Les Brown Quotes About Life, Dreams and The Greatness Within You

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Les Brown quotes are little seeds of fire that get planted into our mind as soon as we read or hear them.

I am proud to call this man one of my mentors, and he is a true world figure when it comes to motivation, speaking, personal achievement and increasing self-esteem.

Les Brown is known as one of the world’s best motivational speakers.

In this collection of  Les Brown quotes we focus on the greatness that we all have within!

‘You have greatness within you!’

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Check out our most popular quote article, a list of short inspirational quotes for daily inspiration. 

Our inspirational quotes category page has all of our motivational quotes for all the different areas of life.

Motivational Les Brown Quotes About Dreams

1. “If you don’t program yourself, life will program you!” – Les Brown

Everyday Application: Be self-aware and learn as much about yourself as you can. Know what triggers you, and why you react in certain ways. Take control of the way you speak to yourself and choose how you want to react in situations. If you don’t than you will always react in the way society, other people, or your feelings tell you to.

2. “Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears.” – Les Brown

Everyday Application: Do you live out your fears? Are you allowing your fears to hold you back from reaching your dreams? There are things other than the fear of failure or the fear of success that hold people back. Some people might fear they are inadequate, they could be afraid of being rejected, and being judged. However, if those things are holding you back then you have already given them the power to shape your life.

3. “Tell yourself that if it’s hard, I’ll do it hard. I’m unstoppable!” – Les Brown

Everyday Application: Chasing your dreams is hard. Staying where you are in misery is also hard. They are both going to hurt. However, you get to choose your hard. You can be unstoppable, you just have to believe it and put in the work.

4. “No one will take better care of your dream than you.” – Les Brown

Everyday Application: Your dreams and passions and purpose come from a place deep within you. They help make you…you! You are the person who is in control of what you are willing to do to make your dreams come true. Other people might support and encourage you, but you need to be your dreams biggest champion.

5. “The time is ‘now’ to do something – don’t drag your feet.” – Les Brown

Everyday Application: We drag our feet because of fear. Sure, we might wrap it up in practical reasons and make it sound good, but the root of the problem is fear. The truth is, there is never a ‘perfect’ time to do something new or take a risk. The best time is ‘now,’ not ‘when…’ Live your life knowing you chased your dreams with everything you have, versus wondering ‘what if.’

6. “Luck is nice, but work is something you can control. So get working!”  – Les Brown

7. “Make change a tool for your success. Let it happen, and celebrate the possibilities.” – Les Brown

8. “Dig in, and expect good things, the things shortcuts won’t allow you to have.” – Les Brown

9. “You are the only real obstacle in your path to a fulfilling life.” – Les Brown

Everyday Application: This statement might sound harsh, but it is true. Think about how your perception, actions, decisions, and thinking process create obstacles for you. How do you speak to yourself? Do you take the risks required to get what you want? Identify the ways that you can get out of your own way.

10. “When life knocks you down, try to land on your back. Because if you can look up, you can get up.” – Les Brown

Everyday Application: Notice how he didn’t say ‘if’ life knocks you down, but rather, ‘when.’ There are going to be times that life is going to suck or throw something in your way that you might think is insurmountable. You can not control that, but you can control how you react. Keep looking up, keep going, and get back up!

11. “If you view all the things that happen to you, both good and bad, as opportunities, then you operate out of a higher level of consciousness.” – Les Brown

Everyday Application: Everything is an opportunity for something. Learning to look at bad things as opportunities will change your life. Start by understanding that problems are going to happen. They are inevitable. Recognize that problems are separate from yourself. You don’t have to consider all the negative ways a problem can impact you, just focus on the problem itself.

12. “Your dream was given to you. If someone else can’t see it for you, that’s fine, it was given to you and not them. It’s your dream. Hold it. Nourish it. Cultivate it!” – Les Brown

Everyday Application: Our dreams belong to us. Other people’s opinions about whether they are possible or worth the effort don’t matter. There is a reason the dream is not theirs. Now, put together a plan and go make it happen!

13. “Life is a fight for territory and once you stop fighting for what you want, what you don’t want will automatically take over.” – Les Brown

Everyday Application: Fight for what you want doesn’t necessarily mean grand gestures or elaborate plans. Fighting for what you want means saying ‘no’ to things that do not align with your goals. It means taking daily steps (small and steady) everyday that move you closer to your goals.

14. “Leave energy drainers alone. Don’t let them slow you down and stop your dream. Your possibilities are too important.” – Les Brown

Everyday Application: An energy drainer is someone or something that we are tolerate, ignore, or just deal with while it drains us of our mental and physical energy. This could be clutter or tasks. However, it could also be the people we surround ourselves with, and the thoughts we tell ourselves. Choose wisely when deciding how to spend your time!

Also check out our list of David Goggins quotes.

More Les Brown quotes about greatness within you

15. “It really doesn’t matter what’s going on right now. The only thing that matters is what you’re going to do about it. Do something powerful!” – Les Brown

Everyday Application: Many things happen that are outside of our control. However, what we do about them, and how we react is always our choice. Will you choose to do something powerful? That might mean making meaningful changes, learning new skills, or changing your circle!

