Last Updated on September 6, 2024
It can be difficult to imagine that at some point, Eric Thomas – ET, The Hip Hop Preacher – was homeless and a high school dropout.
Today, he’s a celebrated author, pastor, speaker, and entrepreneur. He’s the CEO of his own company, ETA LLC., a consulting firm that has already helped dozens of Fortune 500 companies like AT&T, Nike, Under Armour, General Electric, New Balance, and UPS.
Thomas is also the author of The Secret to Success (2011), Greatness Is Upon You: How to Seize and Sustain Greatness (2014), Average Skill Phenomenal Will (2016), and You Ain’t the Boss of Me: Faith Vs Fear Eric Thomas (2019). He and his team have programs that have assisted not only everyday people, but minority students as well, on their journey towards success.
Who Is Eric Thomas?
Born in Chicago, Illinois but raised in Detroit, Michigan, Eric Thomas grew up in a single mother household. Due to his academic struggles, he dropped out of high school and he found himself in the streets of Detroit.
Homeless and alone for two years, he soon met a pastor that set him straight. He was encouraged to return to school and get a job. Thomas eventually met his wife, De-De Mosley, and they married while pursuing college degrees. After finishing his undergraduate studies, he became an academic adviser to disadvantaged students. That work inspired him to create programs to help the youth.
Feeling down? Hating your hustle lately? Don’t be too hard on yourself. Take it one day at a time, together with these inspirational Eric Thomas quotes about grinding and success.
Motivational Eric Thomas Quotes
1. “The only way to get out of mediocrity is to keep shooting for excellence.” – Eric Thomas
2. “Most of you don’t want success as much as you want to sleep!” – Eric Thomas
3. “When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you’ll be successful.” – Eric Thomas
4. “It’s not who you are that holds you back, it’s who you think you’re not.” – Eric Thomas
5. “At some point in life you have to face your fears.” – Eric Thomas
6. “You can’t sleep. Broke people sleep. You got to be willing to sacrifice sleep, if you sleep you may miss the opportunity to be successful.” – Eric Thomas
7. “Success is not for the weak and uncommitted… Sometimes it’s gonna hurt!” – Eric Thomas
8. “What you envision in your mind, how you see yourself, and how you envision the world around you is of great importance because those things become your focus.” – Eric Thomas
9. “Both desire and imagination are stored in the mind of the individual and when stretched, both have the potential to position a person for greatness.” – Eric Thomas
10. “I wanted to surround myself with the kind of people who could help me turn my life around; people whom I could rub up against like iron and be sharpened.” – Eric Thomas
11. “I use pain to push me to greatness” – Eric Thomas
12. “If you’re not where you are, if you’re not where you want to be, if you don’t have what you want to have. If you’re not where you think you should be at this particular place. It has nothing to do with the system, but it has everything to do with the fact that you’re not making the sacrifice.” – Eric Thomas
13. “You will never ever be successful, until you turn your pain into greatness, until you allow your pain to push you from where you are to push you to where you need to be. Stop running from your pain and embrace your pain. Your pain is going to be a part of your prize, a part of your product. I challenge you to push yourself.” – Eric Thomas
14. “Only those who risk going too far, can possible find out how far one can go.” – Eric Thomas
15. “Don’t make a habit out of choosing what feels good over what’s actually good for you.” – Eric Thomas
16. “I learned that a real friendship is not about what you can get, but what you can give. Real friendship is about making sacrifices and investing in people to help them improve their lives.” – Eric Thomas
17. “Everybody wants to be a beast, until it’s time to do what real beasts do.” – Eric Thomas
18. “The difference between those who succeed and fail: not taking advantage of opportunities.” – Eric Thomas
19. “Success is never on discount! Greatness is never on sale! Greatness is never half off! It’s all or nothing! It’s all day, every day! Greatness is never on discount!” – Eric Thomas
20. “Sometimes it ain’t about being the most talented. Sometimes it ain’t about being the smartest. Sometimes it’s not even about working the hardest. Sometimes it’s about consistency! Consistency!” – Eric Thomas
21. “If you’re going to go to your next level, your values are going to have to change.” – Eric Thomas
22. “No alarm clock needed. My passion wakes me.” – Eric Thomas
23. “You can’t cheat the grind, it knows hows much you’ve invested, it won’t give you nothing you haven’t worked for.” – Eric Thomas
24. “You ain’t average! But you know what? You’re playing small because it’s easier to be average.” – Eric Thomas
25. “When you’re great! You attract great! When you’re average! You attract average.” – Eric Thomas
26. “I’ve been trying to tell y’all, its’s not your circumstances or situation, that determines if you gonna be successful or not. I’ve been telling you it’s your mindset! It’s the way you see it. It’s the way you think it right!” – Eric Thomas
27. “You are the executive director and screenwriter of your life.” – Eric Thomas
28. “Stop the blame game. Stop! Stop looking out the window and look in the mirror!” – Eric Thomas
29. “The only way to get out of mediocrity is to keep shooting for excellence.” – Eric Thomas
30. “Everybody has a dream, but not everybody has a grind.” – Eric Thomas
