Excellence is the gradual result of always striving to do better.
From nobody to upstart. From upstart to contender. From contender to winner. From winner to champion. From champion to Dynasty.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote illustrates the progression of growth and achievement, emphasizing the journey from humble beginnings to greatness.
Pat Riley's quote captures the essence of striving towards success by outlining the various stages one must go through to achieve greatness. It highlights that every accomplishment requires effort and resilience, transitioning from a state of being unnoticed to becoming a champion, and ultimately establishing a lasting legacy or 'dynasty'. This journey signifies not just personal growth, but the evolution of a mindset geared towards continual improvement and excellence.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech, illustrating how hard work leads to major accomplishments.
More from Pat Riley
All quotes →There's always the motivation of wanting to win. Everybody has that. But a champion needs, in his attitude, a motivation above and beyond winning.
A champion needs a motivation above and beyond winning.
When a great team loses through complacency, it will constantly search for new and more intricate explanations to explain away defeat.
Giving yourself permission to lose guarantees a loss.
All of us have at least one great voice deep inside. People are products of their environment. A lucky few are born into situations in which positive messages abound. Others grow up hearing messages of fear and failure, which they must block out so the positive can be heard. But the positive and courageous voice will always emerge, somewhere, sometime, for all of us. Listen for it, and your breakthroughs will come.
Similar quotes
A champion is suppose to hate to lose, and it wasn't like I was ever crazy about the idea. But I learned to deal with losing without having my spirit or confidence broken, which would help immensely over time, not just in the big picture but even in specific matches when I found myself in a jam. Fear of losing is a terrible thing.
They ask me what I'd like written about me when I'm gone. I hope they write I made Penn State a better place, not just that I was a good football coach.
There is a difference between broke and being poor. Being broke is a temporary economic condition, but being poor is a disabling frame of mind and a depressed condition of your spirit, and you must vow to never, ever be poor again.
If you look historically, what creates growth and wealth is innovation and investment, and increase in scale - more customers.
Don't buy society’s definition of success. Because it’s not working for anyone. It’s not working for women, it's not working for men, it's not working for polar bears, it's not working for the cicadas that are apparently about to emerge and swarm us. It’s only truly working for those who make pharmaceuticals for stress, sleeplessness and high blood pressure.
It's always an honor to be ranked high, but whatever is said about you, you take it and then take a realistic look at yourself and who you are.