“Happiness is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort.”

Franklin D. Roosevelt

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“Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.”

Theodore Roosevelt

“Hard work is painful when life is devoid of purpose. But when you live for something greater than yourself and the gratification of your own ego, then hard work becomes a labor of love.”

Steve Pavlina

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“Never work just for money or for power. They won’t save your soul or help you sleep at night.”

Marian Wright Edelman

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“Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming.”

John R. Wooden

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“Dream big and dare to fail.”

Norman Vaughan

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“Build your own dreams, or someone else will hire you to build theirs.”

Farrah Gray

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“It is never too late to be what you might have been.”

George Eliot

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“Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears.”

Les Brown

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And in case you’re a procrastinator like me, a bonus quote:

“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”

Chinese Proverb

Shane Snow is Chief Creative Officer of Contently. He writes about media and technology for Wired, Fast Company, Ad Age, and more, and tweets at @shanesnow.