What is success? Everyone seems to think about it quite differently! While some people think that money or fame equals success, there is a lot more to it than that.

True success is not about things or status or money, but is about the kind of person you are and the positive impact you have on the world. Here are some of the many ways that success can be defined:

Living a life you can be proud of

Doing your best

Spending your time with people and activities that are important to you

Standing up for things that are right even when it’s hard

Becoming the best version of you

So what does it take to become successful? Several things!

A worthwhile goal

Action, not just talk

Hard work

Preparation and practice

Good habits

Perseverance

You will notice these keys to success in many of the quotes for students and kids below:

Great Success Quotes for Students and Kids

“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” – Herman Cain

“Action is the fundamental key to success.” – Pablo Picasso

“Try not to become a man of success. Rather become a man of value.” – Albert Einstein

“Success doesn’t come to you, you’ve got to go to it.” – Marva Collins

“Success isn’t about how much money you make. It’s about the difference you make in people’s lives.” – Michelle Obama

“I never dreamed about success. I worked for it.” – Estee Lauder

“You get in life what you have the courage to ask for.” – Oprah Winfrey

“Success comes from going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” – Winston Churchill

“The level of our success is limited only by our imagination and no act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted.” – Aesop quotes

“The expert in anything was once a beginner.” – Helen Hayes

“The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack in will.” – Vince Lombardi

“Practice isn’t the thing you do once your good. It’s the thing you do that makes you good.” – Malcolm Gladwell

“Preparation is the key to success.” – Alexander Graham Bell

“Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be.” – George Sheehan

“Success is the sum of small efforts being repeated day in and day out.” – Robert Collier

“If you really want to do something, you will find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.” – Jim Rohn

“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” – Thomas A. Edison

“You always pass failure on the way to success.” – Mickey Rooney

“There’s no elevator to success. You have to take the stairs.” – Unknown

“Success comes in cans; failure in can’ts” – Wilfred Peterson

“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.” – Colin Powell

“Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” – Robert F. Kennedy

“Success is a ladder that cannot be climbed with your hands in your pocket.” – Mark Caine

“The dictionary is the only place where success comes before work.” – Mark Twain

“The starting point of all achievement is desire.” – Napoleon Hill

“There is no elevator to success. You have to take the stairs.” – Unknown

Check out this video that talks about what success means:

Additional Resources:

Click here to see many InspireMyKids stories and videos about people that demonstrate what true success is all about

Click here for other quotes for kids on topics, like perseverance and hard work that help create success

Topics for Discussion:

What are your top 3 favorite quotes above? Why?

What does success mean to you?

Who is the most successful person you know? Why? Is there anything you can learn from them?

Take Action:

Choose one thing in your life where you are not successful and make a commitment to change this. Write down a goal. Start doing things differently and see how it makes you feel.

Find something that matters to you and make the world a better place. Find a cause that you care about, such as animals, and find something you can do to help. Click here for a great list of ideas to help animals from the ASPCA or here for ways to help the environment.

Teacher Features: