Michelle Obama

I view myself as being the average woman.

What truly made me fall in love with Barack Obama was his character.

The realities are that, you know, as a black man, you know, Barack can get shot going to the gas station, you know.

I’ve learned that from my husband, that sort of, you know, ability to not get too high or too low with changes and bumps in the road.

It was sort of important for us not to deal with a specific policy change, or a specific sort of approach, but to deal with cultural change.

I grew up in a working-class neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago where most folks, including my parents, didn’t have college degrees. But with a lot of hard work – and a lot of financial aid – I had the chance to attend Princeton and Harvard Law School, and that gave me the confidence to pursue my ambitions.

I must be taken as I have been made. The success is not mine, the failure is not mine, but the two together make me.

Once a man has made a commitment to a way of life, he puts the greatest strength in the world behind him. It’s something we call heart power. Once a man has made this commitment, nothing will stop him short of success.

I thought I’d be a success even back in the mailroom at William Morris. It was just inconceivable to me I couldn’t win it all.

Only he is successful in his business who makes that pursuit which affords him the highest pleasure sustain him.

I don’t cheat to win, I’d rather lose.

A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and gets to bed at night, and in between he does what he wants to do.

The first step toward success is taken when you refuse to be a captive of the environment in which you first find yourself.

I don’t think people get to be successful without ambition.

Keys to success: Research your ideas, plan for success, expect success, and just do it.

I think I was born with the drive for success because I have a certain gene.

Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day-in and day-out.

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.

To be successful in the world of entrepreneurs, especially in the early stages, a person must learn to fail, correct, learn, apply what was learned, and fail again.

Success isn’t about how much money you make. It’s about the difference you make in people’s lives.

Winners are not afraid of losing. But losers are. Failure is part of the process of success. People who avoid failure also avoid success.