--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have learned, that if one advances…" description: "\"I have learned, that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a su..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48c/henry-david-thoreau-20_confidence_i-have-learned-that-if-one-advances-conf_1292056.jpg" --- # I have learned, that if one advances confidently in the… ![“I have learned, that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48c/henry-david-thoreau-20_confidence_i-have-learned-that-if-one-advances-conf_1292056.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48c/henry-david-thoreau-20_confidence_i-have-learned-that-if-one-advances-conf_1292056.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48c/henry-david-thoreau-20_confidence_i-have-learned-that-if-one-advances-conf_1292056.jpg) > “I have learned, that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advancing confidently toward one's dreams and living deliberately leads to unexpected success beyond ordinary expectations. **In simple terms:** Confident pursuit of dreams brings surprising success. Key Takeaway Pursue dreams with confidence. Themes dreams confidence success deliberate living Mood inspirational hopeful reflective Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career planning - personal projects - creative endeavors - life design Key Concepts self‑actualization intentionality unexpected outcomes Questions to Reflect On - What dream are you hesitating to pursue? - How does confidence affect your actions? A Different Perspective Success may still require perseverance and adaptability after the initial breakthrough. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advances Confidently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advances-confidently-1924577/) [Confidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confidence/) [Confidently Direction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confidently-direction-1924579/) [Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Imagined](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-imagined-341930/) [Meet Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meet-success-3167346/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Success Unexpected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success-unexpected-730900/) ## Related quotes > [If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-one-advances-confidently-in-the-direction-of-his-dreams-and/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [If one advances confidently in the direction of one's dreams, and endeavors to live the life which one has imagined, one will meet with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-one-advances-confidently-in-the-direction-of-one-s-dreams-and/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I learned this, at least, by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-learned-this-at-least-by-my-experiment-that-if-one-advances-2/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-one-advances-confidently-in-the-direction-of-his-dreams-and-3/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I learned this, at least, by my experiment; that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-learned-this-at-least-by-my-experiment-that-if-one-advances-3/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined. —UNKNOWN If anyone tells you that you can’t live the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demi-lovato/go-confidently-in-the-direction-of-your-dreams-live-the-life-you-have/) [Demi Lovato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demi-lovato/) > [Endeavor to live the life you have imagined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/endeavor-to-live-the-life-you-have-imagined/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Let go of the past and live the future . . . Live the life you imagined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/let-go-of-the-past-and-live-the-future-live-the-life-you-imagined/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Life isn't about finding yourself; it's about creating yourself. So live the life you imagined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/life-isn-t-about-finding-yourself-it-s-about-creating-yourself-so/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I learned this, at least, by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavours to live the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-learned-this-at-least-by-my-experiment-that-if-one-advances/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Go confidently ... Live the life that you imagined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/go-confidently-live-the-life-that-you-imagined/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Meet success like a gentleman and disaster like a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-edwin-smith/meet-success-like-a-gentleman-and-disaster-like-a-man/) [Frederick Edwin Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-edwin-smith/) > [If you can meet success and failure and treat them both as impostors, then you are a balanced man, my son.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/if-you-can-meet-success-and-failure-and-treat-them-both-as-impostors/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [Meet success like a gentleman; disaster like a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/meet-success-like-a-gentleman-disaster-like-a-man/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [“Thoreau’s that indicates if you follow your dreams, “You will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-w-dyer/thoreau-s-that-indicates-if-you-follow-your-dreams-you-will-meet-with/) [Wayne W. Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-w-dyer/) ## More by Henry David Thoreau > [If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it-was-something-exceptional/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“Men say they know many things; But lo! they have taken wings, — The arts and sciences, And a thousand appliances; The wind that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/men-say-they-know-many-things-but-lo-they-have-taken-wings-the-arts/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I am not afraid of praise, for I have practiced it on myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-am-not-afraid-of-praise-for-i-have-practiced-it-on-myself/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or back gammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/all-voting-is-a-sort-of-gaming-like-checkers-or-back-gammon-with-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“This spending of the best part of one's life earning money in order to enjoy a questionable liberty during the least valuable part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/this-spending-of-the-best-part-of-one-s-life-earning-money-in-order/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [As for doing good; that is one of the professions which is full. Moreover I have tried it fairly and, strange as it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-for-doing-good-that-is-one-of-the-professions-which-is-full/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [A traveler who looks at things with an impartial eye may see what the oldest inhabitant has not observed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-traveler-who-looks-at-things-with-an-impartial-eye-may-see-what-the/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [In proportion as our inward life fails, we go more constantly