When you read through these “reach goals” quotes, you’ll likely find a few that inspire. You may also find some quotes about attaining goals that are thought-provoking, encouraging you to consider your own life path. Take a hard look at yourself and consult trusted advisors for their honest feedback on your goals and what you’d like to achieve. This way, you can ensure that your efforts won’t be in vain.

‘Reach for the Stars’ Quotes to Help You Chase Your Goals

Going after the goals you want in life means honoring your deepest desires, which sometimes means ignoring those goals that others expect of you. It takes courage to pursue what you really want, and these “reach for the stars” quotes convey that sentiment. Reaching higher matters because it pushes you beyond what you thought you could be. It forces growth, resilience and a deeper sense of purpose.

• “Reach for the stars, but remain grounded.” —Frank Sonnenberg
• “The only thing that’s keeping you from getting what you want is the story you keep telling yourself.” —Tony Robbins
• “If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; there is where they should be. Now put foundations under them.” —Henry David Thoreau
• “Whenever you want to achieve something, keep your eyes open, concentrate and make sure you know exactly what it is you want. No one can hit their target with their eyes closed.” —Paulo Coelho, The Devil and Miss Prym
• “Know what you want, work to get it, then value it once you have it.” —Nora Roberts, Morrigan’s Cross
• “If I don’t keep on trying, then I’m lost, then woe betide me. That’s how I see this, to keep on, keep on, that’s what’s needed.” —Vincent van Gogh
• “I was taught to strive not because there were any guarantees of success but because the act of striving is in itself the only way to keep faith with life.” —Madeleine Albright, Madam Secretary
• “Striving for the impossible is not the same as toiling in vain.” —Rob Balder, The Battle for Gobwin Knob

Related: Quotes About Achieving Goals to Inspire and Motivate Your Journey

‘Nothing Is Impossible’ Quotes to Motivate You

Going after impossible goals can sometimes feel foolhardy. It requires grit, patience and a willingness to fail. We go after these goals not because they’re easy, but because they awaken in us something powerful—the need to grow, change and become who we are destined to be. Let these “nothing is impossible” quotes motivate you, wherever you are in your journey. Remind yourself, or someone you care about, that when you push forward with determination to reach for your goals, anything is possible.

• “Aim higher in case you fall short.” —Suzanne Collins, Catching Fire
• “Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” —John Wooden
• “Everyone can perform magic, everyone can reach his goal, if he can think, wait and fast.” —Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha
• “It’s very much like your trying to reach infinity. You know that it’s there, you just don’t know where—but just because you can never reach it doesn’t mean that it’s not worth looking for.” —Norton Juster, The Phantom Tollbooth
• “You must find the place inside yourself where nothing is impossible.” —Deepak Chopra
• “If you talk about it, it’s a dream. If you envision it, it’s possible. If you schedule it, it’s real.” —Tony Robbins
• “The reason you set goals is to increase your velocity, to increase the rate of your growth, not just to achieve a specific milestone, or position, in that development.” —Scott H. Young
• “It’s a lot easier to make small, gradual modifications than to make sweeping changes in your life. When you do small, positive things day in and day out, the cumulative sum of those actions will deliver dramatic results.” —Frank Sonnenberg

Related: 50 Powerful Entrepreneur Quotes to Inspire Growth & Success

Inspirational Quotes About Reaching Your Goals in Life  

We set goals in many areas of life. This includes things like growing a business or advancing in our careers, building a strong and loving family, pursuing personal passions or lifelong dreams, building a strong community, and deepening relationships with those we care about. The drive for each of us might be different, but the feeling we get when we achieve these goals is always rewarding. 

We can get inspiration from a mentor, a community leader, a reliable friend or even one of our kids. Read through these inspirational quotes about reaching your goals in life and ponder how they can help you take the next step toward your goal.

• “It was impossible, of course. But when did that ever stop any dreamer from dreaming.” —Laini Taylor, Strange the Dreamer
• “When defeat comes, accept it as a signal that your plans are not sound, rebuild those plans, and set sail once more toward your coveted goal.” —Napoleon Hill, Think and Grow Rich
• “Chaos is more freedom; in fact, total freedom. But no meaning. I want to be free to act, and I also want my actions to mean something.” —Audrey Niffenegger, The Time Traveler’s Wife
• “Your days are numbered. Use them to throw open the windows of your soul to the sun. If you do not, the sun will soon set, and you with it.” —Marcus Aurelius, The Emperor’s Handbook
• “Even a snail will eventually reach its destination.” —Gail Tsukiyama, The Street of a Thousand Blossoms
• “The little things of life, sweet and excellent in their place, must not be the things lived for; the highest must be sought and followed; the life of heaven must be begun here on Earth.” —L. M. Montgomery, Anne of the Island
• “Just don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong.” —Ella Fitzgerald
• “If you believe anything is possible, you’ll pursue your goals with confidence and vigor. You’ll invest in your personal growth, make an unwavering commitment, and carry out your activities with strength and confidence.” —Frank Sonnenberg
• “Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.” —Dale Carnegie

Short Sayings About Reaching Goals for Everyday Reminders 

Going after goals is a relentless pursuit. These affirmations and short quotes about reaching goals, originally written by SUCCESS® contributors, help us to remember that doing the impossible isn’t going to happen overnight. Write these quotes on a sticky note to remind yourself that you are worth the effort and you can achieve more.

• “If you don’t move, neither will your goal.”
• “Progress loves persistence.”
• “Every step forward, no matter how small, is a victory.”
• “Your future self is already cheering you on—don’t let them down.”
• “Great things wait just past discomfort.”
• “Make fear your fuel, not your fence.”
• “You’ll never hit the target if you’re too afraid to take the shot.”
• “Persistence may move slowly, but it never goes backward.”
• “Goals grow stronger the more you chase them.”
• “Dreams demand action, not applause.” 
• “Start small, but don’t stay small.”
• “If you’re not willing to take the first step, don’t expect your goals to meet you halfway.”
• “A dream without action is just a wish in disguise.”
• “Hustle quietly, achieve loudly.” 
• “When you reach for the moon, it shows the courage to go after your goals.”

Keep Reaching, Keep Rising

Reaching for your goals, especially the ones that stretch you, requires more than effort; it requires vision and the courage to rise again after setbacks. Whether you’re chasing goals in business, friendships, family life or community, you can learn something from these quotes about attaining goals. These “doing the impossible” quotes can help inspire you along the way. The road may not always be easy, but it’s always worth taking the next step.

Photo courtesy of Maria Markevich/Shutterstock

The post 40 Quotes About Reaching Goals to Inspire You to Go After the Impossible appeared first on SUCCESS.

But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Back in college, my mother and I set out together on a trek across Europe. In so many ways, my mother was my best friend—the yin to my yang, the Lorelei to my Rory. We’d been on plenty of road trips within the U.S., each one planned meticulously down to the last detail.

That is where the irony of this story truly lies—the fact that at our core, my mother and I were two of the least spontaneous people you’ll ever meet, but for this particular trip, we decided to “play it by ear.” Despite being deeply inexperienced international travelers, we only planned out the basic route and rough timeline, then left the rest up to fate.

Spontaneity for the uninitiated

For most of the trip, our spontaneity actually worked out great. We came across some truly darling places to stay, saw things that we otherwise would have missed and generally got to have a proper adventure.

However, it was also how we found ourselves driving down a dark road in rural Germany, desperately trying to figure out what the word for “hotel” might be. On the side of the road, there was a large posted map that looked promisingly like it was aimed at tourists, so we stopped to try and decode it as best we could.

While we cursed our high school selves for not learning German, a car pulled up behind us. The man who emerged was tall and broad, and—most concerning for two women standing in the dark in the middle of nowhere—the sort of imposing figure to play the antagonist in a Lifetime movie. Even so, being the proper Midwestern ladies we were, we didn’t want to be rude, so we tried to just ignore him.

That is, until he said the word “hotel.”

While he didn’t speak much English, we spoke absolutely no German, so he still did the heavy lifting in the conversation that followed. Through scattered words, pointing at the map a few times and a flyer, the man managed to tell us he knew a place to stay.

Smiling, he waved to our cars and said, “Follow.”

We did.

Not our best idea… but not our worst, either

Driving into the little town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, we immediately got lost. The medieval streets twisted and turned and became a maze that we were fairly certain we’d never escape. That was OK, though, because it gave us time to brainstorm about what the headline would be after we got murdered.  (My favorite was “Idiotic Americans Drive to Their Doom.”)

