“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”
Arthur Ashe · widely attributed
The quote draws a clear line between two kinds of impossibility. Most things we call impossible are simply difficult, uncertain, or uncomfortable enough that we hesitate to try. The only journey that is genuinely impossible, the quote argues, is one that never gets off the ground because we never take a first step. It reframes fear of failure as a far smaller risk than the certainty of paralysis.
Tony Robbins has used variations of this idea throughout his career as a speaker and author focused on personal development. The thought fits squarely within the motivational philosophy he built his public profile on: that the quality of a person's life is determined by the quality of the decisions they make, and that making no decision is itself a choice with real consequences. The line circulates widely online and is often paraphrased, which is common for memorable phrases that connect cleanly with a universal hesitation.
Tony Robbins is an American author, coach, and public speaker who has spent several decades working in the fields of peak performance and personal development. He is known for his large-scale live events and for a series of books and audio programs that have reached audiences around the world. His work draws on ideas from psychology, business, and philosophy, and he has coached athletes, executives, and public figures. He is widely regarded as one of the most recognized voices in the modern self-help and coaching space.
“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”
Arthur Ashe · widely attributed
“The mind is everything. What you think, you become.”
Buddha · widely attributed
“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson · widely attributed
“You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a drop.”
Rumi · widely attributed
“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
Nelson Mandela · widely attributed
“Do not go where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson · widely attributed
“Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right.”
Henry Ford · widely attributed
“The only way to do great work is to love what you do.”
Steve Jobs · Stanford commencement, 2005
“Each morning brings new potential, but only if we are willing to wake up to it.”
Mark Nepo · The Book of Awakening
“You don't rise to the level of your goals, you fall to the level of your systems.”
James Clear · Atomic Habits, 2018
“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”
Walt Disney · widely attributed
“I am very lucky that I have freedom. Freedom is the greatest treasure.”
David Hockney · Interview, various sources 1990s-2000s