Ayn Rand, a prolific writer born in Russia, experienced great success in her lifetime. Over 25 million of her books have sold and all of her books are still in print, although she died in 1982. Ayn Rand’s quote gets to the heart of the cultivation of success — recognizing opportunity and taking advantage of it.
“The ladder of success is best climbed by stepping on the rungs of opportunity.” –Ayn Rand
Her description of success being a ladder is apt because, in order to be successful, one must notice and take advantage of many opportunities throughout life. Her quote illustrates that each opportunity leads to another step up to the next opportunity.
Rand’s quote implies it’s rare to go from nothing to success in one step. Instead, you’re led to succeed through the opportunities you notice and take advantage of.
How to Apply Ayn Rand’s Tip to Your Life
It’s best not to expect success to come all at once with little time or effort:
- Think of success as something you can achieve step by step
- Each step or “rung” is an opportunity
- In order to benefit the most, keep your eyes open to whatever opportunities come your way
- The more opportunities you recognize and utilize, the more likely it is you’ll be successful
Some opportunities will be disguised to look like obstacles or will present great challenges to you.
Open your mind to the possibilities that these situations bring to you. As you tackle each situation, consider it an opportunity and find a way to use it to your advantage. Those opportunities will help you progress up the ladder of success.
This post is part of the TOP 10 Best Success Quotes series.