When we arrived at our destination, it looked more like a family home than a business. Though it had a small sign, it was made up of unfamiliar German words, so it didn’t help much, except to verify the flyer we’d been given.

Before we could decide to flee after all, a woman emerged who spoke a substantial amount of English. She explained that her husband—our mystery savior—drummed up business for their bed-and-breakfast by waiting where tourists most often arrived by train, bus and car, then offering to bring them to the hotel. It was a fairly lucrative model overall, and we watched it fill up the hotel by the night’s end.

We were so relieved by such a sensible explanation that when the woman told us to hand over our car keys to her husband so that he could park it in their “secret spot,” we were barely even suspicious. All in all, it was starting to feel rather serendipitous… until we went inside.

Every possible surface was covered in porcelain dolls. They lined tabletops and stair steps, shelves and stools. Everywhere we looked, glass eyes stared back at us.

The woman showed us to our room—a space that fell somewhere between “budget hotel” and “last place you’ll ever see.” It was clean and involved a bed (and, of course, we’d hate to be rude), so we went inside. We waited until the woman left, then moved a chair in front of the door while we discussed our likelihood of surviving the night.

The story behind those dolls

We did stay, and we did survive. 

By morning, the dolls hadn’t gotten less eerie, but they did finally have an explanation. It only took a few minutes wandering the historic town to realize that many of the surrounding shops were famous for their dolls, and the decoration choice was likely just a way to lean into tourist trade.

We found our car again, too, and it really was in a rather clever secret parking spot.

As for the couple who could-easily-have-been-murderers? They turned out to be some of the sweetest, funniest people we met along our journey.

Even now, when I tell this story, I start it with the caveat that it’s basically a list of all the worst decisions I’ve made in my life. By all rights, things shouldn’t have worked out the way they did. However, it’s one of my favorite memories precisely because it was an unexpected adventure that took us outside of our comfort zone. It was the sort of thing that could only happen by “winging it” along the way, and, though stressful at the time, it’s the sort of memory that makes up a lifetime well lived.

Photo by phM2019/Shutterstock.

The post I Tried To Be Spontaneous, and Almost Got Murdered—or So I Thought appeared first on SUCCESS.

It’s possible that I’ve never spoken to a man with more courage of this sort than Tim Tebow, the philanthropist and former NFL quarterback who has faced years of scrutiny for being outspoken about his Christian faith. Yet, he remains steadfast in his convictions—now channeling that same resolve into his foundation, which serves the MVP (most vulnerable people) of the world in more than 100 countries through his international charitable foundation. It’s just as possible that the only woman I’ve met with the same extraordinary courage is Tim’s wife, Demi-Leigh Tebow, the winner of Miss Universe 2017, who has dedicated her life to serving the millions of people trapped in and rescued from the global human trafficking operation through her international campaign and alongside her husband’s organization.

“Goodness can come from one simple act of obedience,” Demi tells me. For the Tebows, obedience is courage. It’s acting on the faith that what (or who) pricks our hearts is greater than our zone of interest, our day or our career. As Tim puts it, it’s about living a life of significance over a life of success.

“Success is about you. Significance is about other people,” he says. “Which are you chasing?”

Anyone who loves American football—and has since at least the aughts—remembers “Tebowmania.” Tim’s college and NFL career (brief as it was) is synonymous with the miracles that defined it.

Historical miracles, like his becoming the first sophomore to ever win the Heisman Trophy after a historic season as quarterback with the Florida Gators in 2007.

Cultural miracles, like when some 90 million people Googled “John 3:16” during the 2009 BCS championship game to find out why Tim had the verse stenciled in his eye black.

Athletic miracles, like the 2012 AFC wild card playoff when Tim stunned Pittsburgh’s defense with a madcap 80-yard touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas on the very first play of overtime, sealing a win for the heavily unfavored Denver Broncos.

And, most inexplicably, statistical miracles: In that same Broncos-Steelers game, Tim totaled 316 passing yards with an average of 31.6 yards per completion. Pittsburgh’s time of possession was 31 minutes and 6 seconds. The game’s Nielsen ratings on CBS peaked at 31.6. Big Ben Roethlisberger even threw an interception on 3rd-and-16. And it all happened three years to the day after the college national championship game when Tim and “John 3:16” went viral.

“I really believe that sports can be a catalyst for so much good, so much inspiration, for encouragement, for people to rally together,” Tim says. “[But] I hope I don’t end my life saying, ‘The most I gave was for a game.’”

One could say Tim’s life even started miraculously. His family was on a mission trip in a remote village in the Philippines when his mom was hospitalized with amoebic dysentery. They discovered she was pregnant with Tim while she was comatose and facing severe complications that threatened both their lives. After several arduous months, end-to-end with white-knuckled prayers that the physicians’ grim prognosis would prove wrong, Pam and Bob Tebow celebrated little Timmy’s safe arrival in August 1987. The mystified doctors couldn’t explain how he’d hung on by a placental thread. The overjoyed Tebows, who’d hung on by a prayer, could.

Tim was the fifth and final Tebow kid, the “miracle baby” of the family. When he came home, his 9-year-old sister was so enthusiastic about the new baby that she gave herself a literal hernia from carrying Tim around so often. “There were so many people [who] thought they were Mom and Dad,” Tim laughs. Suffice it to say, all five kids had lots in common growing up in Jacksonville, Florida, as caregivers, as missionaries, as classmates (the Tebow kids were homeschooled) and, of course, as athletes (middle-schooler Tim parroted his elder brother’s college baseball and football workouts). The Tebow household was founded on care, prayer, teaching and motivating. No doubt that foundation contributed to the work ethic of a first-round NFL draft pick, but Tim has another take on what fashioned him into the success story he is today.

Tim returned to the Philippines for a mission trip when he was 15, and there he met a boy named Sherwin. Sherwin was born with backward feet; the other villagers considered him a throwaway, an outcast, a curse. (This phenomenon, by the way, is as common in the remote cultures of Filipino jungles as on the sidewalks of Washington, D.C. It’s like I confessed in my opener: How many times have you and I walked past Sherwin? How many cultural curses do we perpetuate daily, when we glance at someone, pity them and move on?)

“I just knew that he wasn’t cursed to God,” Tim says. “I also knew God was pricking my heart, saying, ‘Yeah, but what are you going to do about it?’ Meaning, ‘[How] are your actions going to show what he’s worth to you?’”

That extraordinary moment laid the groundwork for Tim’s true success story, a vocation that both preceded and outlived his NFL career. He started the Tim Tebow Foundation (TTF) in 2010 immediately after graduating college. Sherwin was at the forefront of Tim’s mind when he wrote the nonprofit’s mission statement: “To bring Faith, Hope and Love to those needing a brighter day in their darkest hour of need.”

TTF launched as simply orphan care outreach, but (in the characteristic Tebow technique) it came off the snap with astonishing momentum. A year later, the organization announced it was building a hospital specializing in pediatric orthopedic surgeries in the Philippines. The clinic opened its doors, and a year later, TTF launched Night to Shine, an annual, extravagant prom-night experience for anyone 14 and up living with disabilities. Today, it’s a worldwide movement—in 2025 alone, more than 800 Night to Shine events were held in 63 different countries. More than 600,000 people with special needs have had their Night to Shine since 2015, each participant receiving a red-carpet welcome and each participant ending the evening being crowned king or queen. Tim fondly recalls the night of the very first dance back in 2015, in North Carolina, standing apart from the crowd and watching the lights and royal revelry.

“I had tears coming down the sides of my face. I knew there was something special with this, and this was exactly what I was supposed to do,” he says. He reflects for a moment, then adds, “What does ‘purpose’ mean? The reason something is done, used, created or exists. When you feel like you get to live in your purpose, like part of the reason I was created and exist was for this—that’s a very special moment.”

On the other side of the world, Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters was on her way to being crowned Miss Universe. The universe is a somewhat bigger province than what she was used to: Demi grew up on the Western Cape of South Africa in Sedgefield, a little town with one traffic light and the motto, “The tortoise sets the pace.” Some of her most cherished childhood memories are of farmers markets and beach walks there, of sunny small-town days before she learned, in a hard way, of the ubiquitous darkness that comes with the universe.

