Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, known as the Missile Man of India, is highly regarded throughout the globe. This inspiring quotes by Kalam Sir can help you stay motivated and help you realize your goals.
He was a brilliant scientist, educator, and president of the people. He led a straightforward, modest life, giving his all to his career and the country. He made significant contributions to the development of missiles and was the 11th President of India.
Read some insightful writings by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam about his experiences with leadership, success, education, and motivation.
Famous APJ Abdul Kalam Quotes
1. “What you imagine, is what will transpire. What you believe is what you will achieve.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
2. “Change is crucial. It brings new thought; new thought leads to innovative actions.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
3. “In a democracy, the well-being, individuality and happiness of every citizen is important for the overall prosperity, peace and happiness of the nation.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
4. “A leader can only be free to lead his team if he keeps abreast of all that is happening around him – in real time.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
5. “If a country is to be corruption free and become a nation of beautiful minds, I strongly feel there are three key societal members who can make a difference. They are the father, the mother and the teacher.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
6. “The best brains of the nation may be found on the last benches of the classroom.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
7. “For me, there is no such thing as a negative experience.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
8. “To me, the level of responsibility is measured by one’s ability to confront the decision-making process without any delay or distraction.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
9. “Two rules for a peaceful life: Depression in failure should never go to heart, and ego in success should never go to the brain.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
10. “Learning gives creativity, Creativity leads to thinking, Thinking provides knowledge, Knowledge makes you great.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
11. “Those who cannot work with their hearts achieve but a hollow, half-hearted success that breeds bitterness all around.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
12. “Never stop fighting until you arrive at your destined place – that is, the unique you. Have an aim in life, continuously acquire knowledge, work hard, and have perseverance to realize the great life.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
13. “Climbing to the top demands strength, whether to the top of Mount Everest or to the top of your career.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
14. “If you fail, never give up because F.A.I.L. means ‘First Attempt In Learning’. End is not the end; in fact E.N.D. means ‘Effort Never Dies’. If you get No as an answer, remember N.O. means ‘Next Opportunity’. So Let’s be positive.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
15. “You see, God helps only people who work hard. That principle is very clear.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
16. “When learning is purposeful, creativity blossoms. When creativity blossoms, thinking emanates. When thinking emanates, knowledge is fully lit. When knowledge is lit, economy flourishes.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
17. “Knowledge cannot be taken away from anyone except by obsolescence.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
18. “Great teachers emanate out of knowledge, passion and compassion.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
19. “Educationists should build the capacities of the spirit of inquiry, creativity, entrepreneurial and moral leadership among students and become their role model.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
20. “I reminded myself that the best way to win was to not need to win. The best performances are accomplished when you are relaxed and free of doubt.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
21. “We are all born with a divine fire in us. Our efforts should be to give wings to this fire and fill the world with the glow of its goodness.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
22. “You should always remember that we don’t just build on successes, we also build on failures.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
23. “One of the very important characteristics of a student is to question. Let the students ask questions.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
24. “A productive leader must be very competent in staffing.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
25. “Be active! Take on responsibility! Work for the things you believe in. If you do not, you are surrendering your fate to others.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
26. “Man needs his difficulties because they are necessary to enjoy success.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
27. “Don’t read success stories, you will only get a message. Read failure stories, you will get some ideas to get success.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
28. “Dream, Dream, Dream. Dreams transform into thoughts and thoughts result in action.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
29. “You cannot change your future, but you can change your habits, and surely your habits will change your future.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
30. “The youth need to be enabled to become job generators from job seekers.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
31. “Leaders can create a high productivity level by providing the appropriate organizational structure and job design, and by acknowledging and appreciating hard work.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
32. “If four things are followed – having a great aim, acquiring knowledge, hard work, and perseverance – then anything can be achieved.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
33. “You have to have a goal but you have to have strategies to achieve it as fast as possible.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
34. “Ultimately, education in its real sense is the pursuit of truth. It is an endless journey through knowledge and enlightenment.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
35. “The country doesn’t deserve anything less than success from us. Let us aim for success.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
36. “Look at the sky. We are not alone. The whole universe is friendly to us and conspires only to give the best to those who dream and work.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
37. “Science is a beautiful gift to humanity; we should not distort it.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
38. “Adversity always presents opportunities for introspection.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
39. “Thinking is the capital, Enterprise is the way, Hard Work is the solution.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
