Ten Famous Quotes

That Can Actually

Inspire Action

(Trust me, I probably wouldn’t have created this SlideShare without them.)

When are words more than words?

We see them all the time-- “inspirational” quotes in social posts and on the backs of T-shirts. They’re meant to change our entire attitudes about life, and yet these words often fall flat and come off too cliche or lacking in substance.

Words really CAN start movements though, and the key is to

make a connection. Here are some quotes that that speak to

the soul, as well as sounding pleasurable to the ear.

"If you hear a voice within

you say 'you cannot paint,'

then by all means paint and

that voice will be

silenced."

-Vincent Van Gogh

"Nothing will work unless you do."

-Maya Angelou

"If you think you can

do a thing or think

you can't do a thing,

you're right."

-Henry Ford

"When it is obvious that the goals

cannot be reached, don't adjust the

goals, adjust the action steps."

-Confucius

“Knowing is not

enough; we must

apply. Being willing

is not enough; we

must do."

-Leonardo da Vinci

"The critical ingredient is getting off your

butt and doing something. It's as simple as

that. A lot of people have ideas, but there are

few who decide to do something about them

now. Not tomorrow. Not next week. But today.”

-Nolan Bushnell

“We need not

wait to see what

others do.”

-Mahatma Gandhi

"Don't judge each day by the

harvest that you reap but by the

seeds that you plant."

-Robert Louis Stevenson

"Don't let the noise of

others' opinions drown

out your own inner

voice. And most

important, have the

courage to follow your

heart and intuition."

-Steve Jobs

"Do you want to know who you

are? Don't ask. Act! Action will

delineate and define you."

-Thomas Jefferson

What inspires

you to take

action?

What sets great leaders apart from the rest?Watch Simon Sinek in his Ted Talk about the power of understanding the “why” of our actions, and how that inspires action in others.