Best 15 Reaching Quotes to Inspire You to Reach Beyond Yourself

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In case you have not noticed from my other blog posts, I love quotes. Most of my articles so far include at least three quotes. In one of my posts, I talk about why I named my blog ‘ReachingSelf’ and all of the meanings within the word ‘reach.’ Here’s a list of my personally picked best reaching quotes that perfectly implement the different definitions as well the importance of reaching. These quotes will engage and inspire you to start and keep reaching in all the possible different ways to reach. If you like any of these quotes, feel free to pin and share them around!

1. “It must be borne in mind that the tragedy of life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goals to reach.” Benjamin E. Mays

This quote is my favorite reaching quote. I love this quote because it implements both meanings of reach. It’s like saying failure is not about not getting to your destination; failure is in never taking the journey.

2. “There is no better exercise for your heart than reaching down and helping to lift someone up.” Bernard Meltzer

This quote is interesting because when we think about reaching we usually think about only reaching up but this quote talking about reaching down to others and then bringing them up, so you’re both reaching back up together. I really like this quote.

3. “Glory lies in the attempt to reach one’s goal and not in reaching it.” Mahatma Gandhi

This is an interesting take. All that matters is that you tried. Few people take that leap for fear of failure. But it’s not just about success—it’s about the regret of not trying and the glory of trying.

4. “Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars.” Casey Kasem

I believe this quote is saying dream big but stay grounded in reality. Having an ego is only going to get you disappointed. There is a difference between believing that you are capable of a big goal with enough effort and an overconfident belief that you will unrealistically reach a big goal without lifting a figure or just because you think you’re great.

5. “Never stop taking risks. Just keep reaching.” Ryan Eggold

Ryan Eggold relates reaching to taking risks which I completely agree with. Reaching has to be done outside of the comfort zone.

6. “We have to realize only in communication, in real knowledge, in real reaching out, can there be an understanding that there’s humanity everywhere, and that’s what I’m trying to do.” Mira Nair

I believe that the people who truly hold power and success in the world are not those who have money but those who make a difference in the world—those who are able to reach out and positively make a difference in the world. Even on a smaller scale, that is the purpose of life—to really reach and understand and help those around you.

7. “Without goals, and plans to reach them, you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination.” — Fitzhugh Dodson

This quote shows the importance of having goals to reach and plans to achieve them rather than just aimlessly wandering through life. It’s the difference between being in control of where your life goes and not having any control at all – being a subject and victim to the circumstances around you.

8. “I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.” — Jimmy Dean

This quote shows that no matter our circumstances in life, we are always capable of making adjustments to steer in the right direction. Similar to the quote above, we can choose to have control over whether we reach our goals or let circumstances control and decide if we achieve our goals.

9. “You can’t hit a home run unless you step up to the plate. You can’t catch a fish unless you put your line in the water. You can’t reach your goals if you don’t try.” — Kathy Seligman

If all you have is just your goals, you can’t reach your goals. There has to be an action plan, and you need to act on it. You need to try. You need to reach.

10. “When you reach for the stars, you are reaching for the farthest thing out there. When you reach deep into yourself, it is the same thing, but in the opposite direction. If you reach in both directions, you will have spanned the universe.” ― Vera Nazarian

I love this quote. It explains how it includes both reaching beyond yourself and reaching within yourself. Reaching within yourself is reaching in more of a spiritual sense—it becomes bigger than your goals and reaching material possessions but reaching and tapping into your ultimate self.

11. “I saw a star, I reached for it. I missed, so I accepted the sky” ― Scott Fortino

This quote shows the beauty of reaching for BIG goals. Chances are if you plan and take action for reaching a big goal, you will still grow and make progress. That is what’s important. If you make a goal to lose 100 pounds in 6 months and you manage to lose just 60 pounds, that’s still great!

12. “If you want to reach a goal, you must ‘see the reaching’ in your own mind before you actually arrive at your goal.” Zig Ziglar

This is true. It’s why I love the visual aspect of the word reach. This quote incorporates the law of attraction and visualization of reaching toward your goals. You have to believe and visualize it. If you don’t, you won’t take the necessary actions.

13. “Any unforeseen challenges that crop up are only there to test your resolve on your way to ultimate success in reaching your goal.” — Byron Pulsifer

The greater the challenges, the greater the success. The bigger your obstacles, the bigger your destiny.

14. “You don’t have to be a fantastic hero to do certain things – to compete. You can be just an ordinary chap, sufficiently motivated to reach challenging goals.” — Edmund Hillary

Great people are not born great. Some people think that you have to be intelligent or already great to achieve great things. This is not true. All it takes is the desire, the right mindset and taking action to reach big goals.

15. “Take the challenge of your life. Reach out to your goals. There is no limit to what you can achieve.” ― Lailah Gifty Akita

There is no better way to describe pursuing your big goals than taking the challenging of your life. What you can achieve has no limit. It really doesn’t! There is no scarcity. There is an abundance of opportunities, wealth, knowledge, time, etc.

I hope these quotes helped you see the bigger picture in reaching and inspired you to reach, achieve, and succeed.

Which quote is your favorite? What’s your favorite quote of all time that inspires you to reach and continue reaching?

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