Some three months after Demi was crowned Miss South Africa in 2017, she was driving through a high-end part of Johannesburg, along a busy avenue. It was early summer and a little after 5 p.m., so still daylight. As she stopped at a red light, five men surrounded her car. One man pointed a gun at her head. When she tried giving up her car and exiting, he pushed her back into the seat saying, “You’re going with us.” Suddenly, everything from the self-defense workshops her dad had insisted she annually take sprung to mind. She dealt her attacker a blow to the throat, scrambled out of the car and ran.

“I never, ever want to victimize myself. I don’t know what the goal of my perpetrators were,” Demi says. But the implications of the carjacking exposed her to a horrifically pervasive evil, one that most people, including her at the time, are shockingly ignorant of despite its enormity. The modern slavery and human trafficking industry generates somewhere between at least $150 and $250 billion in illicit profits every year. And it’s growing: The United Nations reports that between 2016 and 2021, the global estimate of people trapped in forced labor or forced marriages rose from 40 to 50 million.

And Demi learned an even bleaker truth that day, the truth of the axiom that all that’s necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing.

“I ran up that avenue in my six-inch high heels, and I started knocking on car window after car window,” Demi says. “I don’t know if you believe this, but nobody would stop to help me. That was probably the most horrific part of the story, was knocking, asking for help. People had their car windows open. They could literally hear what I was saying. They could hear my voice. They could see the terror in my eyes. And nobody would stop to help.”

It was a 19-year-old girl who eventually rolled down her window and took Demi to safety. “She showed me what it meant to truly be willing to be interrupted, to be a part of something that’s maybe bigger than just yourself,” Demi says. That “simple act of obedience” was simply to not ignore a problem—and it encouraged Demi to not remain idle herself. She used her providentially timed platform as Miss South Africa (and, shortly thereafter, as Miss Universe) to launch Unbreakable, a campaign effort that has since empowered thousands of women internationally with hands-on self-defense workshops and helped open the blinds on the global human trafficking crisis.

“[God] will never waste pain that’s given to him,” Demi says. “I think that incident is one where [he showed] me, ‘If you’re willing to let me have this pain, I can turn that into purpose.’”

Demi passed on her Miss Universe crown in 2018, a deposition that she describes in her 2024 book, A Crown That Lasts, as letting go of a false identity and gaining new courage and true purpose: fighting for those who can’t fight for themselves. And yet it shouldn’t require a gun to our head to open our eyes to evil. Nor should it require a terror-stricken knocking on our window for us to offer assistance. Often, it simply requires conviction of the unseen, faith in the pricking of our hearts.

It doesn’t take a miracle to do what you were created to do. But it does take what Tim calls “a courage of conviction”—a movement of faith—to understand what that purpose is. Often, our convictions are curved in on ourselves. What’s called “self-realization” is usually just a nice name for self-indulgence: “I’m competitive, so I’ll devote myself to a game.” “I work hard, so someone else ought to do it.” “I’m resting, so I will not stand up.” Until we stop “following our hearts” and start following the “pricking,” it’s no good pretending our convictions (i.e., our purpose, our success) are anything but the products and servants of our own inert egos.

Tim and Demi had outward-oriented purposes in common long before meeting in 2018, when Tim emailed Demi to invite her little sister Franje to attend a Night to Shine event. Franje was born without a cerebellum (a congenital condition so rare it’s only been reported a dozen or so times) and was disabled her entire life before passing away in 2019 at 13. Demi says Franje has been her biggest motivator, that her life was full of “beautiful God-wink moments” that have more purpose than she’ll ever understand, like that horrific afternoon in Johannesburg. “I met my husband because he invited my sister to prom and not me,” Demi laughs, but it truly was Franje who crystallized their individual purposes into one.

Since their 2020 wedding, the Tebows have stood as a united front in a world often too self-interested to notice those in need. Demi doesn’t wear a crown anymore. Tim doesn’t play professional sports. But now their lives are a joint service in chasing significance over success. Together, they’re advocating for individuals with special needs, providing care and support for orphaned and vulnerable children, serving children with profound medical needs and fighting against human trafficking and child exploitation. Demi continues to spread messages of fostering kindness and living with purpose through writing, having released a children’s book, Princess Paris Finds Her Purpose, in April. Not only have they found courage in one another but in the work they do.

“Our team finds babies in trash cans and dumpsters and cold rivers. It’s hard to go through those moments,” Demi says. “[But] I hope that my heart never goes cold to those things because that allows you to embrace that burden. It allows you to work with urgency and not to just operate on your timeline but to operate on the timeline of the people we get to serve.” 

Once we have the courage to listen to the pricking of our hearts (and the faith that it’s there), the pricking does not cease. It is not an itch you can scratch with success. No, once you take courage, the next prickle will be more intense, more significant—and so on for the rest of your life.
“To this day, I think I’ve given more effort, energy, intensity, focus, all of that to a game. But I hope I get the chance to change that,” Tim says. “It’s not that the game’s bad. I loved the game. I still love the game. It’s just, if you love the game, but you say you love people—especially [those in darkness]—even more, what would you be willing to do for them?”

This article originally appeared in the July/August 2025 issue of SUCCESS magazine. Photo by Bianca Pierre

The post It Doesn’t Take a Miracle, Just Faith appeared first on SUCCESS.

These successful people quotes, many from high achievers and well-known leaders in various industries, can inspire and guide others on their path to success. By internalizing these messages, we can shift our perspectives, adopt more effective habits and cultivate the mindset necessary to achieve our own version of success.

Quotes on What Successful People Do

What are the things that successful people do? From planning for success to daily goal-setting, those who are high achievers take different approaches to help them get ahead. Success is more than just having a positive mindset; it’s about the actions you take and the steps you make each day. These quotes about success and growth show the steps that successful people take to reach their goals, whether in their personal or professional life. 

• “The path to success is to take massive, determined action.” —Tony Robbins
• “Success is not how high you have climbed, but how you make a positive difference to the world.” —Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart
• “It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things.” —Elinor Smith, Aviatrix
• “Success is often achieved by those who don’t know that failure is inevitable.” —Coco Chanel, Believing in Ourselves: The Wisdom of Women
• “Supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting.” —Sun Tzu, The Art of War
• “Whatever the mind can of man conceive and believe, it can achieve.” —Napoleon Hill, Think and Grow Rich: A Black Choice
• “If you care about what you do and work hard at it, there isn’t anything you can’t do if you want to.” —Jim Henson, It’s Not Easy Being Green: And Other Things to Consider
• “When you take risks you learn that there will be times when you succeed and there will be times when you fail, and both are equally important.” —Ellen DeGeneres, Seriously… I’m Kidding
• “Successful people do daily what unsuccessful people do occasionally. They practice daily disciplines. They implement systems for their personal growth. They make it a habit to maintain a positive attitude. ”—John Maxwell, Good Leaders Ask Great Questions

Related: “When One Door Closes, One Door Opens” Quotes for a Positive Outlook

Quotes on Business, Success and Growth from Successful People

Succeeding in business can look like a lot of different things—getting a promotion, winning a new client, receiving praise from a boss or something else. Sometimes success can be as small as remembering a task that’s slipped to the wayside. These business and success quotes will inspire you to achieve, one step at a time. They might also show you just how successful people lead as well. 

• “Success means doing the best we can with what we have. Success is the doing, not the getting; in the trying, not the triumph. Success is a personal standard, reaching for the highest that is in us, becoming all that we can be.” —Zig Ziglar
• “If you talk about it, it’s a dream. If you envision it, it’s possible. If you schedule it, it’s real.” —Tony Robbins
• “Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others. Unsuccessful people are always asking, ‘What’s in it for me?’ ” —Brian Tracy
• “In order to succeed, we must first believe that we can.” —Nikos Kazantzakis
• “If you try and lose then it isn’t your fault. But if you don’t try and we lose, then it’s all your fault.” —Orson Scott Card, Ender’s Game
• “Don’t confuse poor decision making with destiny. Own your mistakes. It’s ok; we all make them. Learn from them so they can empower you!” —Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free

• “Winners are not afraid of losing. But losers are. Failure is part of the process of success. People who avoid failure also avoid success.” —Robert T. Kiyosaki, Rich Dad, Poor Dad

Related: The Ultimate Guide to Bulletproof Habits

How Successful People Think: Quotes to Inspire a New Mindset

Successful people cultivate mindsets that focus on growth, resilience and purpose. They view setbacks as opportunities to learn, embrace challenges as pathways to improvement and maintain unwavering belief in their goals even when faced with obstacles. These quotes on what makes a person successful show how self-reflection, gratitude practices and a commitment to lifelong learning will help you achieve. They give a few clues on how successful people think to help inspire all of us, too. 