40. “Small aim is a crime; have great aim.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
41. “He who knows others is learned, but the wise one is the one who knows himself. Learning without wisdom is of no use.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
42. “Within the mind are all the resources required for successful living. Ideas are present in the consciousness, which when released and given scope to grow and take shape, can lead to successful events.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
43. “Knowledge is a tangible asset, quite often the most important tool in your work.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
44. “Let us sacrifice our today so that our children can have a better tomorrow.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
45. “I firmly believe that unless one has tasted the bitter pill of failure, one cannot aspire enough for success.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
46. “The bird is powered by its own life and by its motivation.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
47. “Without your involvement you can’t succeed. With your involvement you can’t fail.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
48. “While children are struggling to be unique, the world around them is trying all means to make them look like everybody else.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
49. “Don’t fear for facing failure in the first attempt, because even the successful Maths starts with ‘Zero’ only.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
50. “To succeed in life and achieve results, you must understand and master three mighty forces – Desire, Belief, and Expectation.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
51. “You have to dream before your dreams can come true.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
52. “Total commitment is the common denominator among all successful men and women.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
53. “Anyone who has taken up the responsibility to lead a team can be successful only if he is sufficiently independent, powerful and influential in his own right to become a person to reckon with.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
54. “To be a successful team leader, one has to stay back after the din and clutter of a working day to emerge better-equipped and ready to face a new day.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
55. “If you want to shine like a sun, first burn like a sun.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
56. “Excellence is a continuous process and not an accident.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
57. “Creativity is the key to success in the future, and primary education is where teachers can bring creativity in children at that level.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
58. “Dream is not that which you see while sleeping, it is something that does not let you sleep.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
59. “Problems are a part of life. Suffering is the essence of success.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
60. “The reality of your own nature should determine your speed. If you become restless, speed up. If you become tense and high-strung, slow down.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
61. “Great dreams of great dreamers are always transcended.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
62. “If you are born with fame, it is an accident. If you die with fame, it is an achievement.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
63. “Thinking should become your capital asset, no matter whatever ups and downs you come across in your life.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
64. “Success is when your signature becomes an autograph.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
65. “Confidence and Hard work is the best medicine to kill the disease called failure. It will make you successful person.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
66. “Don’t take rest after your first victory because if you fail in second, more lips are waiting to say that your first victory was just luck.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
67. “When troubles come, try to understand the relevance of your sufferings.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
68. “We should not give up and we should not allow the problem to defeat us.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
69. “The key to my motivation has always been to look at how far I had still to go rather than how far I had come.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
70. “I am not handsome, but I can give my hand to someone who needs help, because beauty is required in heart not in face.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
71. “For success of any mission, it is necessary to have creative leadership. Creative leadership is vital for government, non-governmental organisations as well as for industries.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
72. “To succeed in your mission, you must have single-minded devotion to your goal.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
73. “Sometimes, it’s better to bunk a class and enjoy with friends, because now, when I look back, marks never make me laugh, but memories do.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
74. “Difficulties in your life do not come to destroy you, but to help you realise your hidden potential and power, let difficulties know that you too are difficult.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
75. “One best book is equal to hundred good friends but one good friend is equal to a library.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
76. “If you earn your bread well, there will always be people around you to apply butter.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
77. “All birds find shelter during a rain. But Eagle avoids rain by flying above the clouds. Problems are common, but attitude makes the difference.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
78. “What is the secret of success? Right decisions. How do you make right decisions? Experience. How do you gain experience? Wrong decisions.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
79. “Teaching is a very noble profession that shapes the character, caliber, and future of an individual. If the people remember me as a good teacher, that will be the biggest honour for me.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
80. “Total commitment is a crucial quality for those who want to reach the very top of their profession.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
81. “The ignited mind of the youth is the most powerful resource on the earth, above the earth and under the earth.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
82. “I strongly believe that teachers need to tell students about great lives and make children understand their history and heritage.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
83. “Let me define a leader. He must have vision and passion and not be afraid of any problem. Instead, he should know how to defeat it. Most importantly, he must work with integrity.” ― Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam