Probably the hardest question I get asked is, 'How do I choose between passion and practicality?' I can't answer that. I had to do both. I was passionate about pursuing a career in financial services. But I was also passionate about feeding my child.

Chris Gardner

Categorized in : Child Answer Choose Passion

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

secret waiting sun

Wealth can also be that attitude of gratitude with which we remind ourselves everyday to count our blessings.

Chris Gardner

gratitude attitude appreciation

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

one-day baby long

It's okay to fail; it's not okay to quit.

Chris Gardner

quitting failure failing

Find something that you love. Something that gets you so excited you can't wait to get out of bed in the morning. Forget about money. Be happy.

Chris Gardner

waiting morning inspirational

Others may question your credentials, your papers, your degrees. Others may look for all kinds of ways to diminish your worth. But what is inside you no one can take from you or tarnish. This is your worth, who you really are, your degree that can go with you wherever you go, that you bring with you the moment you come into a room, that can't be manipulated or shaken. Without that sense of self, no amount of paper, no pedigree, and no credentials can make you legit. No matter what, you have to feel legit inside first.

Chris Gardner

degrees self looks

Don't ever let someone tell you you can't do something.

Chris Gardner

follow-your-dreams pursuit-of-happiness motivational

We all understand genetics. You get your eyes from your dad, your mom's nose, there's nothing you can do about that. But your spiritual genetics you can choose, pick, embrace and commit to. That's what I did.

Chris Gardner

dad mom spiritual

There is no plan B for passion

Chris Gardner

plan-b plans passion

The future was uncertain, absolutely, and there were many hurdles, twists, and turns to come, but as long as I kept moving forward, one foot in front of the other, the voices of fear and shame, the messages from those who wanted me to believe that I wasn't good enough, would be stilled.

Chris Gardner

voice believe moving

The balance in your life is more important than the balance in your checking account.

Chris Gardner

balance important life-is

Walk that walk and go forward all the time. Don't just talk that talk, walk it and go forward. Also, the walk didn't have to be long strides; baby steps counted too. Go forward.

Chris Gardner

pursuit-of-happiness baby long

The world is your oyster. It's up to you to find the pearls.

Chris Gardner

pursuit-of-happiness oysters inspirational

If you want something, go get it. Period.

Chris Gardner

pursuit-of-happiness inspirational-life motivational

You can only depend on yourself. The cavalry aint coming.

Chris Gardner

cavalry depends

Do something that you love. Whatever you're going to do is going to be tough enough. Find something that gets you so excited that the sun can't come up early enough in the morning because you want to go do your thing.

Chris Gardner

up-early morning inspirational

It was right then that I started thinking about Thomas Jefferson on the Declaration of Independence and the part about our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And I remember thinking how did he know to put the pursuit part in there? That maybe happiness is something that we can only pursue and maybe we can actually never have it. No matter what. How did he know that?

Chris Gardner

independence pursuit-of-happiness thinking

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

eye use world

It can be done, but you have to make it happen.

Chris Gardner

make-it-happen done happens

One of the things young people always ask me about is what is the secret to success. The secret is there is no secret. It's the basics. Blocking and tackling.

Chris Gardner

block business success