Denis E. Waitley (born 1933) is one of the most listened-to motivational speakers on personal and career success, with over 10 million audio programs sold in 14 languages. Waitley has been included in the International Speakers’ Hall of Fame.

More than 2 million copies of his audio album “The Psychology of Winning” have been sold.

In addition to the best-selling titles “Seeds of Greatness,” “The Winner’s Edge,” “Being the Best,”  “The Joy of Working,” and “Empires of the Mind,” he is the author of 16 plus non-fiction books.

Popular Quotes from Denis Waitley

“Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end. Failure is something we can avoid only by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing.”
― Denis Waitely

“ Procrastination is the fear of success. People procrastinate because they are afraid of the success that they know will result if they move ahead now. Because success is heavy, carries a responsibility with it, it is much easier to procrastinate and live on the ‘someday I’ll’ philosophy.”
― Denis Waitley

“ Don’t be a time manager, be a priority manager. Cut your major goals into bite-sized pieces. Each small priority or requirement on the way to the ultimate goal becomes a mini goal in itself. ”
― Denis Waitley

“ The winners in life think constantly in terms of I can, I will, and I am. Losers, on the other hand, concentrate their waking thoughts on what they should have or would have done, or what they can’t do. ”
― Denis Waitley

“ Time and health are two precious assets that we don’t recognize and appreciate until they have been depleted. ”
― Denis Waitley

“ Our limitations and success will be based, most often, on your own expectations for ourselves. What the mind dwells upon, the body acts upon.”
― Denis Waitley

“ The most splendid achievement of all is the constant striving to surpass yourself and to be worthy of your own approval.”
― Dennis Waitley

“ The greatest gifts you can give your children are the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence.”
― Denis Waitley

“ All of the top achievers I know are life-long learners… Looking for new skills, insights, and ideas. If they’re not learning, they’re not growing… not moving toward excellence. ”
― Denis Waitley

“ Listen to the desires of your children. Encourage them and then give them the autonomy to make their own decision.”
― Denis Waitley

“ When you are in the valley, keep your goal firmly in view and you will get the renewed energy to continue the climb. ”
― Denis Waitley

“ There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them.”
― Denis Waitley

“ Learn from the past, set vivid, detailed goals for the future, and live in the only moment of time over which you have any control: now.”
― Denis Waitley

“Winners live each day as if their last. Not in the future, nor in the past, and someday  becomes now.”
― Dennis Waitley

“Don’t ever let economic alone determine your career or how you spend the majority of your time.”
― Denis Waitley

“There are no mistakes or failures, only lessons.”
― Denis Waitley

“The results you achieve will be in direct proportion to the effort you apply.”
― Denis Waitley

“As long as we are persistent in the pursuit of our deepest destiny, we will continue to grow. We cannot choose the day or time when we will fully bloom. It happens in its own time.”
― Denis Waitley

“I had the blues because I had no shoes until, upon the street, I met a man who had no feet.”
― Denis Waitley

“Life is the movie you see through your own eyes. It makes little difference what’s happening out there. It’s how you take it that counts.”
― Dennis Waitley

“The reason most people never reach their goals is that they don’t define them, learn about them, or ever seriously consider them as believable or achievable. Winners can tell you where they are going, what they plan to do along the way, and who will.”
― Denis Waitley

“To establish true self-esteem we must concentrate on our successes and forget about the failures and the negatives in our lives.”
― Denis Waitley

“Forget about the consequences of failure. Failure is only a temporary change in direction to set you straight for your next success.”
― Dennis Waitley

“Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is a delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end. Failure is something we can avoid only by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing.”
― Denis Waitley

“Time is the most precious element of human existence. The successful person knows how to put energy into time and how to draw success from time.”
― Dennis Waitley

“Time is an equal opportunity employer. Each human being has exactly the same number of hours and minutes in a day.”
― Denis Waitley

“Success is almost totally dependent upon drive and persistence. The extra energy required to make another effort or try another approach is the secret of winning.”
― Denis Waitley

“Focus all your attention and energy on the achievement of the objectives you are involved with right now.”
― Denis Waitley

“Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.”
― Dennis Waitley

“Life is inherently risky. There is only one big risk you should avoid at all costs, and that is the risk of doing nothing.”
― Denis Waitley

“Mistakes are painful when they happen, but years later a collection of mistakes is what is called experience.”
― Denis Waitley

“A life lived with integrity – even if it lacks the trappings of fame and fortune is a shining star in whose light others may follow in the years to come.”
― Denis Waitley

“If you believe you can, you probably can. If you believe you won’t, you most assuredly won’t. Belief is the ignition switch that gets you off the launching pad.”
― Denis Waitley

“Losers make promises they often break. Winners make commitments they always keep.”
― Dennis Waitley

“You have all the reason in the world to achieve your grandest dreams. Imagination plus innovation equals realization.”
― Denis Waitley

“Relentless, repetitive self talk is what changes our self-image.”
― Denis Waitley

“Courage means to keep working a relationship, to continue seeking solutions to difficult problems, and to stay focused during stressful periods.”
― Dennis Waitley

“We’ve got to have a dream if we are going to make a dream come true.”
― Denis Waitley

“Determination gives you the resolve to keep going in spite of the roadblocks that lay before you.”
― Denis Waitley

“Don’t dwell on what went wrong. Instead, focus on what to do next. Spend your energies on moving forward toward finding the answer.”

“Losers live in the past. Winners learn from the past and enjoy working in the present toward the future.”
― Denis Waitley

Never become so much of an expert that you stop gaining expertise. View life as a continuous learning experience. 
― Denis Waitley

A smile is the light in your window that tells others that there is a caring, sharing person inside.
― Denis Waitley

“You must learn from your past mistakes, but not lean on your past successes.”
― Denis Waitley

“When you are in the valley, keep your goal firmly in view and you will get the renewed energy to continue the climb.”
― Denis Waitley

“Winners take time to relish their work, knowing that scaling the mountain is what makes the view from the top so exhilarating.”
― Denis Waitley

“Our limitations and success will be based, most often, on your own expectations for ourselves. What the mind dwells upon, the body acts upon.”
― Denis Waitley