Natalie Goldberg Quotes

No matter how hard it seems...never give up, always believe.

It was never easy, but I always tried my best and kept complaints out of my heart by holding tightly onto the hope that one day, I would read and write.

'Give up... it's time to quit,' I don't think I've ever really accepted those kinds of words in my life or vocabulary.

The cheerful mind perseveres and the strong mind hews its way through a thousand difficulties.

With each passing day, I didn't lose hope. I fought to have more.

I knew I was not a failure in any way, and so did those close to me. It doesn't matter if you fall short; it is never a failure to go after your goals with everything you've got.

Don't be daunted. Just do your job. Continue to show up for your piece of it, whatever that might be. If your job is to dance, do your dance. If the divine, cockeyed genius assigned to your case decides to let some sort of wonderment be glimpsed, for just one moment through your efforts, then 'Ole!' And if not, do your dance anyhow. And 'Ole!' to you, nonetheless. I believe this and I feel that we must teach it. 'Ole!' to you, nonetheless, just for having the sheer human love and stubbornness to keep showing up.

Take "no" as an encouragement to redouble his efforts, so it was easier to say "yes" right away.

Don't ever give up on yourself. Keep pushing because the change of guards is what life's all about. [...] You've always got to stick with whatever you're into because you're day is going to come. You're day is destined. If you walk away from that, whether it be from fear or whether you're just giving up. [...] The greatest sin is fear and giving up.

You can't lose confidence in yourself, or you've lost already. When you get knocked down, you've got to keep getting back up.

Just because the road ahead is long, is no reason to slow down. Just because there is much work to be done, is no reason to get discouraged. It is a reason to get started, to grow, to find new ways, to reach within yourself and discover strength, commitment, and determination. The road ahead is long and difficult, but it’s filled with opportunity. Start what needs starting. Finish what needs finishing. Get on the road. Stay on the road. Don’t give up.

Life, like classical music, is full of difficult passages that are conquered as much through endurance and determination as through any particular skill.

Work hard and believe in yourself even when nobody else believes in you.

Perseverance is impossible if we don't permit ourselves to hope.

I was taught to strive not because there were any guarantees of success but because the act of striving is in itself the only way to keep faith with life.

There is no excuse for not trying.

As long as I try, there’s always a chance of getting up. It’s not the end until you give up.

There's no such thing as a lost cause, or a dead end. Through persistence, attitude, and creativity, there's always an escape route.

My dad always told me that perseverance furthers. He was right.

I don't deal in frustration. I'm a fighter. And everything I've ever gotten, I've had to fight for.

Two little mice fell in a bucket of cream. The first mouse quickly gave up and drowned. The second mouse, wouldn't quit. He struggled so hard that eventually he churned that cream into butter and crawled out. Gentlemen, as of this moment, I am that second mouse.

No matter how tough the chase is, you should always have the dream you saw on the first day. It'll keep you motivated and rescue you (from any weak thoughts).

Keep moving forward, even one or two steps, in your own way. Those who live out their lives to the fullest, unperturbed by the noisy clamor around them, are the true winners.

For all of us today, the battle is in our hands. The road ahead is not altogether a smooth one. There are no broad highways to lead us easily and inevitably to quick solutions. We must keep going.

I don't think something is a failure if you put your all into it. I'm a big fan of the saying, "Nothing beats a failure but a try."