25 Chris Gardner Quotes From the Real Life Pursuit of Happyness

People who enjoy a story of someone lifting themselves and becoming successful from their hard work will love these Chris Gardner quotes!

Chris Gardner wrote his memoir in 2006, and this was later turned into the movie The Pursuit of Happyness, which starred Will Smith.

Chris Gardner was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1954 and had a tough childhood living with an abusive stepfather until his mother went to jail, and he and his siblings went to foster care.

Chris did not let his tough beginnings stop him, and he joined the Navy upon graduation.

He was stationed as a hospital corpsman for four years.

He became acquainted with Dr. Robert Ellis, who hired him upon Chris’ military service completion.

When Chris saw that the medical field was changing and that it would be at least ten years before he could practice medicine, he decided to change careers and become a stockbroker.

Take a look at these Chris Gardner quotes to learn more about his success story.

Chris Gardner Quotes That Show Perseverance

Chris had to work for his success, as shown in these quotes.

1. “Claim ownership of your dreams.” — Chris Gardner

2. “It’s okay to fail; it’s not okay to quit.” — Chris Gardner

3. “If you want something, go get it. Period.” — Chris Gardner

4. “It can be done, but you have to make it happen.” — Chris Gardner

5. “Strong people stand up for themselves. Stronger people stand up for others.” — Chris Gardner

6. “Walk that walk and go forward all the time. Don’t just talk that talk, walk it and go forward.” — Chris Gardner

7. “You have to be bold because there will be folks who will say, ‘You can’t’ or ‘You shouldn’t” or “Why?’” — Chris Gardner

8. “The secret to success: find something you love to do so much, you can’t wait for the sun to rise to do it all over again.” — Chris Gardner

9. “Then again, what seems like nothing in the eyes of the world, when properly valued and put to use, can be among the greatest riches.” — Chris Gardner

10. “Baby steps count as long as you are going forward. You add them all up, and one day you look back, and you’ll be surprised at where you might get to.” — Chris Gardner

Motivating Chris Gardner Quotes

Here are some motivational quotes from Chris Gardner

11. “Ready or not, tell yourself to jump.” — Chris Gardner

12. “We can all learn something from people we admire.” — Chris Gardner

13. “Your net worth can fluctuate, but your self-worth should only appreciate.” — Chris Gardner

14. “Don’t wait for the perfect time to start making changes to your life; the time is now.” — Chris Gardner

15. “When someone says, ‘You can’t,’ what it really means is that they can’t – so why should you get to?” — Chris Gardner

16. “But if you don’t take the necessary steps to make them happen, dreams are just mirages that mess with your head!” — Chris Gardner

17. “No matter what you accomplish, when you’re doing something you’re truly passionate about… the opportunities are always going to be bigger.” — Chris Gardner

Chris Gardner Quotes from the movie The Pursuit of Happyness

Enjoy these quotes from the movie about Chris’ life.

18. “You got a dream. You got to protect it.” — Chris Gardner

19. “I had to do in six hours what they do in nine.” — Chris Gardner

20. “I know how to find the answer. And I will find the answer.” — Chris Gardner

21. “I learned to finish my work quickly. I had to finish quickly.” — Chris Gardner

22. “They all looked so happy to me. Why couldn’t I look like that?” — Chris Gardner

23. “Don’t ever let somebody tell you, you can’t do something. Not even me.” — Chris Gardner

24. “We’re going to come out of this. Everything is going to be fine, all right?” — Chris Gardner

25. “I met my father for the first time when I was 28 years old. I made up my mind that when I had children, my children were going to know who their father was.” — Chris Gardner

Did Chris Gardner Become a Stockbroker?

Chris had to risk everything to achieve his dreams, but he did it!

Chris had custody of his young son when he was starting out his stockbroking career, and for a year, they were homeless, and Chris had to do whatever was necessary to provide for his son and achieve his dreams.

Chris eventually started his own stockbroking company and is a businessman and motivational speaker today.

Please share these Chris Gardner quotes with your friends and family and post any comments about Chris in the comment section below.