and desperately to the post office. You may depend on it, that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/in-proportion-as-our-inward-life-fails-we-go-more-constantly-and/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I had three chairs in my house; one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-had-three-chairs-in-my-house-one-for-solitude-two-for-friendship/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The still youthful energies of the globe have only to be directed in their proper channel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-still-youthful-energies-of-the-globe-have-only-to-be-directed-in/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Concord's little arch does not span all our fate, nor is what transpires under it law for the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/concord-s-little-arch-does-not-span-all-our-fate-nor-is-what/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The lumberers rarely trouble themselves to put out their fires, such is the dampness of the primitive forest; and this is one cause, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-lumberers-rarely-trouble-themselves-to-put-out-their-fires-such/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“When he has obtained those things which are necessary to life, there is another alternative than to obtain the superfluities; and that is, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/when-he-has-obtained-those-things-which-are-necessary-to-life-there/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Wealth is measured by the level of experience in all aspects of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/wealth-is-measured-by-the-level-of-experience-in-all-aspects-of-life/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Explore all 3,376 Henry David Thoreau quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## More Confidence quotes > [The CIA has concluded in a secret assessment that Russia intervened in the 2016 election to help Donald Trump win the presidency rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/the-cia-has-concluded-in-a-secret-assessment-that-russia-intervened/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [I was just confident my work was good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bunny-yeager/i-was-just-confident-my-work-was-good/) [Bunny Yeager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bunny-yeager/) > [I am confident when I take the penalty otherwise I would pass for somebody else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-fernandes/i-am-confident-when-i-take-the-penalty-otherwise-i-would-pass-for/) [Bruno Fernandes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-fernandes/) > [I started out dancing on a reality TV show, but always with the intention of making my way over to film. I transitioned into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-hough/i-started-out-dancing-on-a-reality-tv-show-but-always-with-the/) [Julianne Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-hough/) > [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [My friend made me a leather dress for the MTV awards. It gives you confidence, wearing something you love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-deeley/my-friend-made-me-a-leather-dress-for-the-mtv-awards-it-gives-you/) [Cat Deeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-deeley/) > [Confidence comes from cutting yourself some slack.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tess-daly/confidence-comes-from-cutting-yourself-some-slack/) [Tess Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tess-daly/) > [I would rather regret the things that I have done than the things that I have not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucille-ball/i-would-rather-regret-the-things-that-i-have-done-than-the-things/) [Lucille Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucille-ball/) > [You want to remain hungry and stay in a good place as a competitor; at the same time, you want to be confident but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lamar-odom/you-want-to-remain-hungry-and-stay-in-a-good-place-as-a-competitor-at/) [Lamar Odom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lamar-odom/) > [Get to know yourself well enough to not only expect, but also control, your response to the unexpected challenges in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/get-to-know-yourself-well-enough-to-not-only-expect-but-also-control/) [Senoraroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senoraroy/) > [The four Cs of making dreams come true: Curiosity, Courage, Consistency, Confidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/the-four-cs-of-making-dreams-come-true-curiosity-courage-consistency/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [I look for someone who has confidence. Also someone whose energetic, cause I'm NOT that energetic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-jonas/i-look-for-someone-who-has-confidence-also-someone-whose-energetic/) [Nick Jonas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-jonas/) > [Why shouldn't I be confident? I'm well educated, I can deliver a line, and I have more than three expressions. That's good right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonakshi-sinha/why-shouldn-t-i-be-confident-i-m-well-educated-i-can-deliver-a-line/) [Sonakshi Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonakshi-sinha/) > [I was very confident on the stage, and I stood out in a red gown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-johnson/i-was-very-confident-on-the-stage-and-i-stood-out-in-a-red-gown/) [Nicole Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-johnson/) > [If you go to any nunnery and ask them what the main obstacle is, they'll always say low self-esteem and lack of confidence. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/if-you-go-to-any-nunnery-and-ask-them-what-the-main-obstacle-is-they/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) [Browse all 11,290 Confidence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confidence/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I have learned, that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry David Thoreau" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-have-learned-that-if-one-advances-confidently-in-the-direction-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Confidence" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-have-learned-that-if-one-advances-confidently-in-the-direction-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48c/henry-david-thoreau-20_confidence_i-have-learned-that-if-one-advances-conf_1292056.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48c/henry-david-thoreau-20_confidence_i-have-learned-that-if-one-advances-conf_1292056.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48c/henry-david-thoreau-20_confidence_i-have-learned-that-if-one-advances-conf_1292056.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I have learned, that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the…” — Henry David Thoreau", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Henry David Thoreau", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I have learned, that if one...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-have-learned-that-if-one-advances-confidently-in-the-direction-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-have-learned-that-if-one-advances-confidently-in-the-direction-of/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```