16. “This is an age of awareness, an age of the mind. Those who can think or create, those who are educated or trained, those who are resourceful, those who are good business people are the ones who will determine their own destiny.” – Les Brown

17. “Remember, wisdom comes form everywhere, I am always searching for ideas that can inspire me or others to reach another level.” – Les Brown

18. “It’s necessary to know that everybody won’t see it. That everybody won’t join you, that everybody won’t have the vision. It’s necessary to know that. That a lot of people like to complain but they don’t want to do anything about their situation. That you are UNCOMMON breed.” – Les Brown

19. “I advise you to say your dream is possible and then overcome all inconveniences, ignore all the hassles and take a running leap through the hoop, even if it is in flames.” – Les Brown

20. “Life is challenging. Find ways in which you can begin to give mor of yourself, ways in which you can begin to help others. Help somebody and help yourself because what you give is what you get.” – Les Brown

21. “If you look the part and act the part, you’ll be surprised as the results you will produce. This is true with negative impressions as well as positive ones.” – Les Brown

22. “You are better than anything that is happening to you right now. If you’re facing  challenge of drugs and alcohol orang kind of addiction, get some help. Remember that nobody can help you unless you hold on to your commitment to regain, and retain, control of your life. Like my friend, resist all temptation to backslide into the thoughts and actions that cause you to lose control in the first place.” – Les Brown

23. “If you want to begin to alter your circumstance and alter your life, it’s very important that you begin to change your attitude about yourself.” – Les Brown

24. “Don’t waste time bathing in the negative experience. Spin your energy and focus your attention on moving on.” – Les Brown

25. “Life takes on meaning when you become motivated, set goals and charge after them in an unstoppable manner.” – Les Brown
If you’re enjoying these quotes, you’ll love our collection of short motivational quotes that will get you ready to tackle the day.

26. “Believe that you possess a basic goodness, which is the foundation for the greatness you can ultimately achieve.” – Les Brown

Everyday Application: The term “basic goodness” originated with Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, a Tibetan spiritual leader. He used the term to explain both the experience of reality and human virtue. He believed that there are three virtues: unborn, non-dwelling, and free from pigeonholing.

27. “A lot of people become discouraged too soon. The name of the game is, you’ve got to be relentless.” – Les Brown

Everyday Application: No matter what it is that you are trying to do or achieve, go at it relentlessly. How hard you work, how much you sacrifice, and how bad you want something will determine how successful you are. This doesn’t mean that just because you want something it will happen easily. It means that for every roadblock you encounter, you will smash it and move to the next!

28. “Focus your energy. Find one thing and drop your buckets there. Do that one thing until it blesses you.” – Les Brown

More Les Brown quotes about life and success

29. “It is as though complaining is a substitute for action. I always appreciate people who are willing to tell you what they think is wrong, but who are just as willing to tell you what they think is right, especially if they are willing to take action on the court they recommend.” – Les Brown

30. “If you want to grow and develop yourself, embrace failure. If you want to become the best at what you do, you’ve got to be willing to fail, again and again. And then finally, one day, you can fail your way to greatness.” – Les Brown

Everyday Application: Failure does not mean you are doomed or your goal is not possible. It just means the path you were on is not the one that will get you there. That’s ok! You can pick a new path. Now, some will say, it is discouraging to keep having to start on a new path. However, you can also think of it as an opportunity to learn, experience more, and get better!

31. “If no one answered right away, just keep knocking until you wake them up!” – Les Brown

32. “What you have right now in your life is a reflection of your thoughts. Start by controlling your thoughts. We can’t control the thoughts that come into our mind but we can control what we dwell on. Start dwelling on the positive things in your life.” – Les Brown

Everyday Application: Your life is a reflection of your thoughts because your thoughts turn into your behaviors. Your behaviors become your habits. What kind of thoughts are you choosing to focus on? How are these thoughts impacting your behavior? Working on your self-awareness will help you recognize negative thoughts and analyze your behavior.

33. “When I talk about consciousness, I’m talking about a combination of your hopes, your ‘thoughts and your emotions, used as a force to act on what you see within yourself.” – Les Brown

34. “Every day, we can either choose to be a victim or we can choose to live life victoriously.” – Les Brown

Everyday Application: Everything in this life is a choice. You choose which thoughts you focus on, how you respond, and how much effort you put into something. You can choose to focus on the negative, or you can choose gratitude and positive ways of thinking.

35. “Families are who we are, after all. They are a looking glass, and in the best of cases, they can be a source of empowerment and support for getting the thing we can’t out of life.” – Les Brown

36. “I can’t control what life hands me. What I can control is how I handle it.” – Les Brown

Everyday Application: We do not get to choose the hand we are dealt. However, our behavior and our actions can lead to certain situations in our lives. That is what we can control: our response and our behavior to things. Understanding your locus of control will help you live the life you want.