• “Your success and happiness lie in you.” —Helen Keller, Out of the Dark: Essays, Lectures, and Addresses on Physical and Social Vision
• “I’m a success today because I had a friend who believed in me and I didn’t have the heart to let him down.” —Abraham Lincoln
• “At the end of the day, let there be no excuses, no explanations, no regrets.” —Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free

• “Our greatest fear… should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.” —Francis Chan, Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God
• “Persistence. Perfection. Patience. Power. Prioritize your passion. It keeps you sane.” —Criss Jami, Killosophy
• “Success, after all, loves a witness, but failure can’t exist without one.” —Junot Díaz, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

Related: 6 Qualities of Wildly Successful People 

Words from Successful People: Sayings for the Keys to Success

The road to success is not always straight. It’s often bumpy, with lots of detours, sharp turns and even cliffs on one side. From these “road to success” quotes and “keys to success” sayings, we can learn that a step in the right direction is a step towards success. It might feel insurmountable, but you can’t get there without taking that first step. 

• “Persistence overshadows even talent as the most valuable resource shaping the quality of life.” —Tony Robbins

• “Failures are the stairs we climb to reach success.” —Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart
• “To be successful, you need friends, and to be very successful, you need enemies.” —Sidney Sheldon, The Other Side of Midnight
• “The way of success is the way of continuous pursuit of knowledge.” —Napoleon Hill, Think and Grow Rich
• “It is said we learn more from our failures than our successes.” —Holly Black, The Wicked King
• “To succeed, planning alone is insufficient. One must improvise as well.” —Isaac Asimov, Foundation

SUCCESS® Exclusive Quotes from Successful Men and Women  

What makes someone successful can vary from person to person; after all, we each have our own unique definitions of success. However, these exclusive quotes from SUCCESS® show some common themes among great leaders and high achievers that help highlight what it takes to be successful.

• “Of course, technical skills matter. But if you want to lead a team effectively, your emotional intelligence will make or break your success. It’s about creating an environment where vulnerability is seen as strength, where personal stories become powerful teaching tools and where facing our fears together becomes the pathway to something extraordinary.” —Amy Somerville 
• “I think there’s a difference between successful and unsuccessful people in the way they particularly think about approaching something new. I think unsuccessful people, when they have a big dream and start thinking about what’s going to be required to accomplish that dream, they get very limiting in their beliefs about themselves and what’s possible.” —Brendan Burchard

• “[We’ve] all missed this hidden first step to personal growth and change…. Before you can take control of your own life, you must first stop trying to control everybody else’s.” —Mel Robbins
• “I remember when I was in a room with massively successful people, and yet I wasn’t vulnerable enough to say, ‘Hey, I don’t know this, but can you teach me this?’ Imagine if I had done that in my 20s? Imagine where I would be now. The people in that room were Warren Buffett, Bill Gates and various Hollywood celebrities.” —Daymond John 
• “Success is a result of good judgment; good judgment is a result of experience, in most cases. And what about experience? Yes, experience is most often a result of bad judgment. So here’s the good news: The experience gained from bad judgment and bad decisions is unbelievably valuable—it’s priceless! —Tony Robbins

Unique Sayings on Success

If you are looking for successful people quotes to use for affirmations, check out these short quotes originally written by SUCCESS® contributors. They offer inspiration to motivate change within yourself and achieve your goals. 

• The secret to success is to focus more on progress than perfection.
• Success does not come to you; you go to it.
• The only limit to your success is the belief that you can’t achieve it.

• Dream big, start small, but most importantly, start now.
• Every failure is a stepping stone to the success you’re building.
• Success is built on the lessons learned from every setback.
• Success begins the moment you decide to take the first step.
• Success is the sum of small efforts repeated daily, not a single monumental effort.
• Success requires consistency, not perfection.
• To succeed, focus on progress, not applause.
• Success is not what you get but who you become in the process.

Inspiring Success Through Words and Actions

Success is more than reaching a destination—it’s the journey of continuous growth, learning and resilience. These “success is no accident” quotes serve as powerful reminders that the path to success is paved with persistence, purpose and an unrelenting drive to keep moving forward. Let these words not only motivate you but also serve as a guide to building a life defined by meaningful progress and lasting impact.

This article was updated May 2025. Photo by Face Stock/Shutterstock

The post Quotes on Successful People & What They Do Differently for Growth & Goals appeared first on SUCCESS.

“I’ve found so much strength in my story and my mom,” he says. “Even though she had this rare muscle disease called amyloidosis, she fought, and she had this amazing journal that became a place where she unleashed her positive mental attitude. She’d write things in her journal such as, ’Beat the statistics,’ ’Beat the odds,’ ’Live with a disease that is chronic and fatal.’”

While his mother needed 24-hour nursing care the last year of her life, she still insisted on coming to the dinner table with an IV stand to ask Newman about his day. Newman watched his mom fight the illness until the day she died, 11 days before his 8th birthday. “I’ve always felt that, at that time, she passed the pen that she was writing with in that journal on to me,” he says.

The “Burn“ is born

As an adult, Newman realized the greatest strength in his life comes from the pain he endured after his mom’s death and the lessons she left him. His story—what Newman calls his “Burn”—is what inspires him to help others find their own as a performance coach, author and motivational speaker. “It’s [about] encouraging people in our work, helping people find that Burn—that passion that will give them the ability to fight through the things that oftentimes hold them back,” he says.

But Newman didn’t start his career as a performance coach. Before he was paid to speak for the first time in 2006 and coach someone professionally in 2008, Newman was a successful financial adviser for 10 years. “When I left [my job in finance], my managing partner tried to induce me with money, and he was basically telling me I was crazy,“ he says. “Like, ‘How could you leave this career?’ But I believe at some point in time, we have to chase what we were destined to do and attack what we were destined to do, not be held back by what’s comfortable.”

How Newman rose to the top

Over the past two decades, Newman has written eight books (The Standard: Winning Every Day at Your Highest Level is his most recent, published in 2023) and hosts a podcast called The Burn Podcast, where he chats with high performers in business and sports. Through the Ben Newman Companies, he and his team of performance coaches have worked with athletes and teams in the NFL, NBA, PGA, MLB and other sports entities.

In addition to teaming up with coaches and players from multiple Super Bowl–winning teams, Newman currently serves as the longtime performance coach for head coach Chris Klieman and the Big 12 Champion Kansas State football team. He was also a performance coach for five years for the University of Alabama’s Crimson Tide football team under former head coach Nick Saban.

He’s also brought his teachings to locker rooms and fields across the country, including those of the Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, Wake Forest University and several high school teams in his hometown of St. Louis, Missouri.

How the Burn motivates top performers

By empowering clients with “mental toughness” training tools—think: how to identify your Burn, believe in yourself, and learn to overcome adversities and challenges by reframing your perspective—Newman helps them achieve goals and perform at their best using their natural talents and abilities.

“Once you understand your underlying Burn, that fire inside of you, that’s actually what ignites your why and purpose and causes you to show up on the days you don’t feel like it,” Newman says. “So the common denominator I’ve found with Hall of Famers, Super Bowl champions, NCAA champions, some of the top Fortune 100 companies in the world… is leaders and the high performers [who know] what that Burn is.”

The Burn can be anything from a life-changing experience, such as losing a caregiver or becoming a parent, to the desire to prove yourself to a group of naysayers.

In addition to recognizing their Burn, Newman says successful individuals are also incredibly disciplined and willing to commit to good long-term practices. “[They’re] disciplined not to focus on the results,” Newman says, “but disciplined to the habits and the work on a daily basis, knowing that the byproduct of great discipline is winning at high levels.”

Who benefits from the Burn?

While roughly 30% of BNC clients are in the sports world, 70% are corporate professionals at companies and organizations like Microsoft, Wells Fargo Advisors, The Canada Life Assurance Company, Boys & Girls Clubs of America and New York Life. Whether you’re a decorated athlete, financial adviser or working mom, though, anyone who wants to be more successful in their personal or professional lives can benefit from finding their Burn.

“Don’t be held back by what society or adversity or challenge tells us,” Newman says. “You want to write a book? Go write a book. You want to go speak? Go speak. You want to become the vice president of a company or own a company one day? Go do it. Put the action behind it that’s going to cause you to do those things.” 

