A typographic joke to remind you to always finish what you...
Audentis Fortuna Iuvat means 'Fortune favours the brave'. It pays to be brave because courage is often rewarded. This idea has inspired explorers, soldiers and pioneers for centuries. The original Latin here is from Virgil's Aeneid, an epic tale about a man who escapes the fall of Troy and goes on to found Rome. They are spoken, or rather yelled, by a warrior called Turnus as he rallies his troops against Trojan forces.
Asked by a reporter why he wanted to climb Everest, Mallory replied, ‘Because it’s there.' In three simple words, he captured the essence of the challenger spirit. Mallory and his climbing partner Andrew Irvine disappeared near the summit on June 8, 1924. We will never know whether they reached the summit. Let’s hope they did.
Steve Martin's sound advice to anyone trying to make it in show business. You don’t need the right agent, or to go to the right cocktail parties. You just need to be really good at what you do. People will then come to you.
Ernest Hemingway believed courage came down to remaining composed when everything around you is going to hell. The word he actually used was ‘guts’. Interviewed in the New Yorker magazine, he was asked, ‘What do you mean by guts?’ And he replied, ‘Grace under pressure’.
Mike Tyson said this in response to a reporter. It’s a version of something Joe Louis said, 'Everybody has a plan until they get hit.' And it’s the same concept as something Prussian Field Marshal von Moltke said, 'No plan survives first contact with the enemy’. The point is, theoretical strategies quickly fall apart when the chaos starts.
Often attributed to Albert Einstein. He may not have said these exact words, but he believed the truth in them. Failure is part of the journey. Making errors is normal when you try new things. If you never fail, it’s because you only ever do safe, familiar things.
Rudyard Kipling’s 'If’ promotes British stiff-upper-lip values. The poem is framed as advice given by a father to his son. The most important things, he says, are resilience, humility and personal integrity. Michael Caine has said it's his favourite poem. Muhammad Ali even carried a copy in his wallet for guidance and inspiration.
Ignis Aurum Probat means 'Fire tests gold’. Tough times show us who we truly are. Hardship is a test. The line comes from the Roman Stoic philosopher Seneca the Younger. The complete line is, ‘Ignis aurum probat, miseria fortes viros’ – fire tests gold, hardship tests strong men.
Ikigai has no direct English translation. It’s about why you get up in the morning, what drives you, how you find happiness and make life feel worthwhile. Everyone needs to find their own ikigai.
‘Illegitimi non carborundum’ is mock Latin, meaning, 'Don't let the bastards grind you down'. Its origin lies in WW2. It was invented by British Army intelligence and then adopted by US Army General ‘Vinegar Joe’ Stilwell as his personal motto. After that, it entered popular culture.
Albert Einstein's famous observation. Any progress is better than standing still. The thing is to keep moving forward.
Famously associated with Queen Elizabeth II, 'Never complain, never explain' was her guiding principle for handling public life and media pressure. It was also Katharine Hepburn's personal motto. It’s about confidence and self-control, and knowing you're not obliged to explain yourself.
This was one of Phil Knight's guiding principles while building Nike. You must maintain absolute integrity and treat your competitors fairly. But you also need to bring the fire. Execute with energy and passion. Be totally committed. Never compromise.
Deadlines force you to work harder. High-stakes games make you play better. Challenges make you stronger. Personal trials make you more resilient. Pressure can be a good thing.
This comes from the American evangelist Robert Schuller, who believed in the power of positive thinking. When life gets hard, just keep going, because circumstances change. Things will get better.
Inspired by the George Michael song. This is really good advice for life in general.
'Zero Fear' is about facing life head-on, not letting danger or anxiety ever stop you doing what you want to do. The famous Mexican WWF wrestler Penta uses this idea as his catchphrase. In Spanish, it’s 'Cero Miedo.'
