Benjamin Banneker Quotes

When people keep telling you that you can't do a thing, you kind of like to try it.

I've learned at the book signings that everyone has obstacles.

Follow your dreams, believe in yourself and don't give up.

But what if I fail of my purpose here? It is but to keep the nerves at strain, to dry one's eyes and laugh at a fall, and baffled, get up and begin again.

I remember when I was in college, people told me I couldn't play in the NBA. There's always somebody saying you can't do it, and those people have to be ignored.

People will tell you that you can't do it, no matter what you are trying to do, so you just have to really keep at it.

If I listened to my critics, I would still be at home under my bed right now.

There's this thin line between knowing something is going to be really hard and saying, 'Yeah, you know, but I still gotta see if I can pull it off.'

Courage is not the absence of despair; it is, rather, the capacity to move ahead in spite of despair.

To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funny bone.

In time of difficulties, we must not lose sight of our achievements.

I'm dense when it comes to discouragement.

America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand.

Don't ever give up. Believe in yourself or no one else will. My personal saying is: 'I'd rather die knowing that I tried to do what I love.'

One of the things I learned the hard way was that it doesn't pay to get discouraged. Keeping busy and making optimism a way of life can restore your faith in yourself.

I'm just going to go out there and do my best.

Life gives you enough hard knocks so it's unlikely you'll stay that sure of yourself.

People can say what they want about me. But I've got a big heart and will keep going.

All great and honorable actions are accompanied with great difficulties, and must be both enterprised and overcome with answerable courages.

I never made it to the school choir because the music teacher didn't like my voice. I was pretty sad. But he was probably right; I did have a voice a bit like a goat, but my dad told me to never give up and to keep going, and it's paid off.

One of the hardest things is to create hope.

I'll keep doing the things I don't know if I'm good enough to do.

Having people doubt you is what gives you that fire in your belly.

You're going to hit some rough patches. You're going to run into obstacles. People are going to say, 'You can't do it.' But you have to persevere. You have to keep working hard and believing in yourself.

I've been doubted all my life.