How to build your ”Prizefighter Day”

In Your Mental Toughness Playbook, which has been sold or downloaded more than 1 million times, Newman shares advice that helps you identify and attack the everyday activities that will empower you to meet your goals like a prizefighter.

“Nothing in a ‘Prizefighter Day,’ if built correctly, is based on results. It’s all based on the choices we know we need to make in order to drive success,” Newman says. “And when we’re not feeling successful, it’s typically because we’re choosing to not do the things we know we need to do to be successful…. It’s manageable when we manage it one day at a time.”

To have a Prizefighter Day, one where you feel like your best self, Newman recommends establishing a daily routine that includes the following three actions:

1. Personal activity

Newman’s example: This includes “waking up every morning and getting in your morning workout (because it releases endorphins and builds confidence).”

2. Business or professional activity

Newman’s example: You can “[set] a specific goal for the number of phone calls, follow-ups, reps [or] workouts that you have to make every day, knowing that will further your success, regardless of the results.”

3. Service to others activity

Newman’s example: “This could be lending an ear to a friend, giving compliments to a stranger [or] calling your parents…. What activity can you consistently do in the service of others?”

This article originally appeared in the July/August 2025 issue of SUCCESS® magazine.

Photo by ©Sam Limon

The post Ben Newman: Using Your “Burn“ to Find Strength in Your Story appeared first on SUCCESS.

We took the time to check out some options that are as unique as every father. They are sure to go beyond the typical tie and mug combo you’ve been hitting hard since you or your kids first began adding gray hair to his head.

Foodie dads

Does your dad consider himself a foodie? Or secretly enjoys a better coffee than the gas station cup he settles for each morning on his way to work? If so, these options might be a great break from tradition.

• Cometeer’s coffee subscription: The Cometeer’s coffee subscription is a gift that keeps on giving throughout the year. The subscription boxes can be customized to suit Dad’s tastes and range from light roasts to dark roasts. We love that the flash-frozen technology Cometeer uses truly makes the coffee taste better than any pod we’ve tried. The company also offers lower caffeine options, so if Dad is trying to limit his intake, there are still options for him. Since it’s not Clark Griswold’s jelly-of-the-month club, you can rest assured Dad will actually enjoy having this subscription in his mailbox.

• Diestel Family Ranch turkey drumstick bouquet: We personally like bouquets, and if Dad hasn’t found a bouquet he enjoys just yet, then maybe consider giving him his very own turkey drumstick bouquet. That’s right —a bouquet fit for a dad who looks forward to the state fair every year so he can sample another delicious drumstick. The bouquet itself is five pounds of fully cooked, shreddable, hickory smoked turkey meat. They do come frozen, so they’ll need a quick thaw before Dad decides to enjoy, but they make great high-protein lunches for working dads who are tired of deli meat sandwiches.

Fashion-forward dads

If your dad has a passion for fashion that goes beyond the typical “dad” look, then check out these options. They’ll raise his style to a new level and don’t require adding a single pair of socks to his already overflowing sock drawer.

• Nike Air Max Dn8: There is a level of cool to these shoes that scream “best Father’s Day gift ever!” The bright color combinations and the pressurized air tubes for responsive movement makes them a shoe all in its own category. Plus, with inclusive sizing, you could get a pair of your own to match Dad’s. Who says matching parent/child options have to be limited to the little kids?

• BedHead PJs: He might not wear them to the office, but these pajamas are still a novel gift option this Father’s Day. We love this year’s fun prints, as they scream beach and tropics. Plus, the varied shorts and pants options with the poplin fabric means Dad can be comfortable wherever he is. 

• Topo’s Global Jacket: A wet dog is unpleasant… and a soaking wet dad from an unexpected rain shower might be a close second. But the new Topo’s Global Jacket is a perfect solution for any activity—including spring sports, kids’ field trips or outdoor activities. We love the way that Topo’s has utilized color combinations to make rain jackets hip. Plus, the packability of this jacket makes it the perfect option for family trips or for Dad’s go-to jacket to keep in his car.

Outdoorsy dads

If your dad is a bit more of a Tim “the Tool Man” Taylor, whose face lights up with the sound of a revving motor and oil requirements, then check out these options for small appliances that just might fit the bill this Father’s Day.

• Greenworks 60V 610 CFM cordless leaf blower: If your dad likes his sidewalks or driveway to look tip top, consider adding this cordless leaf blower to the mix of tools he has in his garage. We loved that we didn’t have to worry about plugging it in or messing with a cord while cleaning outside surfaces. Plus, the quick charge time on the battery (only 50 minutes!), means Dad could be removing debris and wet leaves from his patio in no time. Did we mention it has a “turbo” option? 

• Eufy LawnBot E15/E18: For those times when Dad might want to spend his free time with family or friends or would prefer to multitask outdoor chores, this LawnBot could be the solution. This new release has a 3D perception system to help avoid obstacles in the yard, and boasts parallel cutting for a lawn that looks almost as good as if Dad had spent hours on it himself.

Techie dads

Finally, no Father’s Day gift guide would be complete without technology gifts. These options will have Dad connected and in sync with the world around him.

• Skullcandy headphones: When it comes to quality sound without an expensive price tag, Skullcandy offers great options for Dad, whether he has a preference for earbuds or headphones. We love that both of these options offer up to 40 hours of battery life, in addition to noise-canceling and noise-isolating options. Plus, the variety of colors means Dad isn’t limited to the typical black if he prefers to add a pop of color during his gym workouts or audiobook sessions.

• BenQ GV50 ceiling projector: Dad might not have a movie theater in his home, but that doesn’t mean he can’t watch his favorite shows or enjoy movie night with the family from the comfort of his bed. This ceiling projector features a flexible base that allows for 360-degree screen angle rotation. With a timer option, if Dad “rests his eyes” before the credits roll, he won’t be woken up hours later due to unwanted noise.

Still not finding the right option for Dad this year? Consider offering him some of your time! “Think of something you can do together,” said Trae Bodge, a shopping expert. “Perhaps it’s an activity, like going to the batting range or playing a round of golf or going on a hike with a picnic with some of his favorite foods. Or go to the movies, museum or a sporting event.” You’ll be making memories together, and that’s something that can never take up too much space, even in a busy dad’s calendar.  

For most of us, buying for the dads in our lives is harder than buying for the moms. Because of that, we end up taking the well-travelled road to socks, ties and coffee mugs. Instead, think about something Dad loves and get him a subscription box that will arrive each month packed with fun things for him to enjoy. I like the food/beverage boxes the most, like chocolates, cheeses, beautifully-cut meats or wines.  

Another option is a gift card—and not just a boring old card that you grab at the cash register. Get him a personalized gift card from a site like GiftCardGranny or PerfectGift, with a photo and message of your choosing. The customized card will make him smile, AND he’ll have permission to buy exactly what he wants.  

Something else most dads want? Time with their kids! Think of something you can do together—perhaps it’s an activity, like going to the batting range or playing a round of golf, or going on a hike with a picnic with some of his favorite foods. Or go to the movies, museum, a sporting event, etc. 

Photo by Sumala Chidchoi/Shutterstock

The post Best Father’s Day Gifts for Dads Who Have Plenty of Ties, Mugs and Socks Already appeared first on SUCCESS.

Reading retreats usually consist of 15–20 people who get together, usually at some fabulous vacation spot, to read and relax for a few days. Some retreats are heavy on reading time and might offer a session with a famous author. Others focus on sightseeing but set aside at least one day for reading and lounging.

Book lover Danielle Moore, the founder and host of Bookish Retreats in Michigan, has hosted retreats in Orlando and Nashville. She also has upcoming retreats in Playa de Carmen, Mexico; San Diego, California; and Tuscany, Italy. When I caught up with her, she was on her way to host a retreat in Savannah, Georgia.

Moore says she got the idea to host a reading retreat after seeing a video on BookTok (a reading-focused community space inside TikTok) where someone held a book camp with a few friends. “I thought to myself, ‘Wow, I would really love to have something like that for readers,’ because I didn’t have a lot of reading friends,” she says. “So I decided to post a video asking people if they wanted to go on a reading retreat with me, and it went viral.” 

Using her background in planning and her degree in English and theatre, she organized her first reading retreat in 2023. “Everybody loved it. And I [thought], ‘This can really be something.’ So I decided to run with it, and I’ve hosted over 10 [retreats] now.”

