Dwayne Johnson Quotes: Words of Inspiration from the Rock
I must admit, I am a bit of a junkie when it comes to good quotes. Every time I see a good one, I pick up my phone and add it to my list of great quotes.
The power of inspiration is real. Seeing that others have accomplished great things or overcome great obstacles is inspiring and shows us that almost anything is possible.
I was having coffee a few weeks ago with a good friend of mine when she asked if I had seen the Rock, Dwayne Johnson, on the MTV Movie and TV Awards the previous night.
I had not and she encouraged me to check it out on YouTube as he had some great pieces of advice during his acceptance speech for the 2019 Generation Award.
She was right on the money as usual…his advice was as follows:
“The most powerful thing we can be is ourselves. We are all still that little kid aspiring to be better, aspiring to be important. When I first got to Hollywood…Hollywood they didn’t know what the hell to do with me. I mean I was half-black, half-Samoan, 6 foot 4, 275 pounds, a pro wrestler. You know I was told at that time, well you gotta be a certain way, you gotta drop some weight, you gotta be somebody different, you gotta stop working out, you gotta stop doing the things you love, you gotta stop calling yourself ‘The Rock’.
And for years I bought into it because you think ‘oh that’s what I’m supposed to do’…and I was miserable doing that. So, I made a choice. And that choice was, I wasn’t going to conform to Hollywood, Hollywood was going to conform…to me…Yes, it is important that you are your most authentic self, I am a walking example of that.”
13 Dwayne Johnson Quotes – Words of Inspiration from The Rock
Let’s now delve into some of my favorite Dwayne Johnson quotes to get a little inspiration from The Rock:
On actor Kurt Russell, who’s short-lived baseball career (he was in the Angels minor league system before a rotator-cuff injury shortened his career) mirrored Johnson’s failed football career:
(1) “So much of his drive comes from failing as a baseball player,” Johnson says of his mentor. “He had one goal, to make it to the big leagues. We’ve had great philosophical conversations about how you make sense of your failures. And you know what the simple answer is? I was in the wrong game. And now I’m in the right one.” 1
Sometimes we are not in an environment or in a relationship where we can thrive.
Make it Actionable: Be mindful of your environment and your relationships and consider switching things up if you believe they are holding you back.
On the importance of football:
(2) “Football changed my life and it gave me a platform to get out my aggression and it gave me a sense of value.”
Competitive sports can teach us many lessons that carry over to life.
Make it Actionable: Engage in competitive sports yourself and support your kids playing them if they show an interest.
On looking back at what you have overcome:
(3) “I like to use the hard times in the past to motivate me today.”
Sometimes it is necessary to reflect on the challenges we have overcome in the past.
Make it Actionable: Often times simply remembering how we have overcome tough times in the past is enough to help us conquer challenges in the present.
On not overthinking things:
(4) “You don’t need directions, just point yourself to the top and go!”
There are many instances in our lives where we overthink things instead of just taking action.
Make it Actionable: The fact of the matter is that 99% of the times we know exactly what we have to do, we just need to take that first step.
On the importance of self-discipline:
(5) “All success begins with self-discipline. It starts with you.”
Self-discipline is simply doing what you know you need to do.
Make it Actionable: Don’t negotiate with yourself, you will never win. Instead of putting things off until tomorrow, take a step in the right direction now.
On consistency:
(6) “Success isn’t always about ‘greatness’, it’s about consistency. Consistent, hard work gains success.”
Successful people aren’t always the smartest, best-looking, strongest etc. What they are is the most consistent.
Make it Actionable: Keep the momentum going by taking action toward your goals every single day.
On taking advantage of opportunities:
(7) “When you walk up to opportunities door, don’t knock on it… Kick that b!tch in, smile and introduce yourself.”
What I like the most about this quote is that in essence he is saying, don’t wait for opportunities to come to you, seek them out – be proactive.
Make it Actionable: Then once you find that opportunity…go get it with confidence.
