If you run a business or are planning to start one and need some inspiration, it is imperative you get in the right frame of mind for success. Ayn Rand was one of the world's foremost writers on the subject of capitalism and its crucial role in creating a healthy and happy society, not just for the richest number but for the populace as a whole. Here are some of her most inspiring quotes on the importance of ambition and the individual who strives for success.
A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others.
Here we see that Rand's philosophy is not one of selfishness (as often her critics would characterise it) but one of determination. Do you have the desire in you to achieve? If you are in business, you better have. Don't concern yourself with the other guy – concentrate on what you can do.
Money is only a tool. It will take you wherever you wish, but it will not replace you as the driver.
Again Rand makes a key distinction between competitiveness and true self determination. Greed will only get you so far. It must be supported by deeper, more spiritual desire to make yourself the best you can be if it is to truly reap rewards.
Run for your life from any man who tells you that money is evil. That sentence is the leper's bell of an approaching looter.
Rand was steadfast in her belief that those who have no ambition to strive will, if allowed to, drag down those who do. The key message here is, never feel bad about making the money you work hard for and do not trust those who tell you that you should be ashamed of wealth.
Achievement of your happiness is the only moral purpose of your life, and that happiness, not pain or mindless self-indulgence, is the proof of your moral integrity, since it is the proof and the result of your loyalty to the achievement of your values.
Perhaps the purest expression of all of Rand's belief system, this quote warns the reader not to get distracted by instant gratification or feelings of guilt simply for being. Time on the earth is short – use it to satisfy your deepest desire for happiness.