How reading retreats work

Reading retreat packages usually include accommodations (which could be a big vacation rental or a posh resort), group meals, and activities, like a wine tasting class or yoga. Guests might all read and discuss the same book, or they might each bring a book they’ve been dying to find time to read. Some retreats also offer goodie bags or book-themed activities.

For instance, the Bookish Retreats Savannah trip included a city tour of Savannah, a bookmark-making class, a day trip to a local bookstore and a book swap, where participants could exchange books they no longer wanted with other guests.

Moore says that guests at her retreats like all genres of literature, so she doesn’t always tie the book they read to the location they visit. However, for the Tuscany trip, the group will read a book that’s Italian-based to “get that vibe.” She adds that “when we do beach retreats, I like to have at least one book that is, like, beachy, and… we’re doing a cozy thriller retreat this fall.”

Why people keep attending reading retreats

Many of Moore’s guests are repeat visitors, she says. A big reason for this is the friendships they make on these retreats.

“Reading is a very introverted activity, but when you’re able to bring that discussion to real life, to other people, not only do you start just bonding over books but a lot of people have similar commonalities in life and what they want,” she says. “A lot of readers are introverts and aren’t planners, so they don’t like to do the planning… [and] they get nervous about meeting new people. So that’s where I come into play.”

Emily Gordon, a business manager from Rhode Island, has been to six Bookish Retreats. She agrees that what keeps her coming back are the friendships.

“I have a bunch of friends at home, but we don’t really have a similar interest, and a lot of us are in different stages of life,” she says. “[On the Savannah] retreat that we’re going to now, there’s seven or eight of us who have been on multiple retreats with each other, so it’s kind of like going to see old family or old friends.”

Reading retreats to try

Here’s a partial list of reading retreats held in the U.S. and in other countries for you to check out. Many sell out quickly, so you might need to get on their mailing list for access.

• Bookish Retreats hosts several retreats each year—mainly in the U.S., but it’s recently branched out to Mexico and Italy. The Tuscany retreat includes a stay at a farmhouse villa in Lucca, Italy, a virtual book chat with an author, wine tasting at a winery and a tour of Cinque Terre. 
• Ladies Who Lit offers luxury retreats in Italy, France, Spain, Morocco and other locations. Trips may include a murder mystery dinner, a movie night and lots of time to read during the days.
• Reading Retreat specializes in book retreats at cozy country houses and manors around England. Authors who have joined guests for dinner include Sophie Hannah, who took over from the late Agatha Christie in writing new Hercule Poirot mysteries. 
• Book of Cinz focuses on retreats in the Caribbean and always includes a “read and beach day,” plus lots of sightseeing. For instance, the trip to Jamaica also features a visit to a rum distillery and swimming at a waterfall.

Photo by soft_light/Shutterstock.com

The post Reading Retreats: The Ultimate Getaway for Book Lovers appeared first on SUCCESS.

While the need to keep in touch (and post all your fabulous vacation pics) while away from home is real, modern travelers also need to be aware that there are unexpected dangers lurking across the shared World Wide Web. 

“Whether in airports, hotels or train stations, travelers often seek out free public Wi-Fi to stay connected, but what many don’t realize is that public Wi-Fi comes with significant risks,” says internet security expert Eric Plam, chief revenue officer at SIMO. “Hackers can exploit unsecured networks to steal your personal or financial information—and resell it on the dark web for profit.” 

Evil twin networks

“Evil twin networks”—which look like official public Wi-Fi connections but are actually fake hotspots set up with the same SSID (network name)—are one of the newest and more nefarious ways hackers are pilfering people’s personal info. 

“Because the fake network has the same name and may even offer a stronger signal, unsuspecting users often connect to it without realizing it’s a trap,” says Plam. 

These attacks are most likely to happen in places where people rely on public Wi-Fi, such as: 

• Airports and hotels
• Conferences and events 
• Cafés and restaurants
• Public transportation 

Once you’re connected to an “evil twin,” a cyber attacker can intercept your data, track online activity and potentially steal personal information like usernames, passwords, banking details or sensitive emails. In some cases, they may even inject malware or ransomware onto your device.

Unfortunately, these dupes are really hard for the average person to spot. For example, you might be presented with “Free_Airport_WiFi” versus “FreeAirportWiFi” and to the uninformed eye there is no way to know which is legit. 

7 smart steps to protect your private information

Fortunately, there are easy steps savvy travelers can take to ensure they’re safe when considering public Wi-Fi connections. 

Here are seven ways to help keep your personal info protected the next time you need to log in while on the go:

1. Verify the network name with staff

Be cautious of networks with a stronger signal or duplicate names. When in doubt, Plam suggests you should always ask the venue for the correct network name because even a single letter could mean the difference between a safe connection or a hacker’s heyday. 

2. Avoid public Wi-Fi for sensitive transactions

It’s best to avoid checking your bank account, logging into your email or shopping online while on public Wi-Fi. “Sensitive tasks should be reserved for secure connections… public networks expose you to risks that are difficult to detect in real time,” says Plam.

3. Disable auto-connect on your devices

Many phones and laptops automatically reconnect to previously used networks—including rogue ones. By turning off auto-connect, Plam says you regain control of when and where you connect to the internet, thereby avoiding malicious duplicates.

4. Keep your software up to date

Patches and updates to your device’s software fix known vulnerabilities in apps and operating systems that hackers frequently exploit. “Delaying updates can leave your device exposed,” says Plam. “Running the latest version of your software is one of the easiest forms of protection.” 

5. Check for HTTPS before logging into a site

Always look for websites that have HTTPS before their domain name. That’s important because the “S” stands for “secure,” meaning it offers secure encryption between your browser and the site. “Never input login credentials or financial details on websites that lack HTTPS,” says Plam. “That ‘S’ isn’t just a letter—it’s a line of defense.” 

6. Subscribe to a trusted virtual private network (VPN)

A virtual private network (VPN) basically turns a public connection into a private one by encrypting your info, making it much harder for hackers to see your data—even on a spoofed network. This adds an extra layer of protection when signing into public Wi-Fi. “A reputable VPN acts as a protective tunnel,” says Plam, who also suggests you choose a service with performance optimizations to avoid any noticeable slowdowns (an occasional side effect of adding a VPN subscription to your device).

7. Use a personal hotspot instead of a public Wi-Fi connection

Many cellphone providers are now offering users personal Wi-Fi hotspot connections through their smartphones as part of their monthly service plan. Taking advantage of this personal hotspot option is one way to circumvent the hacking risks that come along with public Wi-Fi. Before you go on vacation, check to see if your phone includes a personal hotspot, or consider purchasing a plan with an external provider, and use that instead for your internet needs. “When you control the connection, you control the risk,” says Plam. “A personal hotspot is a powerful safeguard for travelers.”  

Your digital data is worth dollars—guard it well

Finally, keep in mind that hackers aren’t just targeting you for entertainment purposes. There is big money to be made off your personal info. 

In fact, stolen data is bought and sold on the dark web all the time. Plam says to remember that hackers are running a business and can regularly pull in anywhere from $10 for credit card details up to $1,000+ for full identity profiles (e.g., social security number, date of birth, email, etc.).

“Your digital identity is more valuable than most people realize,” says Plam “A few careless clicks on public Wi-Fi can give cybercriminals everything they need to exploit you—or sell your information to someone who will.”

Fortunately, you can fight back by using these tools to protect your private data—whether at home, on a plane or by the pool.

Photo by sturti/iStock.com

The post How to Protect Yourself From Public Wi-Fi Hacks While Traveling appeared first on SUCCESS.

“Dedicating time to making a positive difference creates memories far deeper than any souvenir,” says Heidi Clarke, executive director of the Sandals Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded to give back to the communities where Sandals and Beaches resorts operate. 

Travelers can also use volunteering to go beyond their comfort zone and learn something new, whether it’s a skill or a deeper understanding of local culture, adds Sarah Roman, communications manager, Americas, for World Nomads Travel Insurance, who has volunteered extensively abroad.  

But often,“the story isn’t always so heartwarming,” says Megan Grant, founder of Cherish Tours, a travel agency that curates women-only tours. “Voluntourism can unintentionally do more harm than good,” she says. The volunteer opportunities may wind up costing a bundle without a clear indication of where the money is going or whether anyone is really being helped. 