37. “You need to make a commitment, and once you make it, then life will give you some answers.” – Les Brown

38. “No one can determine your destiny but you. Will it be easy? Of course not. Can you do it? Of course you can. But it requires patience and persistence. Seize this moment of crisis as your opportunity to start fresh, and live your dreams.” – Les Brown

Everyday Application: Your destiny is a combination of choices and opportunities. When life presents you with an opportunity, it is up to you to choose what you will do with it. Following opportunities and chasing your dreams will not be easy. It is a path that will require work, effort, and sacrifice. However, just because it is hard does not mean it is not possible.

39. “This is the time to activate the thinker in you, to begin to become the driving, active force in your life. Things have changed and you want to begin to learn how to manage change, to become the driver of change and not a victim of it.” – Les Brown

40. “If you run around with 9 losers pretty soon you’ll be the 10th one.” – Les Brown

Les Brown quotes to broaden your thoughts

41. “Honor your commitments with integrity.” – Les Brown

42. When you don’t move on life, life moves on you.” – Les Brown

43. “Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” – Les Brown

44. “Take the energy you are wasting feeling sorry for yourself and use it to help someone else.” – Les Brown

45. “Set a goal that’s meaningful and compelling enough, and your skills, your knowledge and your effectiveness will expand in order to reach that goal.” – Les Brown

46. “There are winners, there are losers and there are people who have not yet learned how to win.” – Les Brown

47. “Your smile will give you a positive countenance that will make people feel comfortable around you.” – Les Brown

48. “If you have no vision of yourself in the future, then you have nothing to live for.” – Les Brown

Everyday Application: Having a vision is essential to creating the future you want. It is like a roadmap of where to go. Your vision will help you stay focused on what is important. It will also help you know which opportunities to say yes to. If something does not align with your vision, then you should say no.

49. “Think big when you set your goals. Dare to think big and then set a series of smaller goals to get you there.” – Les Brown

50. “True honesty is hard. Throughout my career, I’ve faced moments where I’ve needed to take an honest look at myself and face some very uncomfortable realities.” – Les Brown

Les Brown quotes to inspire and motivate you

51. “Forgive yourself for your faults and your mistakes and move on.” – Les Brown

52. “Help others achieve their dreams and you will achieve yours.” – Les Brown

53. “Making things happen in your life requires a faith, or an ability to believe that is unshakable, regardless of your circumstances.” – Les Brown

54. “Goals help you channel your energy into action.” – Les Brown

55. “Life is more meaningful when you are always looking to grow and working toward a goal.” – Les Brown

56. “Your ability to communicate is an important tool in your pursuit of your goals, whether it is with your family, your co-workers or your clients and customers.” – Les Brown

57. “Not having goals is like having no idea where you want to go when you step up to an airline counter to buy a ticket.” – Les Brown

58. “Live out of your imagination instead of out of your memory.” – Les Brown

59. “No runner ever won a race buy looking over his should and demeaning the competition.” – Les Brown

60. “The fact is, discipline is only punishment when imposed on you by someone else. When you discipline yourself, it’s not punishment but empowerment.” – Les Brown

Thought-provoking Les Brown quotes

61. “No matter what happens, no matter how far you seem to be away from where you want to be, never stop believing that you will somehow make it.” – Les Brown

62. “If you set goals and go after them with all the determination you can muster, your gifts will take you places that will amaze you.” – Les Brown

63. “If you are carrying strong feelings about something that happened in your past, they may hinder your ability to live in the present.” – Les Brown

64. “The greatest revenge is massive success.” – Les Brown

65. “Just because Fate doesn’t deal you the right cards, it doesn’t mean you should give up. It just means you have to play the cards you get to their maximum potential.” – Les Brown

66. “A friend who is far away is sometimes much nearer than one who is at hand.” – Les Brown

67. “Accept responsibility for your life. Know that it is you who will get you where you want to go, no one else.” – Les Brown

68. “If it’s hard, do it hard! Nobody said it would be easy.” – Les Brown

69. “You don’t have to be great to get started, but you have to get started to be great.” – Les Brown

70. “When you are not pursuing your goal, you are literally committing spiritual suicide.” – Les Brown

More Les Brown quotes and sayings

71. “Life has no limitations, except the ones you make.” – Les Brown

72. “Most people fail in life not because they aim too high and miss, but because they aim too low and hit.” – Les Brown

73. “If you take responsibility for yourself you will develop a hunger to accomplish your dreams.” – Les Brown

74. “Someone’s opinion of you does not have to become your reality.” – Les Brown

75. “Perfection does not exist — you can always do better and you can always grow.” – Les Brown

76. “No one rises to low expectations.” – Les Brown

77. “Live full, die empty.” – Les Brown

78. “I would rather fail at what I love than succeed at what I hate.” – Les Brown

79. “It’s better to be prepared for an opportunity and not have one, than to have an opportunity and not be prepared.” – Les Brown

80. “Never say you’re having a bad day…say you’re having a character building day.” – Les Brown

Which Les Brown quote was your favorite? What other Les Brown quotes would you add to the list?

By

Norbert Juma, Lead Editor

Master quote curator and editor on a mission to inspire.

July 13, 2022 5:00 AM EST