F.D. Van Amburgh Quotes

The majority of these quotes are from one of my personal literary treasures: F.D. Van Amburgh’s 1923 book, “The Mental Spark Plug.”

Remember, you cannot have ability unless you do what Lincoln did – study and prepare yourself. – F.D. Van Amburgh

The most interesting income you will receive from doing good work is the increased ability to do better work. – F.D. Van Amburgh

Depend less upon your good intentions and more upon your ability to carry through what is expected of you. – F.D. Van Amburgh

Ambition may have to advertise, but ability advertises itself. More individual effort on your part, and the results will be radioed. – F.D. Van Amburgh

Ambition incites us to judge ourselves by what we want to do. Ability instructs us to depend largely upon what the world will say of our work. – F.D. Van Amburgh

Contrary as it may seem, most people have more ability for their work than they have ambition to want to do it. Proof: Comparatively few people are as successful as they should be. – F.D. Van Amburgh

All men have limitations, but not one man in one thousand approaches his real ability to do. And this truth alone is enough to encourage any man to go forward with renewed, reinforced purpose. – F.D. Van Amburgh

If you possess marked ability, it will show in your work. Capable people do not need to talk about themselves. Make your service so good that it will be your press agent. – F.D. Van Amburgh More Quotes about Ability

The greatest human achievement is to be useful. – F.D. Van Amburgh

Until you attempt more, you will not accomplish more. – F.D. Van Amburgh

The patience to wait and the willingness to work is the rock foundation of all lasting achievement. – F.D. Van Amburgh

The penalty of one achievement is the need to achieve again, or the fate of being forgotten or of having your one achievement disparaged. – F.D. Van Amburgh

There are so many avenues to achievement that a man can make a reputation for results in almost any path if he will work like “all get out. ” – F.D. Van Amburgh

One achievement leads to another accomplishment, one failure results in another half-try; so you see how imperative it is to stick to the thing you are trying to do until you do it. – F.D. Van Amburgh More Quotes about Achievement

Tenacity is the thing that tells whether you are on your way up or on your way out. – F.D. Van Amburgh

Largely depending on how a man treats his circle of acquaintance, is the story of a man’s success or the tragedy of his failure. – F.D. Van Amburgh More Quotes about Friends

Prosperity deceives, adversity instructs. – F.D. Van Amburgh

Adversity is not the worst thing in life. Adversity is the turn in the road. It is not the end of the trail, unless – unless you give up. – F.D. Van Amburgh

Prosperity makes millionaires and adversity makes men. Every lash of adversity is a lesson, every sting a veritable schoolmaster in the class of learning. – F.D. Van Amburgh

Adversity is often a forerunner of prosperity. One day in the school of adversity will teach a man more than a full term in the deceit of fortune. – F.D. Van Amburgh

Most of us can see the bright side of a calamity if we know others are suffering too. This sounds cynical; but it’s human, and you know human nature is human. – F.D. Van Amburgh

One might go to a seven-year course in the old school of Aristotle, with all his philosophy, but such a schooling cannot compare with one short season in the University of Adversity. – F.D. Van Amburgh More Quotes about Adversity

To recommend adversity to everybody would be like giving a patent medicine to everybody. The same dose will not always fit. Some nerves would be shattered after taking medicine from the same glass snout. – F.D. Van Amburgh

Man does not want advice, he seeks substantiation. – F.D. Van Amburgh

Some of the worst men give the best advice. They know. – F.D. Van Amburgh

The man that is sick is always offering advice to the well. – F.D. Van Amburgh