John Irving Quotes

Opportunities flit by while we sit regretting the chances we have lost, and the happiness that comes to us we heed not, because of the happiness that is gone.

Life is like riding a bicycle: you don't fall off unless you stop pedaling.

If we wait until we're ready, we'll be waiting for the rest of our lives.

You gotta take chances in this life or you're already dead.

Life is an adventure, dare it.

Life should be lived on the edge of life.

Will you look back on life and say, 'I wish I had,' or 'I’m glad I did'?

What I've learned, above all, is to keep marching forward because the best news is that since chance does play a role, one important factor in success is under our control: the number of at bats, the number of chances taken, the number of opportunities seized.

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

Take and chance and don't ever look back. Never have regrets, just lessons learned.

So take a chance and don't ever look back.

Stay on your toes and always move forward.

Make your mistakes, take your chances, look silly, but keep on going. Don’t freeze up.

The important thing is not being afraid to take a chance.

Action makes more fortune than caution.

If you're offered a seat on a rocket ship, don't ask what seat! Just get on.

If you don't take a chance-you won't have a chance.

Keep moving ahead because action creates momentum, which in turn creates unanticipated opportunities.

If you want to be successful, you must either have a chance or take one.

A certain amount of danger is essential to the quality of life.

Life comes in the form of opportunities, which are easy to recognize, after they have been wasted.

Make your move BEFORE you are ready!

Try stuff. I also used to believe that it's better to be smart than lucky because if you're smart you can out-think the competition. I don't believe that anymore-this is not to say that you should strive for a high level of stupidity. My point is that luck is a big part of many successes, so (a) don't get too bummed out when you see a bozo succeed; and (b) luck favors the people who try stuff, not simply think and analyze. As the Chinese say, "One must wait for a long time with your mouth open before a Peking duck flies in your mouth."

Everything that's fun in life is dangerous. And everything that isn't fun is dangerous too. It's impossible to be alive and safe.

Sport, like all of life, is about taking your chances.