On taking time to reflect:
(8) “Think back 5 years ago. Think of where you’re at today. Then think ahead 5 years and what you want to accomplish. Be unstoppable.”
It is important to take time every day to reflect on the big picture.
Make it Actionable: Take time every day for reflection. Look at how far you have come while looking ahead to where you want to be. Make sure your daily actions are congruent with where you want to be.
On never becoming complacent:
(9) “I’ll never, ever be full. I’ll always be hungry. Obviously, I’m not talking about food. Growing up I had nothing for such a long time. Someone told me a long time ago and I’ve never forgotten it, ‘Once you’ve ever been hungry, really, really hungry, then you’ll never, ever be full.’ So I’ll always be hungry in some way, driven and motivated to get what I want.”
It is important to always have some type of goal that you are striving for.
Make it Actionable: The chase never stops. Always have a reason to wake up in the morning. Even in retirement, you may not have the same career-oriented goals, but you still need a purpose – whatever that means to you.
On hard work and respect:
(10) “Blood, Sweat and Respect. The first two you give, the last one you earn.”
Respect is not given, it is earned.
Make it Actionable: While it seems cliché, you earn others respect by being a good person and doing your best every day.
On comparing yourself to others:
(11) “It’s you vs. you.”
Comparing yourself to others won’t get you anywhere
Make it Actionable: There is always someone out there who is smarter, better looking, richer, whatever. You cannot control others, but you can control you.
On believing in yourself:
(12) “In 1995 I had $7 bucks in my pocket, and I knew two things: I’m broke as hell and one day I won’t be.”
One of the most critical factors of success is confidence and having a 100% belief in yourself.
Make it Actionable: Believe in yourself, even when others don’t. By the way, an interesting piece of trivia is that Johnson’s production company is named Seven Bucks Productions.
The 13th of our Dwayne Johnson quotes is one that he ended his MTV Music Awards Speech With…
…and of all the Dwayne Johnson quotes I have shared today, it may very well be my favorite.
Near the end of the speech, right after he discussed the importance of being your authentic self, he went on to say:
“That’s not enough. Because there’s another side to being your authentic self, your true self. And that’s the side that the magic is on, that’s the side that’s gold. And while yes, it’s important to be yourself, you gotta recognize the joy and the responsibility of bringing everybody with you. We bring everybody with us and you do that by being kind, by being compassionate, by being inclusive and straight up just being good to people…because that matters…When I was 15 years old I heard a quote and I will never forget it and I bring it with me everywhere I go and it’s ingrained in my DNA, the quote is this:
It is nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice.”
On that note, I hope you enjoyed these Dwayne Johnson quotes, remember it’s important to be nice, and as always…PYMFP!
–Rick
What Do You Think of these Dwayne Johnson Quotes?
What do you think of these Dwayne Johnson Quotes? Are there any of these quotes from The Rock that you like better than others? Please share your thoughts in the comments below!
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References
1 https://www.si.com/tech-media/2016/11/30/dwayne-johnson-the-rock-nfl-wrestling-hollywood-star
Great quotes! I used to tell my students that the world was full of smart people but it needed more people that were kind and nice to one another. Thanks Rick
Hi Eileen, That’s great advice that you gave your students! If everyone was kind the world would be a much better place! Thanks, Rick
Hey Rick – of course my favorite must be (7). Seize the opportunity and choke the crap out of it.
Second favorite would be (5). Self discipline becomes mandatory on any project or endeavor. Without it, you never realize when you are done. If Da Vinci did not maintain self discipline, Mona would still be a work in progress.
“Respect is not given, it is earned.” One of life’s absolute truths.
Who would have ever thought the Rock to be a philosopher?
Hi Dave, Hope you had a nice weekend! Totally agree with your points, especially self-discipline. Being so self-disciplined, to the point of borderline obsession, I find it very difficult to relate to those that don’t have it. Definitely a huge key to success in life. Totally agreed with respect being earned, bingo! Thanks as always for adding your wisdom, we appreciate it. Take Care, Rick