--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It wasn't an instant success. It wasn't…" description: "\"It wasn't an instant success. It wasn't like I got into Earth, Wind & Fire and we stopped eating oatmeal and McDonald's. But it was definitely a clear ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/935/philip-bailey-4862_direction_it-wasn-t-an-instant-success-it-wasn-t-l_2624258.jpg" --- # It wasn't an instant success. It wasn't like I got into… ![“It wasn't an instant success. It wasn't like I got into Earth, Wind & Fire and we stopped eating oatmeal and McDonald's. But it was definitely a clear path on the right direction to be my own man.” quote by Philip Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/935/philip-bailey-4862_direction_it-wasn-t-an-instant-success-it-wasn-t-l_2624258.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/935/philip-bailey-4862_direction_it-wasn-t-an-instant-success-it-wasn-t-l_2624258.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/935/philip-bailey-4862_direction_it-wasn-t-an-instant-success-it-wasn-t-l_2624258.jpg) > “It wasn't an instant success. It wasn't like I got into Earth, Wind & Fire and we stopped eating oatmeal and McDonald's. But it was definitely a clear path on the right direction to be my own man.” [Philip Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-bailey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Success often requires gradual progress and clear direction rather than instant breakthroughs. **In simple terms:** Success needs steady progress. Key Takeaway Focus on the right direction. Themes growth determination self‑reliance Mood motivational reflective Type inspirational advice When to use this quote - career planning - musical pursuits - health choices Key Concepts career development personal identity Questions to Reflect On - What small steps can you take today? - How do you measure progress? A Different Perspective Instant success is rare; patience is essential. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Direction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/direction/) [Fire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fire/) [Path](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/path/) [Right direction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-direction/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Wind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wind/) ## Related quotes > [To achieve success wasn't to get into the major leagues or have the best season in the world. The best success is to live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-altuve/to-achieve-success-wasn-t-to-get-into-the-major-leagues-or-have-the/) [Jose Altuve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-altuve/) > [The reaction to 'Dev D' success wasn't a balanced one from my end. I ran away! I should have stayed around and seen how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhay-deol/the-reaction-to-dev-d-success-wasn-t-a-balanced-one-from-my-end-i-ran/) [Abhay Deol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhay-deol/) > [My success wasn't so much due to intelligence, but the fact that I stuck with problems longer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/my-success-wasn-t-so-much-due-to-intelligence-but-the-fact-that-i/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I had to find my own terms for success, and it wasn't anything like what I was told to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peggy-johnson/i-had-to-find-my-own-terms-for-success-and-it-wasn-t-anything-like/) [Peggy Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peggy-johnson/) > [My success wasn't based on how I could push down everybody that was around me. 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We worked hard from day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-jonas/we-re-not-one-of-those-groups-who-have-one-song-on-the-radio-and-boom/) [Kevin Jonas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-jonas/) > [You take a chance to do something and you realize in your heart it's either going to be the greatest thing that ever happened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-e-king/you-take-a-chance-to-do-something-and-you-realize-in-your-heart-it-s/) [Ben E. King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-e-king/) > [Two things bring instant success in life; how you MANAGE when you have nothing and how you BEHAVE when you have everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya/two-things-bring-instant-success-in-life-how-you-manage-when-you-have/) [Divya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya/) > [Everybody is looking for instant success, but it doesn't work that way. You build a successful life one day at a time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-holtz/everybody-is-looking-for-instant-success-but-it-doesn-t-work-that-way/) [Lou Holtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-holtz/) > [Instant success are seldom instant and if you talk to the people behind these successes, you'll find out that they came after months of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-kawasaki/instant-success-are-seldom-instant-and-if-you-talk-to-the-people/) [Guy Kawasaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-kawasaki/) > [“His lullaby was an instant success not because it was incomparably original, but because it offered a familiar melody in an original setting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-thompson/his-lullaby-was-an-instant-success-not-because-it-was-incomparably/) [Derek Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-thompson/) > [Anything edgy won't see instant success. That's why one will have to learn to wait. You're going to see a lot of failures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naveen-tewari/anything-edgy-won-t-see-instant-success-that-s-why-one-will-have-to/) [Naveen Tewari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naveen-tewari/) ## More by Philip Bailey > [When we came up, groups and bands and performers were interested in being their own thing. They wanted to make sure that they had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-bailey/when-we-came-up-groups-and-bands-and-performers-were-interested-in/) [Philip Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-bailey/) > [Interestingly enough, I'm an earth sign, and my personality is pretty much in keeping with that, and Verdine is definitely a fire sign. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-bailey/interestingly-enough-i-m-an-earth-sign-and-my-personality-is-pretty/) [Philip Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-bailey/) > [I love the clothes, I love the discipline. It's all encompassing. You play golf for two hours and you feel like you went on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-bailey/i-love-the-clothes-i-love-the-discipline-it-s-all-encompassing-you/) [Philip Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-bailey/) > [We all have things in which we look back and say, 'If I had a chance to do it all over again, I wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-bailey/we-all-have-things-in-which-we-look-back-and-say-if-i-had-a-chance-to/) [Philip Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-bailey/) > [I call Earth, Wind & Fire my day job and my solo career my night gig.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-bailey/i-call-earth-wind-fire-my-day-job-and-my-solo-career-my-night-gig/) [Philip Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-bailey/) > [I'm a strong believer in God. Always have been. 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But we gotta stay true…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-bailey/if-you-get-the-basics-right-you-can-freshen-things-up-you-don-t-want/) [Philip Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-bailey/) > [The seeds of Illumination's origin sprang from an idea lead singer Philip Bailey had of collaborating with new generation of soul artists for his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-bailey/the-seeds-of-illumination-s-origin-sprang-from-an-idea-lead-singer/) [Philip Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-bailey/) > [I can't lie: We have made some dogs over the years. Every album we did wasn't great, you know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-bailey/i-can-t-lie-we-have-made-some-dogs-over-the-years-every-album-we-did/) [Philip Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-bailey/) > [For me, it's always been about doing different things... 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And of course, the Motown and Philly sounds, all that stuff was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-bailey/for-me-i-listened-to-a-lot-of-female-jazz-artists-and-of-course-the/) [Philip Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-bailey/) > [God had always been beckoning me. Early on as a kid, I just felt a strange and close connection with the Divine and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-bailey/god-had-always-been-beckoning-me-early-on-as-a-kid-i-just-felt-a/) [Philip Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-bailey/) [Explore all 105 Philip Bailey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-bailey/) ## More Direction quotes > [I'm not gonna squeal out that this is my 23rd retirement, my real, real retirement. 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Its such a gratifying experience getting to creatively keep trying something new and push things in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-craig-smith/my-favorite-job-is-the-next-one-its-such-a-gratifying-experience/) [Roger Craig Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-craig-smith/) > [Every time you think a negative thought, it's one step in the wrong direction, for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-paul/every-time-you-think-a-negative-thought-it-s-one-step-in-the-wrong/) [Sean Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-paul/) > [“No matter how many times you get turned around,you will still find yourself going in the right direction \*B\*”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-easley/no-matter-how-many-times-you-get-turned-around-you-will-still-find/) [B. Easley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-easley/) > [Life's lessons don't come with books, notes nor instructions...just mistakes and EVERYONE makes them!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/life-s-lessons-don-t-come-with-books-notes-nor-instructions-just/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [I don't think comedy really does change people's minds; I think you can only get someone who is almost ready to change their mind.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-jefferies/i-don-t-think-comedy-really-does-change-people-s-minds-i-think-you/) [Jim Jefferies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-jefferies/) > [The prime communities of the Southwest are survival communities. Their sustenance is governed by rainfall and wind direction. You can study little enclaves of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-predock/the-prime-communities-of-the-southwest-are-survival-communities-their/) [Antoine Predock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-predock/) > [Napster has pointed the way for a new direction for music distribution, and we believe it will form the basis of important and exciting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-diller/napster-has-pointed-the-way-for-a-new-direction-for-music/) [Barry Diller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-diller/) > [But I would say if the Security Council is only relevant if it agrees with the United States, then we have come a long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-blix/but-i-would-say-if-the-security-council-is-only-relevant-if-it-agrees/) [Hans Blix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-blix/) > [Vote SNP for a party that always stands up for Scotland, that is stronger for Scotland, and a government that will keep the country…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-sturgeon/vote-snp-for-a-party-that-always-stands-up-for-scotland-that-is/) [Nicola Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-sturgeon/) > [I have a horrible sense of direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-polis/i-have-a-horrible-sense-of-direction/) [Jared Polis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-polis/) > [When I see Mario Gotze, his development does not go in the right direction. 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