Quotes About Motivation

I remember one day during my freshman year of high school, when as usual I was obsessively listening to a cast recording: it may have been 'Jesus Christ Superstar.' And I remember sitting there, totally absorbed, saying to myself, 'I can do this.'

I've had a very unusual background in science - not the usual route of planning on being a scientist from age 3. I think my story shows that success is more about personal motivation and determination than it is about where you were born or what your economic status was.

My pump-up songs before I compete are not the usual. They're more girly songs. I love 'The Climb' by Miley Cyrus. It's about the journey and savoring every moment. I have 'The World's Greatest' by R. Kelly on my playlist, too.

I am not a usual coach: it doesn't matter for me who are scoring the goals.

Just looking back at what my family did for me, and where I came from, from nothing in Ghana... and my mom allowing me to come play soccer, keeping myself motivated is a little bit easier than usual.

I am not the usual film star who enters politics just for the heck of it.

A thing I do with all my characters is I break them down into one of three things: mind, heart, and groin. I figure out where they come from and what they utilize most.

I once read Updike after writing a first draft, and I wanted to put my own book on the fire. I've since learned to read utter crap while I'm writing: pulp is the thing.

I completely and utterly rely on my mum. Without my mum, I would not be anywhere at all. I'd literally just be a couch potato.

Certainly, grades only matter so much when you're in Hollywood. But I became an utterly motivated, devoted, committed student. I was a good student because I was convinced that it would somehow help me in my quest to become a filmmaker.

I am utterly ambitious. I'm ambitious for the sake of being so, too.

As long as I am capable of working, and can learn lines and move around, I will carry on. I'd be utterly bored if I stopped.

I don't need the water to be inspired. My stories inspire me, not the location of where I'm parked. And good thing, since I've had to finish books in airports, in the RV we used to have, the lake house, while on vacation, at home, in the kitchen when my office PC was on the fritz.

Even when I was on vacation after the Olympia, I was looking for gym to train in. Not only was it 24 hours a day, it was 365 days a year. That may have been a little too extreme, but that is what got me there from that little backstreet gym in England to becoming Mr. Olympia.

And when did mere preaching do any good? Put something in the place of these things. Fill the vacuum of the mind.

You really need to have that discipline. It's not even discipline. I just put down these rules. It's not like a vague, 'Motivate yourself!' and do something. It's specific hours set aside every day for certain things.

Whatever you do for the sole purpose of having others admire you, your efforts will most likely be in vain.

I could've easily let the passing of my brother control how I live my life. But I was determined not to let him die in vain and to make a negative into a positive.

January is the best time of year for gym owners. You all come. It's great! And then, by Valentine's Day, you're not coming in anymore.

The most valiant thing you can do as an artist is inspire someone else to be creative.

It is nice to have valid competition; it pushes you to do better.

If the Sixth Man of the Year award comes and I don't get it, I don't need the validation because my teammates, coaching staff and a lot of my peers gave me that. They're telling me, 'I respect what you do' and all of that. So, I know that goes a long way as well. But it's definitely something I want to get accomplished one of these years.

The only rule I have found to have any validity in writing is not to bore yourself.

I learned really valuable lessons from 'Blue's Clues.' I'd repeat them every day. 'You can do things. You are smart.'