This is where I get giddy. I’m a history buff as well as a motivational quote addict, so historical books fight notebooks filled with quotes for shelf space in our house. I’m particularly fascinated with the American presidents and their first ladies. We can be proud of the men and women who have served our country in the White House. And, yes, I did say men AND women.. as the first ladies most definitely served their country and left behind their own legacies.
For President’s Day, I thought a collection of some of my favorite Presidential quotes would be fun. Enjoy!
John Adams Quotes
Genius is sorrow’s child. – John Adams
Old minds are like old horses; you must exercise them if you wish to keep them in working order. – John Adams
John Quincy Adams Quotes
If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader. – John Quincy Adams
Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish. – John Quincy Adams
Jimmy Carter Quotes
I hate to see complacency prevail in our lives when it’s so directly contrary to the teaching of Christ. – Jimmy Carter
We should live our lives as though Christ were coming this afternoon. – Jimmy Carter
You can do what you have to do, and sometimes you can do it even better than you think you can. – Jimmy Carter
Calvin Coolidge Quotes
Four-fifths of all our troubles would disappear, if we would only sit down and keep still. – Calvin Coolidge
I have never been hurt by what I have not said. – Calvin Coolidge
If you see ten troubles coming down the road, you can be sure that nine will run into the ditch before they reach you. – Calvin Coolidge
It is only when men begin to worship that they begin to grow. – Calvin Coolidge
Little progress can be made by merely attempting to repress what is evil. Our great hope lies in developing what is good. – Calvin Coolidge
There is no dignity quite so impressive, and no one independence quite so important, as living within your means. – Calvin Coolidge
Dwight D. Eisenhower Quotes
Accomplishment will prove to be a journey, not a destination. – Dwight D. Eisenhower
Pessimism never won any battle. – Dwight D. Eisenhower
Gerald R. Ford Quotes
All my children have spoken for themselves since they first learned to speak, and not always with my advance approval, and I expect that to continue in the future. – Gerald R. Ford
Tell the truth, work hard, and come to dinner on time. – Gerald R. Ford
James A. Garfield Quotes
A brave man is a man who dares to look the Devil in the face and tell him he is a Devil. – James A. Garfield
A pound of pluck is worth a ton of luck. – James A. Garfield
Ulysses S. Grant
Hold fast to the Bible. To the influence of this Book we are indebted for all the progress made in true civilization and to this we must look as our guide in the future. – Ulysses S. Grant
In every battle there comes a time when both sides consider themselves beaten, then he who continues the attack wins. – Ulysses S. Grant
Rutherford B. Hayes Quotes
Conscience is the authentic voice of God to you. – Rutherford B. Hayes
Thomas Jefferson Quotes
Always take hold of things by the smooth handle. – Thomas Jefferson
Delay is preferable to error. – Thomas Jefferson
In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock. – Thomas Jefferson
Determine never to be idle. No person will have occasion to complain of the want of time who never loses any. It is wonderful how much may be done if we are always doing. – Thomas Jefferson
It is in our lives and not our words that our religion must be read. – Thomas Jefferson
Do you want to know who you are? Don’t ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you. – Thomas Jefferson
Happiness is not being pained in body or troubled in mind. – Thomas Jefferson
I cannot live without books. – Thomas Jefferson
I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have. – Thomas Jefferson
Never spend your money before you have earned it. – Thomas Jefferson
Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude. – Thomas Jefferson
Andrew Johnson Quotes
It’s a damn poor mind that can only think of one way to spell a word. – Andrew Johnson
Abraham Lincoln Quotes
Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm. – Abraham Lincoln
No man has a good enough memory to make a successful liar. – Abraham Lincoln
We can complain that rose bushes have thorns, or we can rejoice that thorn bushes have roses. – Abraham Lincoln
Leave nothing for tomorrow which can be done today. – Abraham Lincoln
That some achieve great success, is proof to all that others can achieve it as well. – Abraham Lincoln
Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing. – Abraham Lincoln
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt. – Abraham Lincoln
And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years. – Abraham Lincoln
I know that the Lord is always on the side of the right. But it is my constant anxiety and prayer that I and this nation should be on the Lord’s side. – Abraham Lincoln
When I do good, I feel good; when I do bad, I feel bad. That’s my religion. – Abraham Lincoln
Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any one thing. – Abraham Lincoln
Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be. – Abraham Lincoln
I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him. – Abraham Lincoln
How many legs does a dog have if you call the tail a leg? Four. Calling a tail a leg doesn’t make it a leg. – Abraham Lincoln
I destroy my enemies when I make them my friends. – Abraham Lincoln
