Leon Trotsky

England is nothing but the last ward of the European madhouse, and quite possibly it will prove to be the ward for particularly violent cases.

You may not be interested in war, but war is interested in you.

The historic ascent of humanity, taken as a whole, may be summarized as a succession of victories of consciousness over blind forces – in nature, in society, in man himself.

Learning carries within itself certain dangers because out of necessity one has to learn from one’s enemies.

Events can neither be regarded as a series of adventures nor strung on the thread of a preconceived moral. They must obey their own laws.

If one cannot get along without a mirror, even in shaving oneself, how can one reconstruct oneself or one’s life, without seeing oneself in the mirror of literature?

I’ve never been terribly interested in why people give, because their motivation is rarely what it seems to be, and it’s almost never true altruism.

If everything’s under control, you’re going too slow.

If you’re proactive, you don’t have to wait for circumstances or other people to create perspective expanding experiences. You can consciously create your own.

You are the architect of your own destiny; you are the master of your own fate; you are behind the steering wheel of your life. There are no limitations to what you can do, have, or be. Accept the limitations you place on yourself by your own thinking.

Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes but don’t quit.

Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.

Put all excuses aside and remember this: You are capable.

Motivation is a fire from within. If someone else tries to light that fire under you, chances are it will burn very briefly.

Ability can take you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there.

Working hard for something we don’t care about is called stressed; working hard for something we love is called passion.

Difficulties break some men but make others.

If you eat a frog first thing in the morning, the rest of your day will be wonderful.

Courage is on display every day, and only the courageous wring the most out of life.

My grandfather once told me that there were two kinds of people: those who do the work and those who take the credit. He told me to try to be in the first group; there was much less competition.

The problem is not getting rid of fear, but using it properly.