From Kennedy to Lincoln: 20 uplifting quotes by U.S. presidents

Very few individuals have had the privilege of calling the Oval Office their own. Historically, it has required a unique character and a distinct set of skills to reach the White House. What lessons can we learn from these leaders?

“Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.” John F. Kennedy.

“There are no great limits to growth because there are no limits of human intelligence, imagination, and wonder.” Ronald Reagan.

“I ask you to judge me by the enemies I have made.” Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

“And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.” Abraham Lincoln.

“Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose.” Lyndon Baines Johnson.

“But my later experience has taught me two lessons: first, that things are seen plainer after the events have occurred; second, that the most confident critics are generally those who know the least about the matter criticized.” Ulysses S. Grant.

“The ear of the leader must ring with the voices of the people.” Woodrow Wilson.

“It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.” Theodore Roosevelt.

“The future rewards those who press on. I don't have time to feel sorry for myself. I don't have time to complain. I'm going to press on.” Barack Obama.

“Never waste a minute thinking about people you don't like.” Dwight Eisenhower.

“Fame is a vapor, popularity is an accident, riches take wings, those who cheer today may curse tomorrow and only one thing endures: Character.” Harry S Truman.

“A man is not finished when he is defeated. He is finished when he quits.” Richard Nixon.

“We all do better when we work together. Our differences do matter, but our common humanity matters more.” Bill Clinton.

“An honorable defeat is better than a dishonorable victory.” Millard Fillmore.

“It is a brave man… who dares to look the devil in the face and tell him he is a devil.” James Garfield.

“In the time of darkest defeat, victory may be nearest.” William McKinley.

“One man with courage makes a majority.” Andrew Jackson.

“It is easier to do a job right than to explain why you didn't.” Martin Van Buren.

“I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.” Thomas Jefferson.

“Ninety-nine percent of failures come from people who make excuses.” George Washington.

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