Perseverance and resilience
Determine that the thing can and shall be done, and then we shall find the way.
— Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), Speech in the House of Representatives (20 June 1848)

Perseverance and resilience

What it means

Commitment comes first and the method follows. Once you decide something must be done, you start finding ways to do it.

About the author

Abraham Lincoln — President of the United States from 1861 to 1865.

Source and verification

Source
Speech in the House of Representatives (20 June 1848)
Reference
Abraham Lincoln on Wikiquote
Checked
Wording and source taken from the sourced section of the author’s Wikiquote page, which cites the work given here (accessed 2026-10-11).
Copyright
Public domain: the author died in 1865.

The explanation above is ToDoMatriX’s own reading of the quote, not the author’s words.

More on perseverance and resilience

“A journey of a thousand miles started with a first step.”

Laozi

“Every noble work is at first impossible.”

Thomas Carlyle

“Endurance is nobler than strength, and patience than beauty.”

John Ruskin