A thousand year a poor man watched
Before the gate of Paradise:
But while one little nap read more

A thousand year a poor man watched
Before the gate of Paradise:
But while one little nap he snatched,
It oped and shut. Ah! was he wise?

He who refuses to embrace a unique opportunity loses the prize as surely as if he had failed.

He who refuses to embrace a unique opportunity loses the prize as surely as if he had failed.

Let us seize, friends, our opportunity from the day as it passes.
[Lat., Rapiamus, amici,
Occasionem de read more

Let us seize, friends, our opportunity from the day as it passes.
[Lat., Rapiamus, amici,
Occasionem de die.]

The actual fact is that in this day Opportunity not only knocks
at your door but is playing an read more

The actual fact is that in this day Opportunity not only knocks
at your door but is playing an anvil chorus on every man's door,
and then lays for the owner around the corner with a club. The
world is in sore need of men who can do things. Indeed, cases
can easily be recalled by every one where Opportunity actually
smashed in the door and collared her candidate and dragged him
forth to success. These cases are exceptional, usually you have
to meet Opportunity half-way. But the only place where you can
get away from Opportunity is to lie down and die. Opportunity
does not trouble dead men, or dead ones who flatter themselves
that they are alive.

The commonest form, one of the most often neglected, and the safest opportunity for the average man to seize, is read more

The commonest form, one of the most often neglected, and the safest opportunity for the average man to seize, is hard work.

Most successful men have not achieved their distinction by having some new talent or opportunity presented to them. They have read more

Most successful men have not achieved their distinction by having some new talent or opportunity presented to them. They have developed the opportunity that was at hand.

I knock unbidden once at every gate--
If sleeping, wake--if feasting, rise before
I turn away--it is read more

I knock unbidden once at every gate--
If sleeping, wake--if feasting, rise before
I turn away--it is the hour of fate,
And they who follow me reach every state
Mortals desire, and conquer every foe
Save death, but those who doubt of hesitate,
Condemned to failure, penury and woe,
Seek me in vain and uselessly implore,
I answer not, and I return no more.

Any human anywhere will blossom in a hundred unexpected talents and capacities simply by being given the opportunity to do read more

Any human anywhere will blossom in a hundred unexpected talents and capacities simply by being given the opportunity to do so.

There is far more opportunity than there is ability.

There is far more opportunity than there is ability.