Paul Wellstone Quotes

Positive anything is better than negative nothing.

I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.

The cynic says, 'One man can't do anything.' I say, 'Only one man can do anything.'

Be a doer and not a critic.

Things don't turn up in this world until somebody turns them up.

There are really two kinds of optimism. There's the complacent, Pollyanna optimism that says, 'Don't worry - everything will be just fine,' and that allows one to just lay back and do nothing about the problems around you. Then there's what we call dynamic optimism. That's an optimism based on action.

Better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness.

Don’t tell me that it is tough. It is at least as tough as you think it is. But what is the alternative? It is to do nothing?

On one hand, I am very pessimistic, but on the other hand, if I didn't believe that speaking up would do something, I wouldn't have spoken.

I was probably a naive youth, but I saw that I could make things happen.

Whenever you can take something positive and make something good out of it, that's what I'm all about.

I always question myself, but I always say, 'Come on, we can do something good.'

I think that we as a people are always prone to think about, well, tomorrow will be a better day. Well, why will it be a better day? And I think the more that we believe in doing things better, doing the right thing rather than hoping that that's going to happen, let's make it happen.

Light tomorrow with today!

The smallest deed is better than the greatest intention.

I think a lot of young people have incredible ideas and incredible insights, but sometimes they wait before they go give their life to something. What I did was just to start a little earlier.

Rather than wait to be discovered, discover yourself. Whatever it is that you intend to do later, start doing it now, get good at it, and show people what you've done. Actions speak louder than words.

We live in a world where action is what counts.

I don't think there's much point in bemoaning the state of the world unless there's some way you can think of to improve it. Otherwise, don't bother writing a book; go and find a tropical island and lie in the sun.

The future starts today, not tomorrow.

You don't make progress by standing on the sidelines, whimpering and complaining. You make progress by implementing ideas.

The greatest of all mistakes is to do nothing because you can only do a little. Do what you can.

This is the year you really put the stake in the ground.

A life which does not go into action is a failure.

Awareness without action is worthless.