think By Charles Caleb Colton, Complete In One Volume, New York: Printed By S. Marks, 1824, CCLXXVII, P. 140)

(The quote is also found in: Lacon, Or, Many Things In A Few Words: Addressed To Those who Think By C. C. Colton, Complete In One Volume, London: Longman, Orme, Brown, Green, & Longman, 1837, CCLXXVII, P. 138)

“I believe the worst man that ever existed, never committed a bad action without some compunction, nor a good one without some delight…” – Charles Caleb Colton

(Lacon, Or, Many Things In A Few Words: Addressed To Those who Think By Charles Caleb Colton, Complete In One Volume, New York: Charles Wells, 1836, CXCIX, P. 442)

“Deliberate with caution, but act with decision; and yield with graciousness, or oppose with firmness.” – Charles Caleb Colton

(Lacon, Or, Many Things In A Few Words: Addressed To Those who Think By The Rev. C. C. Colton, From The Eighth London Edition, New York: Printed By S. Marks, 1824, CCLXXXIV, P. 142)

(The quote is also found in: Lacon: Or, Many Things In Few Words : Addressed To Those who Think By The Rev. C. C. Colton, A New Edition, Complete In One Volume, London: Longman, Orme, Brown, Green & Longmans, 1837, First Volume, CLXXXV, P. 140)

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