56 Fantastic Denzel Washington Quotes on Executing On Your Dreams

Denzel Washington is one of the most powerful names in Hollywood given that he’s been featured in over 40 movies with more than 30 nominations for awards. And yet, he started wfrom such humble beginnings.

As a teenager, his parents divorced and he was sent off to an elite private boys school. That decision may have ultimately saved his life, as his peers previously have served many years in prison by Denzel’s own admission.

While he completed a university degree in Drama and Journalism, it was only later during a staff talent show that he decided to go into acting. From there, his career as we know it took off, and yet he never forgot to stay humble.

It’s with these quotes by Denzel Washington that we hope to inspire you to execute daily on your dreams. Whatever they are, big or small, you have the potential to change the direction of your life within a moment.

1. I say luck is when an opportunity comes along and you’re prepared for it.

Denzel Washington

2. Dreams without goals remain dreams.

Denzel Washington

3. Goals on the road to achievement cannot be achieved without discipline and consistency.

Denzel Washington

4. My faith helps me understand that circumstances don’t dictate my happiness, my inner peace.

Denzel Washington

5. You pray for rain, you gotta deal with the mud too. That’s a part of it.

Denzel Washington

6. Dreams are great. In fact, dreams are necessary in life or no one would ever go anywhere! But a dream without a goal, and without action, has no opportunity to come true.

Denzel Washington

7. In order to change your life, you must change your thoughts.

Denzel Washington

8. If you want to be a warrior, you have to train.

Denzel Washington

9. So you never know who you touch. You never know how or when you’ll have an impact, or how important your example can be to someone else.

Denzel Washington

10. I’d be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I’d been given. I’d be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.

Denzel Washington

11. If I am a cup maker, I’m interested in making the best cup I possibly can. My effort goes into that cup, not what people think about it.

Denzel Washington

12. Never help an ungrateful person get on their feet.

Denzel Washington

13. You only live once so do what you feel passionate about.

Denzel Washington

14. My mother never gave up on me. I messed up in school so much they were sending me home, but my mother sent me right back.

Denzel Washington

15. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box. Don’t be afraid to fail big, to dream big.

Denzel Washington

16. In any profession, it gets to be a grind.

Denzel Washington

17. Give other peoples opinions their right significance. Take advice if it is constructive, and learn from it. But do not build your life based around the opinions of others. Trust yourself and trust your choices.

Denzel Washington

18. If you have an enemy, then learn and know your enemy, don’t just be mad at him or her.

Denzel Washington

19. I never really had the classic struggle. I had faith.

Denzel Washington

20. The lessons I learned in Sunday School have kept me on track.

Denzel Washington

21. Got to be who you are in this world, no matter what.

Denzel Washington

22. Never compromise on who you are. You are born with the capacity to achieve greatness if you so desire. Learning to say no is a critical element to accessing that greatness. Your choices will define you; so make them the right ones.

Denzel Washington

23. A man once told me that you step out of your door in the morning, and you are already in trouble. The only question is are you on top of that trouble or not?

Denzel Washington

24. Acting is just a way of making a living, the family is life.

Denzel Washington

25. Success? I don’t know what that word means. I’m happy. But success, that goes back to what in somebody’s eyes success means

Denzel Washington

26. If you don’t fail, you’re not even trying.

Denzel Washington

27. Talent comes from God. If you have been given some, then value it, cultivate it, work and develop it. 

Denzel Washington

28. You have to grab moments when they happen. I like to improvise and ad lib.

Denzel Washington

29. When you do good, you get good! Fulfilment comes from serving others, not just hustling to serve yourself. On the path to success, there is always going to be an opportunity to help someone else be successful too. Take that opportunity, and be the kind of person who makes a difference in the lives of others.

Denzel Washington

30. Fall forward!

Denzel Washington

31. Don’t tell me what they said about me. Tell me why they were so comfortable to say it to you.

Denzel Washington

32. Faith will get you to a point. Luck will get you to a point. But to achieve the kind of success you dream about, you need to WORK. There are no shortcuts, you can’t cheat life, just get to work and don’t stop until you reach your highest potential.

Denzel Washington

33. Put God first in everything you do. Everything that I have is by the grace of God, I understand that. It’s a gift. I didn’t always stick with Him, but He stuck with me.

Denzel Washington

34. Never confuse movement with progress. Because you can run in place and not get anywhere.

Denzel Washington

35. I walk by faith, not by sight.

Denzel Washington

36. Nothing in life is worthwhile unless you take risks. Fall forward. Every failed experiment is one step closer to success.

Denzel Washington

37. What it taught me was forgiveness. It taught me that when people present themselves in a certain way, there’s probably some back story or issue or reason for the way that they are. It’s not you. It’s them. And a lot of times, its about something that’s completely out of their control.

Denzel Washington

38. Faith is the confidence, the assurance, the enforcing truth, the knowing.

Denzel Washington

39. You can’t break me because you didn’t make me.

Denzel Washington

40. At the end of the day, it’s not about what you have or even what you’ve accomplished. It’s about what you’ve done with those accomplishments. It’s about who you’ve lifted up, who you’ve made better. It’s about what you’ve given back.

Denzel Washington

41. There are two kinds of pain in this world. The pain that hurts, the pain that alters.

Denzel Washington

42. Life is a melting pot of knowledge and experience, both your own and that of everyone around you. Don’t be afraid to learn from others mistakes, and take bits of useful information or ideas that help you get better at what you do. Wisdom is there at your fingertips, use it.

Denzel Washington

43.  I made a commitment to completely cut out drinking and anything that might hamper me from getting my mind and body together. And the floodgates of goodness have opened upon me – spiritually and financially.

Denzel Washington

44. The chances you take, the people you meet, the people you love, the faith that you have. That’s what’s going to define you.

Denzel Washington

45. In my humble opinion, in the nuclear world, the true enemy is war itself. 

Denzel Washington

46. Do what you have to do, to do what you want to do.

Denzel Washington

47. I just try to be honest and true to the character and play the part.

Denzel Washington

48. I think a role model is a mentor – someone you see on a daily basis, and you learn from them.

Denzel Washington

49. There is a lot of joy to be found in reflecting upon your experiences as you work towards your dreams. Learn to laugh at your failures, smile at your wins and don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself.

Denzel Washington

50. Don’t aspire to make a living, aspire to make a difference.

Denzel Washington

51.  A sociopath will do anything to win. Anything. 

Denzel Washington

52. The only thing stopping you from achieving your dreams are the stories you keep telling yourself that you can’t. Don’t wait- act now. Regret nothing.

Denzel Washington

53. Just because you don’t share it on social media, doesn’t mean you’re not up to big things. Live it and stay low key. Privacy is everything.

Denzel Washington

54. Don’t tell me what was said about me. Tell me why were they so comfortable to say it to you?

Denzel Washington

55. I still have my unemployment books and I remember when I worked for the sanitation department and the post office.

Denzel Washington

56. For me, success in inner peace. That’s a good day for me.

Denzel Washington