5 Great Call-to-Action Film Quotes For Entrepreneurs

Great films tell stories and inspire us to become better people. There’s nothing more powerful than an inspiring movie that leaves you wanting to be your best and try a little harder tomorrow. While there are some truly motivating quotes from real people out there, there’s still wisdom to be shared through the words of great characters.

Here are the five best film quotes that will get you pumped up and ready to take action:

1. “Do or do not. There is no try. Only do.” -- Frank Oz as Yoda, The Empire Strikes Back

Yoda was kind of the Dalai Lama of the swamp. His wisdom and robes were a nod to his transcendent wisdom and Buddhist philosophies. It’s only a few words, but therein lays the simple truth of the matter: If you want to do it, do it. Give it your best. Give it your all. It’s that hard and it’s that easy.

2. "Don’t ever let somebody tell you you can’t do something. Not even me. You got a dream, you gotta protect it. People can’t do somethin’ themselves, they wanna tell you you can’t do it. If you want somethin’, go get it. Period.” Will Smith as Chris Gardner, The Pursuit Of Happyness

The entrepreneur’s path isn’t a simple one. It zigs and zags. It’s at times incredibly euphoric and then at other times, agonizingly crushing. You’ll make lots of sacrifices. You’ll have plenty of mistakes. Other people are always going to be there to tell you it’s a bad idea, or you can’t do it, and maybe that you shouldn’t even try. It’s up to you to surround yourself with people who believe in you, support you and ultimately to make the choice for yourself that you’re going to succeed.

3. "It's supposed to be hard. If it wasn't hard everyone would do it. The hard is what makes it great." -- Tom Hanks as Jimmy Dugan, A League Of Their Own

The hard parts are truly what make the entrepreneur’s path great. The times you fall and get back up, you find incredible strength that will carry you through greater challenges. The struggles will groom you for problem-solving skills and equip you with natural “opportunity lenses” to reframe every obstacle you see. That’s why everyone isn’t an entrepreneur. This path takes a lot of work and self-discipline. It requires mountains of courage and the ability to believe that you’ve got this.

4. "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." -- Mathew Broderick as Ferris Bueller, Ferris Bueller's Day Off

Alright, so the path of entrepreneurship can be rocky -- but hey, have some fun! Life does move pretty fast so don’t only keep your nose on the grindstone, or you’ll miss the scenery. You won’t notice the beauty in each day, you might push right past the great love of your life or miss out on the chance to create a mighty friendship. Don’t let life pass you by, by living only for work. Love, family, experiences, travel and friendships are other key components of life, too.

5. “Live! Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death!” - Rosalind Russell as Mame Dennis, Auntie Mame

Perhaps the most inspiring quote of all, this classic line from the 1958 film is a true call to action. The great part of being an entrepreneur is that it allows you to feast on the banquet of your life’s great adventures. Don’t starve -- fill up your plate with all the experiences of life.

The author is an Entrepreneur contributor. The opinions expressed are those of the writer.

Matthew Toren is a serial entrepreneur, mentor, investor and co-founder ofYoungEntrepreneur.com. He is co-author, with his brother Adam, of Kidpreneurs and Small Business, BIG Vision: Lessons on How to Dominate Your Market from Self-Made Entrepreneurs Who Did it Right (Wiley). He's based in Vancouver, B.C.