"I wish to preach, not the doctrine of ignoble ease, but the doctrine of the strenuous life."

— "The Strenuous Life," speech before the Hamilton Club, Chicago (10 April 1899)

Verified public speech.

"Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty."

— "American Ideals in Education," address at the University of California, Berkeley (23 April 1910)

Verified speech text.

"Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing."

— Speech at the New York State Fair, Syracuse (7 September 1903)

Verified speech line.