30 Quotes by Chris Gardner
Chris Gardner's life story is a testament to the power of perseverance and determination. Born into a challenging environment of poverty and adversity, Gardner faced numerous hardships while striving to achieve a better life for himself and his son. Despite being homeless and grappling with financial struggles, he refused to succumb to despair. Gardner's life changed when he landed an unpaid internship at a prestigious brokerage firm, where he eventually secured a full-time position through sheer dedication and hard work. His journey to success inspired the critically acclaimed movie "The Pursuit of Happyness," starring Will Smith.
After overcoming incredible odds, Gardner went on to become a successful entrepreneur, founding his own brokerage firm, and becoming a sought-after motivational speaker and author. His story serves as a beacon of hope for individuals facing adversity, illustrating the importance of tenacity, resilience, and the belief in one's own abilities. Chris Gardner's legacy stands as a powerful reminder that with unwavering determination and the right mindset, one can overcome even the most challenging circumstances to create a better life for themselves and their loved ones.
Chris Gardner Quotes
The secret to success: find something you love to do so much, you can’t wait for the sun to rise to do it all over again.
Wealth can also be that attitude of gratitude with which we remind ourselves everyday to count our blessings.
Baby steps count, as long as you are going forward. You add them all up, and one day you look back and you'll be surprised at where you might get to.
Others may question your credentials, your papers, your degrees. Others may look for all kinds of ways to diminish your worth. But what is inside you no one can take from you or tarnish. This is your worth, who you really are, your degree that can go with you wherever you go, that you bring with you the moment you come into a room, that can't be manipulated or shaken. Without that sense of self, no amount of paper, no pedigree, and no credentials can make you legit. No matter what, you have to feel legit inside first.
It's okay to fail; it's not okay to quit.
Find something that you love. Something that gets you so excited you can't wait to get out of bed in the morning. Forget about money. Be happy.
Don't ever let someone tell you you can't do something.
There is no plan B for passion
The world is your oyster. It's up to you to find the pearls.
If you want something, go get it. Period.
The balance in your life is more important than the balance in your checking account.
Walk that walk and go forward all the time. Don't just talk that talk, walk it and go forward. Also, the walk didn't have to be long strides; baby steps counted too. Go forward.
The future was uncertain, absolutely, and there were many hurdles, twists, and turns to come, but as long as I kept moving forward, one foot in front of the other, the voices of fear and shame, the messages from those who wanted me to believe that I wasn't good enough, would be stilled.
Do something that you love. Whatever you're going to do is going to be tough enough. Find something that gets you so excited that the sun can't come up early enough in the morning because you want to go do your thing.
It was right then that I started thinking about Thomas Jefferson on the Declaration of Independence and the part about our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And I remember thinking how did he know to put the pursuit part in there? That maybe happiness is something that we can only pursue and maybe we can actually never have it. No matter what. How did he know that?
Still a dreamer, yet more of a realist than ever before, I knew this was my time to sail. On the horizon I saw the shining future, as before. The difference now was that I felt the wind at my back. I was ready.
You have to be bold because there will be folks who will say, "You can't" or "You shouldn't" or "Why?" There is a certain boldness to saying, "Well, I really don't want to be a high-powered corporate lawyer. I'm really passionate about painting."
It can be done, but you have to make it happen.
Then again, what seems like nothing in the eyes of the world, when properly valued and put to use, can be among the greatest riches.
One of the things young people always ask me about is what is the secret to success. The secret is there is no secret. It's the basics. Blocking and tackling.
You can only depend on yourself. The cavalry aint coming.
You know how mountains get moved? Everyone who can move a couple, move a couple. Those who can move rocks, move rocks. Those who can move boulders, move boulders. That's how mountains get moved. If every one of us did everything we could, I believe we would be in a different world.
Claim ownership of your dreams
We all understand genetics. You get your eyes from your dad, your mom's nose, there's nothing you can do about that. But your spiritual genetics you can choose, pick, embrace and commit to. That's what I did.
Ready or not, Tell yourself to jump
It's ok to FAIL it's not ok to Quit
Always, always pursue happiness.
If you have a dream, you've got to protect it.
I was late once and it cost me $50,000. I figure it was cheaper to wear two watches.
No one ever laid out the sequence of events that led to my mother being prosecuted and imprisoned for alleged welfare fraud.
People can't do something themselves, they want to tell you you can't do it. You want something, go get it.
Strong people stand up for themselves. Stronger people stand up for others. The irony is that while sleep sometimes brings nightmares, it's the reality of my waking hours that can cause me the greater fear.
But if you don’t take the necessary steps to make them happen, dreams are just mirages that mess with your head!
I hold one thing dearer than all else: my commitment to my son.
There was a language specific to all things. The ability to learn another language in one arena, whether it was music, medicine, or finance, could be used to accelerate learning and other arenas, too.
― Chris Gardner Quotes
Chief Editor
Tal Gur is an author, founder, and impact-driven entrepreneur at heart. After trading his daily grind for a life of his own daring design, he spent a decade pursuing 100 major life goals around the globe. His journey and most recent book, The Art of Fully Living, has led him to found Elevate Society.