I don’t like that man. I must get to know him better. – Abraham Lincoln
I walk slowly, but I never walk backward. – Abraham Lincoln
If this is coffee, please bring me some tea; but if this is tea, please bring me some coffee. – Abraham Lincoln
I will prepare and some day my chance will come. – Abraham Lincoln
I do not think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday. – Abraham Lincoln
John F. Kennedy Quotes
There are risks and costs to a program of action. But they are far less than the long range risks and costs of comfortable inaction. – John F. Kennedy
Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men. – John F. Kennedy
Things do not happen. Things are made to happen. – John F. Kennedy
Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth. – John F. Kennedy
Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction. – John F. Kennedy
Our problems are man-made, therefore they may be solved by man. And man can be a s big as he wants. No problem of human destiny is beyond human beings. – John F. Kennedy
Politics is like football; if you see daylight, go through the hole. – John F. Kennedy
The greater our knowledge increases the more our ignorance unfolds. – John F. Kennedy
President Barack Obama Quotes
Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek. – President Barack Obama
Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. Because it’s only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential. – President Barack Obama
If you’re walking down the right path and you’re willing to keep walking, eventually you’ll make progress. – President Barack Obama
Ronald Reagan Quotes
All great change in America begins at the dinner table. – Ronald Reagan
Facts are stubborn things. – Ronald Reagan
Heroes may not be braver than anyone else. They’re just braver five minutes longer. – Ronald Reagan
If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under. – Ronald Reagan
Life is one grand, sweet song, so start the music. – Ronald Reagan
Franklin D. Roosevelt Quotes
It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something. – Franklin D. Roosevelt
A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people. – Franklin D. Roosevelt
Be sincere; be brief; be seated. – Franklin D. Roosevelt
I am a Christian and a Democrat, that’s all. – Franklin D. Roosevelt
I ask you to judge me by the enemies I have made. – Franklin D. Roosevelt
If you treat people right they will treat you right… ninety percent of the time. – Franklin D. Roosevelt
Men are not prisoners of fate, but only prisoners of their own minds. – Franklin D. Roosevelt
Remember you are just an extra in everyone else’s play. – Franklin D. Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt Quotes
In life, as in a football game, the principle is to hit the line hard. – Theodore Roosevelt
A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education. – Theodore Roosevelt
It is not the critic who counts, nor the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows great enthusiasms, great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat. – Theodore Roosevelt
A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends upon the character of the user. – Theodore Roosevelt
The one thing I want to leave my children is an honorable name. – Theodore Roosevelt
Big jobs usually go to the men who prove their ability to outgrow small ones. – Theodore Roosevelt
Believe you can and you’re halfway there. – Theodore Roosevelt
There has never yet been a man in our history who led a life of ease whose name is worth remembering. – Theodore Roosevelt
Don’t hit at all if it is honorably possible to avoid hitting; but never hit soft. – Theodore Roosevelt
Get action. Seize the moment. Man was never intended to become an oyster. – Theodore Roosevelt
I am a part of everything that I have read. – Theodore Roosevelt
If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn’t sit for a month. – Theodore Roosevelt
Keep your eyes on the stars, and your feet on the ground. – Theodore Roosevelt
People ask the difference between a leader and a boss. The leader leads, and the boss drives. – Theodore Roosevelt
Some men can live up to their loftiest ideals without ever going higher than a basement. – Theodore Roosevelt
To educate a man in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society. – Theodore Roosevelt
Harry S. Truman Quotes
I do not believe there is a problem in this country or the world today which could not be settled if approached through the teaching of the Sermon on the Mount. – Harry S. Truman
I never did give anybody hell. I just told the truth and they thought it was hell. – Harry S. Truman
In reading the lives of great men, I found that the first victory they won was over themselves… self-discipline with all of them came first. – Harry S. Truman
It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit. – Harry S. Truman
George Washington Quotes
Associate with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation; for it is better to be alone than in bad company. – George Washington
It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one. – George Washington
The foolish and wicked practice of profane cursing and swearing is a vice so mean and low that every person of sense and character detests and despises it. – George Washington
Woodrow Wilson Quotes
If you want to make enemies, try to change something. – Woodrow Wilson
motivational speaker says
Your quotes are my blood. I love all. All are mind blowing and motivational.
