Blog

Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it: This is a beautiful quote by Henry David Thoreau. In this article, we talk about the meaning of this quote across some popular themes. The most powerful meanings of this quote are around the themes of hard work, focus on our dreams and not being distracted by fears or mere daydreaming. In this article, we will go into further detail about the meaning and analysis of this quote.

Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it

Henry David Thoreau.

Who said Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it?

Henry David Thoreau! This beautiful quote is attributed to Henry David Thoreau. He was an American essayist, poet and philosopher. His contributions are mainly in the areas of environment, natural history and philosophy. This quote however focuses on the importance of being busy and keeping our heads down. It touches on the points of dreams, perseverance and hard work that continually helps us to grow and move forward.

Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it Meaning

The meaning of this quote can be explored in the following themes:

• Success comes to people who are busy and fully engaged in their pursuits.
• We have to be busy with our pursuit, success comes as a byproduct, and we have to focus on being capable
• Being naturally busy and occupied engages a creative part of our brain leading to success
• Success is a byproduct of hard work, dedication, and passion.
• The pursuit of excellence should be the primary focus, rather than constantly seeking success

The main theme of difference is between chasing an output vs outcome. If we define success by a certain output, we get tunnel visioned into this and fail to recognise opportunities to allow us to become creative. Success is a difficult task. It demands everything from us in the nature of hard work, some sleepless nights and a commitment with perseverance and grit. Rarely do we get success on the first attempt. There is a journey of getting things wrong and then working from it based on the learnings. As Terry Pratchett says – wisdom comes from experience, experience is often a lack of wisdom.

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_David_Thoreau