“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”
“If a man knows not to which port he sails, no wind is favorable.”
“First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.”
“If you would be a reader, read; if a writer, write.”
“It is in times of security that the spirit should be preparing itself for difficult times; while fortune is bestowing favors on it is then is the time for it to be strengthened against her rebuffs.”
“If you would not have a man flinch when the crisis comes, train him before it comes.”
“Consider first, man, what the matter is, and what your own nature is able to bear. If you would be a wrestler, consider your shoulders, your back, your thighs; for different persons are made for different things.”
“On the occasion of every accident that befalls you, remember to turn to yourself and inquire what power you have for turning it to use.”
“Events do not just happen, but arrive by appointment.”
“Set aside a certain number of days, during which you shall be content with the scantiest and cheapest fare, with course and rough dress, saying to yourself the while: 'Is this the condition that I feared?”