The shades of night were falling fast,
As through an Alpine village passed
A youth, who bore, read more

The shades of night were falling fast,
As through an Alpine village passed
A youth, who bore, 'mid snow and ice
A banner with the strange device,
Excelsior!

What I aspired to be and was not, comforts me.

What I aspired to be and was not, comforts me.

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where read more

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.

Though ambition in itself is a vice, it often is also the parent of virtue.

Though ambition in itself is a vice, it often is also the parent of virtue.

Ambition is the path to success. Persistence is the vehicle you arrive in.

Ambition is the path to success. Persistence is the vehicle you arrive in.

As he was valiant, I honour him. But as he was ambitious, I slew him.

As he was valiant, I honour him. But as he was ambitious, I slew him.

When ambition ends, happiness begins.

When ambition ends, happiness begins.

Big results require big ambitions.

Big results require big ambitions.

I had ambition not only to go farther than any man had ever been before, but as far as it read more

I had ambition not only to go farther than any man had ever been before, but as far as it was possible for a man to go.