“Short-term voluntourism isn’t always helpful,” says Leigh Barnes, president of the Americas for Intrepid Travel. “[It] can include risks such as job loss for locals, negative impacts on local childhood development, and harmful miscommunication in highly complex situations.” 

That doesn’t mean volunteering on vacation is never a good idea. To be sure you aren’t unintentionally harming the very people you want to help, it’s essential to choose your voluntourism experience carefully. Here are some questions to ask, with answers from experts.

How can I find a good volunteer opportunity?

Roman suggests picking a bucket-list destination and looking for local opportunities to give back. Choosing a place you’re excited about visiting can help narrow down volunteer options and ensure you have a great vacation outside of the time spent volunteering. 

Once you’ve settled on a location, look for volunteer opportunities. “If you already support an organization like the Red Cross or [the] Humane Society, start by looking into on-the-ground places to volunteer that are associated with them,” Roman says. That way, you know that a trusted organization has already vetted the organization, she explains. 

Or, if you already donate to a non-profit that works in the area where you would like to go, “ask them for recommendations about how to get involved on the ground,” because they may have local partners, she adds. 

Some resorts and hotels partner with local communities to arrange volunteer opportunities for guests. For example, Hilton is part of the Mamala Hawaii program. Guests at select Hilton properties can volunteer with local groups that work to protect and restore Hawaii’s environment. 

Sandals Resorts partners with local organizations to curate volunteer opportunities for guests on each island where they have a resort. Volunteer opportunities include helping with sea turtle conservation and reading at local school libraries. 

What if I have specific skills – or none?

Jessica Blotter, co-founder, and CEO of Kind Traveler, a travel agency that promotes sustainable, purpose-driven travel, explains that you’ll have a greater significant impact if you find an organization that will benefit from your specific skills. If you can cook, garden, do carpentry or teach, find an organization that can use your expertise.  

If you don’t have any skills that can easily be used when volunteering, follow your heart. Caroline Dillabaugh, director of impact at Fidelity Hotel, suggests volunteering in a space that means something to you. “It will feel more meaningful if you’re doing something that you care about,” she says. 

For example, if you love animals, look for volunteer opportunities at a local humane society. If you like helping people, take a shift or two at a food bank. If you are passionate about environmental conservation and sustainability, look for ways to plant trees or preserve coral reefs.“The more you care and are connected to the volunteer experience, the more meaningful it will be,” Dillabaugh adds. 

How can I make sure this opportunity is a good fit?

First, select an organization that aligns with your moral standards and priorities, Roman advises. For example, volunteering with a religious organization might not be the best choice if you don’t follow that faith, particularly if proselytizing is part of the outreach. 

Second, ask how many others will be present when you are volunteering. “You don’t want to show up to a place overrun with volunteers, leaving you with nothing to do, when you could have a larger impact at another organization,” Roman explains. 

Blotter says the most impactful volunteer experiences fill a community’s needs. Some well-meaning volunteers may participate in projects (like collecting school supplies) that make them feel good but aren’t needed. “Lead with humility. Volunteering requires listening to understand rather than trying to solve problems,” she says. 

One way to ensure that a volunteer project meets a community need is to ask whether any local people are involved. “True impact in travel volunteerism doesn’t come from what we give. It comes from how deeply we connect,” Blotter says.

What are some red flags to look out for?

Not all volunteer opportunities are legitimate. “Unfortunately, there are some scams that target tourists wanting to do good,” Roman explains. 

Any organization that asks volunteers for a large sum of money to participate may be problematic, Roman says. Legitimate programs will “show you exactly how your time and money are utilized,” with measurable results, Blotter says. 

Grant says that a credible organization will welcome tough questions like, How does this project contribute to the local community’s long-term goals? What happens after we leave? Who does this project directly support? If you aren’t sure if an organization is legitimate, check online reviews and contact former volunteers, Blotter suggests. 

Avoid experiences that can be exploitative. For example, an organization may take volunteers to orphanages and then ask for donations when volunteers are emotionally vulnerable. These visits can also be harmful to the children. 

Doni Belau, founder of Girls’ Guide to the World, used to run a non-profit in South Africa that supported children with HIV. At first, she allowed volunteers to visit the children and interact with them. However, she stopped when she realized these visits negatively impacted the kids. Belau explains that the children would quickly get attached to the volunteers and when they left, the kids would feel very sad.

“A day or two connecting with a vulnerable child with no follow-up might make the volunteer feel good, but for the child who needs stability, it can be destabilizing,” she says. If you genuinely want to help children, look for opportunities that don’t involve interacting with them directly or commit to a long-term volunteer program. 

Are there are other ways to give back?

Yes! Volunteering isn’t the only way to have a meaningful impact on the community you are visiting. Instead, you can focus on responsible, community-led tourism, says Barnes. For example, Intrepid Travel partners with local communities to create tours. These tours help support local businesses, hotels and philanthropic projects, such as a coffee shop in Morocco that only employs women and a craft shop in Jordan that employs people with disabilities. The people who work in these places will benefit from both your dollars and time.

Remember to have fun

It’s natural to be excited about a great volunteer opportunity. But your volunteer vacation shouldn’t be all work and no play. “The best voluntourism experiences are those that still have elements of a vacation,” Roman says. Plus, pairing service days with downtime can allow the experience to “sink in” and leave a longer-lasting impact, says Melissa Krueger, CEO of Classic Vacations.

Volunteer opportunities to consider

Preserve giant tortoise habitats in the Galapagos 

Ecoventura, a sustainably focused tour operator with small-group sailings in the Galápagos Islands, lets guests help restore the natural habitat of the giant Galapagos tortoises. Guests can plant trees where they roam freely. 

Plant coral in Fiji

At OUTRIGGER Fiji Beach Resort, guests can assist with coral planting. Marine biologists guide volunteers and teach them how coral planting helps regenerate local reef systems. 

Protect giraffes in Namibia

At Natural Selection’s Hoanib Valley Camp in Namibia, volunteers partner with the Giraffe Conservation Foundation to assist researchers protect the local giraffe population, which is in danger because of drought and poaching. With the assistance of expert guides, volunteers photograph giraffes in the wild and submit their images for data mapping. Previous volunteers have helped identify distinct giraffe species in the area. 

Assist Asheville recovery from Hurricane Helene

Volunteers can help Asheville Greenworks clean up riverbanks and neighborhoods impacted by the storm. On Wednesdays, people gather at a local pub after their cleanup. Another option is volunteering at the MANNA Foodbank by packaging healthy meals, sorting donated products, and delivering food.

Take care of lodges in Maine

Through Maine’s Huts & Trails program, people can stay in an off-the-grid eco lodge in the Maine Lakes and Mountains region. Throughout the winter, volunteer caretakers keep the lodges heated, clean common areas, and answer questions. During the rest of the year, they help stack wood or maintain the trials. 

Photo courtesy of Dragana Gordic/Shutterstock

The post Vacation for Good: How to Choose a Trip that Allows You to Give Back appeared first on SUCCESS.

Quick affirmations like “I am enough” or “I am worthy” help to kick self-doubt to the curb, boost self-confidence and inspire a more resilient mindset. The following list is full of influential quotes and profound reminders just like these. Whether you’re facing a challenge or just need a moment of grounding, use them on your road to both personal growth and professional success. 

Remember that you are already whole, always deserving and always more than enough showing up as your true, authentic self. Repeat those words and believe them.

Empowering Quotes About Being Enough

It may seem silly to speak to your reflection in the mirror or to receive a pep talk from that voice inside your head. But science says there are real, concrete benefits to positive daily affirmations. These kinds of repeated statements can actually help us form new neural pathways in the brain, essentially changing our thinking patterns and what we focus on. Research suggests that this new mindset promotes higher levels of self-confidence and self-worth while reducing stress and other negative feelings. 

The following “I am enough” quotes further introduce us to the concept of self-affirmation. Celebrities, authors and other notable leaders share their own personal mantras and remind us that we, too, are enough just as we are.

