1. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.
repeatedly(adv.) many times
excellence(n.) the quality of being extremely good
habit(n.) something that you do regularly or usually, often without thinking about it because you have done it so many times before
2. You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, “I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.” You must do the thing you think you cannot do.
strength(n.) the quality of being brave or determined in dealing with difficult or unpleasant situations
live through something – to experience something difficult or painful and continue to live
come along – to arrive; to appear
3. Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.
success(n.) when you achieve what you want or intend
failure(n.) a lack of success in achieving or doing something
enthusiasm(n.) a strong feeling of excitement and interest in something and a desire to become involved in it
4. You should never believe a thing simply because you want to believe it.
simply(adv.) only
5. Sometimes nothing is the hardest thing to do.
6. Know the rules well, so you can break them effectively.
effectively(adv.) in a way that produces the intended result or a successful result
7. The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable man persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.
adapt(v.) 1. to change your behavior in order to deal more successfully with a new situation/ 2. to change something in order to make it suitable for a new use or situation
persist(v.) to continue to do something, although this is difficult, or other people oppose it
depend on something/somebody – to need something or someone in order to exist, or be healthy, successful etc
8. Put all your eggs in one basket and then watch that basket.
9. If you don't execute your ideas, they die.
execute(v.) (formal) to do a piece of work, perform a duty, put a plan into action, etc.
10. Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.
victorious(adj.) having won a victory, or ending in a victory
warrior(n.) (especially in the past) a person who fights in a battle or war
seek(v.) to try to find or get something, especially something that is not a physical object