Teresa says
Thanks for sharing these inspirational quotes. It’s always great when we learn from the experiences of people who had unique and remarkable lives. Somehow these voices of experience survived the generations to instil some lessons in us, in hope that we indeed learn from them and be motivated by them.
This is one of the most striking for me, especially in these hard economic times, “There is no dignity quite so impressive, and no one independence quite so important, as living within your means.” – Calvin Coolidge
P.S. To discover the surprising truth behind our motivations, check out http://budurl.com/8bzu.
Psychic Development says
Now those were truly some really great inspirational quotes. I really loved “I never did give anybody hell. I just told the truth and they thought it was hell.” So many people just can’t seem to handle the truth… and even fewer are willing to be open minded enough to explore and investigate what truth may really be.
paul says
Peace
paul says
how are you
Henway says
Love these quotes.. I’m gonna bookmark this so I can read it when I’m feel unmotivated, or down =)
Paul says
Honestly, Obama does not belong in the company of those profound and great patriots. Not only are his remarks cliche and pedantic, but they ring hollow in the face of the facts of his administration.
If we do not succeed we run the risk of failure. – Bill Clinton
Verbosity leads to unclear, inarticulate things. – Dan Quayle
Harold Ramis says
Paul, I find it hard to believe you want that particular door opened… However, since you’ve turned the knob, I’ll give it a push:
“One of the very difficult parts of the decision I made on the financial crisis was to use hardworking people’s money to help prevent there to be a crisis.” –George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Jan. 12, 2009
“In terms of the economy, look, I inherited a recession, I am ending on a recession.” –George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Jan. 12, 2009
“I guess it’s OK to call the secretary of education here ‘buddy.’ That means friend.” –George W. Bush, Philadelphia, Jan. 8, 2009
“I’ve abandoned free market principles to save the free market system.” –George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Dec. 16, 2008
“And they have no disregard for human life.” –George W. Bush, on the brutality of Afghan fighters, Washington, D.C., July 15, 2008
“Amigo! Amigo!” –George W. Bush, calling out to Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in Spanish at the G-8 Summit, Rusutsu, Japan, July 10, 2008
“One of the things important about history is to remember the true history.” –George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., June 6, 2008
“I’ll be long gone before some smart person ever figures out what happened inside this Oval Office.” –George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., May 12, 2008
”I know what I believe. I will continue to articulate what I believe and what I believe — I believe what I believe is right.” –President George W. Bush, Rome, Italy, July 22, 2001
”I promise you I will listen to what has been said here, even though I wasn’t here.” –President George W. Bush, at the President’s Economic Forum in Waco, Texas, Aug. 13, 2002
Please don’t make me continue. The pain is too great.
-HR
John says
Harold Ramis, so are you saying that Pres. Obama’s quotes should be included because they are better than some very bad ones by Pres. Bush? You have inadvertently strengthened Paul’s point. Quotes can be painfully uninspiring because of the lack of intelligent insight (which seems your point with Pres. Bush) or because of the lack of character or authenticity (Paul’s point). This type of mud-throwing response is in direct opposition to the uplifting spirit of this article. You add no value by trying to convince the world that “the other side” has a greater dearth of inspiration than your own.
THANK YOU JOI for adding value to us all by sharing these positive and inspirational quotations!
natasha rain says
all of them are great…
looking for this types of thing for a long time..
thanx for sharing it with us 😀
Louise Peterson says
Hey JOI! I’m also a quote addict like you and I love to collect it because I think it helps to improve our lifestyle and thinking way what develop our personality as well as make us enriched. Thanks for a pleasant experience through your cool presentation.
Linda zanson says
I am really impressed by your collection of quotes, they are very inspirational.
maeey says
nice one