• “you are good enough / you are worthy / you are strong / you are beautiful” — r.h. Sin, Whiskey Words & a Shovel III
• “I was told I wasn’t good enough, but I just chose not to listen.” —Khalid
• “Run to yourself. Life is so big. Do not try to fill it. Instead, expand within. You are enough for you.” —Bryant McGill
• “Sit quietly, with your eyes closed, and with each in-breath feel the fact that who you are is enough.” —Mark Nepo, The Book of Awakening
• “You are an important person just the way you are. You can make healthy decisions.” —Fred Rogers
• “You are more than enough to hold someone’s full attention…don’t settle for anyone who tries to come to you with theirs divided.” —Butterflies Rising, wild spirit, soft heart
• “We’re told the grass is greener and richer somewhere, but we were never told that who we are is enough.” —Shiena Gable, The Light and Love Within
• “Just breathe. You are strong enough to handle your challenges, wise enough to find solutions to your problems, and capable enough to do whatever needs to be done.” —Lori Deschene
• “No need to hurry. No need to sparkle. No need to be anybody but oneself.” —Virginia Woolf, A Room of One’s Own
• “I am larger, better than I thought, /  I did not know I held so much goodness.” —Walt Whitman, Song of the Open Road
• “Being enough was going to have to be an inside job.” —Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird

Related: 17 Bold Ways to Boost Self-Confidence

Deep “You Are Enough” Quotes to Help You Embrace Who You Are

Self-acceptance comes with the territory of believing that you are enough. The concept seems so simple, but it means so much in the sphere of our lives. Self-acceptance means showing up as your authentic self and viewing yourself in a positive light. Acknowledging your strengths, weaknesses and imperfections and loving yourself anyway. This trait can be learned and fine-tuned through:

• Self-care
• Mindfulness and meditation
• Positive affirmations
• A strong support system
• Letting go of judgment or criticism
• Setting realistic goals 
• Practicing self-compassion 

When you need an additional nudge in the right direction, these “you are good enough” quotes relay the message that we are all beautiful in our own way. Use them to embrace who you are—because who you are truly is special.

• “There are a lot of people who give you the message that maybe you are not good enough and the best thing you can do for yourself is to block out all of that noise.” —Rachel Platten
• “What if it wasn’t that you weren’t ‘enough’? What if it was that you were too MUCH? Too amazing? Too successful? Too confident? Too bold? Too smart? Too witty? Too incredible? So much so that the other person bailed because of their own inadequacies and not yours?” —Mandy Hale, Don’t Believe the Swipe
• “Remember, you have been criticizing yourself for years, and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens.” —Louise L. Hay, You Can Heal Your Life
• “To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.” —Oscar Wilde, An Ideal Husband 
• “You surrender and try to fill yourself, become something that will resemble “enough”. Stop doing that. Stop rearranging yourself. You are absolutely enough the way you are.” —Josephine Saint
• “Nobody is perfect. I just don’t believe in perfection. But I do believe in saying: ‘This is who I am and look at me not being perfect!’ I’m proud of that.” —Kate Winslet
• “Good enough is good enough. We’re not supposed to be perfect. We’re supposed to be complete.” —Jane Fonda
• “Accept yourself as you are right now: an imperfect, changing, growing, and worthwhile person.” —Denis Waitley, The Winner’s Edge
• “Everyone is special in their own way.” —Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being A Wallflower
• “from now on I will say things like you are resilient, or you are extraordinary / not because I don’t think you’re pretty / but because you are so much more than that.” —Rupi Kaur, Milk and Honey

Related: 75 Uplifting Mental Health Quotes to Comfort and Inspire You

“I Am Enough” Quotes to Remind Yourself of Every Day

Even the most secure, self-assured people need a pick-me-up every once in awhile. These original SUCCESS® quotes are available to you whenever you need some positivity and inner power. Choose at least one to focus on each day and see how your self-esteem and self-confidence grow.

• “Just being here and being present is enough.”
• “I am worthy of all the things I can’t stop dreaming about.” 
• “You don’t have to wait until you’re older, richer or more successful to be content. You deserve to be happy now.”
• “Your worth is not something you must earn. It is something you have had since your first breath.”
• “I am enough despite my flaws and mistakes.”
• “I have everything I need to live a successful and happy life.”
• “You have always been capable and worthy of so much more than you know.”
• “The only person you have to prove anything to is yourself.”
• “Your accomplishments and contributions will never outweigh your intrinsic value.”
• “My puzzle is already complete. I am whole and perfect.” 

“You Are More Than Enough” Quotes to Help You Succeed

Realizing that you are enough can help bring inner peace and contentment. But it also gives you the courage to tackle life’s ups and downs and to flourish in all areas. You are more than capable of going after your wildest dreams—and you owe it to yourself to create the life you’ve always wanted. These quotes remind you that you can effect change and write your own success story. Don’t let anything or anyone get in the way.

• “You are enough to start a movement. Individual people can come together around things that they know are unjust. And they can spark change.” —DeRay Mcesson
• “You are enough, a thousand times enough.” —Atticus, The Best of Atticus
• “All I can tell you really is if you get to the point where someone is telling you that you are not great or not good enough, just follow your heart and don’t let anybody crush your dream.” —Patti LaBelle
• “I am deserving of success and fulfillment in all areas of my life. I attract positive opportunities and abundance effortlessly.” —Lavanda Michelle
• “Believing in our hearts that who we are is enough is the key to a more satisfying and balanced life.” —Ellen Sue Stern, The Indispensable Woman
• “Don’t let anyone tell you that you’re not good enough. Don’t let anyone tell you that you’re too short, you’re too fat, you’re too thin, you’re too ugly—that’s nonsense. For all the ‘No’s, someone’s gonna say, ‘Yes.’ Stick with it.” —Bradley Walsh
• “You already have every characteristic necessary for success if you recognize, claim, develop, and use them.” —Zig Ziglar
• “If I fall, I am strong enough, I’m intelligent enough, I can do it!” —Migeul Ruiz, The Four Agreements
• “You’re special just because. No qualifications necessary.” —Max Lucado

Quotes to Remind You That You Are Enough and Worthy

Fully embracing the “you are enough” mentality means letting go of self-doubt, perfectionism and comparison—and instead shining a light on your own individuality and worth. We are all worthy of love, respect, joy and abundance—not because of what we do or what we achieve, but simply because of who we are. The following quotes serve as gentle yet powerful reminders that the value we bring into the world isn’t tied to any kind of external factor. It’s instilled in us from the very beginning.

• “Yes, I am imperfect and vulnerable and sometimes afraid, but that doesn’t change the truth that I am also brave and worthy of love and belonging.” —Brene Brown, The Gifts of Imperfection
• “Realize that everyone that you think is perfect feels like they’re not good enough, too. We all just need to love ourselves and believe in ourselves.” —Alessia Cara
• “I am worthy of receiving all things, that I know—I truly deserve.” —Eleesha
• “I need to see my own beauty and to continue to be reminded that I am enough, that I am worthy of love without effort, that I am beautiful, that the texture of my hair and that the shape of my curves, the size of my lips, the color of my skin, and the feelings that I have are all worthy and okay.” —Tracee Ellis Ross
• “Remember that you are worthy of abundance. Feeling worthy of any blessings or desires is a feature of your inner life.” —Wayne Dyer
• “I am special…I am loving…I am loyal…I am beautiful on the inside…I am strong, and I am worthy and deserving of genuine love. I know my self-worth, so I will not give up on me!” —Stephanie Lahart, Overcoming Life’s Obstacles
• “I am infinitely worthy, simply by existing. My worth is not dependent on my achievements, my appearance, or anything external. I acknowledge and honor my true value and worth, and I release any beliefs or judgments that have held me back.” —Elle Louise McBride
• “KNOW your worth. Then choose to make decisions based on what you deserve. You’re worthy…so act worthy. Move worthy. Talk worthy. Think worthy. Feel worthy. So no one else can come in and take your worth away from you. It doesn’t belong to them…” —Ashley Taylor-Maland
• “It can’t be said enough that we are worthy of love, support, and rest. We’re worthy of joy and beautiful things, without having to work for it all the time.” —Morgan Harper Nichols
• “You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” —Sharon Salzberg, LovingKindness

Let These “I Am Enough” Quotes Be Your Daily Reminder

The most powerful voice you will hear in your life is your own. What you say to yourself day in and day out will have a significant impact on your emotions and ability to thrive, so make sure that it’s a positive impact. 

These “I am enough” quotes and daily affirmations are more than just words but tools you can use to bolster your self-esteem, promote positivity in all areas of your life and, ultimately, bring you endless joy and abundance. Carry them with you so that you always show up in your truest form–your most confident, whole and unapologetic self. That version of you, and every version of you, is more than worthy and deserving of all the good life has to offer.

Photo courtesy of Ground Picture/Shutterstock

The post 50 “You Are Enough” Quotes to Remind You of Your Worth appeared first on SUCCESS.