35 Labor Day Quotes That Honor Hard Work and Dedication
Updated: Sep. 24, 2023
Let's honor all your hard work and the work of those around you with these powerful Labor Day quotes
Labor Day is when we honor and celebrate all those who work hard with a day of rest. Maybe you’re spending it at the beach for one last summer hurrah, giggling about Labor Day memes with your pals over a drink, shopping the best Labor Day sales (ahem, like these mattress and furniture sales) or just spending the day catching up on sleep.
Regardless of how you choose to spend the day, make sure you take some time to give yourself a pat on the back for all your success (and commemorate the success of those around you). Start with these Labor Day quotes that encompass what hard work really means, and why it’s important to raise a glass to all you do.
Labor Day quotes that commemorate your hard work
1. “Nothing will work unless you do.” —Maya Angelou
2. “I learned the value of hard work by working hard.” —Margaret Mead
3. “Rest when you’re weary. Refresh and renew yourself, your body, your mind, your spirit. Then get back to work.” —Ralph Marston
4. “Without labor nothing prospers.” —Sophocles
5. “Life doesn’t require that we be the best, only that we try our best.” —H. Jackson Brown Jr.
6. “The supreme accomplishment is to blur the lines between work and play.” —Arnold J. Toynbee
7. “It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up.” —Babe Ruth
8. “Without ambition one starts nothing. Without work one finishes nothing. The prize will not be sent to you. You have to win it.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson
9. “The individual who says it is not possible should move out of the way of those doing it.” —Tricia Cunningham
10. “No human masterpiece has been created without great labor.” —Andre Gide
Make sure you also read up on more uplifting quotes and teamwork quotes that will inspire collaboration.
11. “Dare to be honest, and fear no labor.” —Robert Burns
12. “I think that my biggest attribute to any success that I have had is hard work. There really is no substitute for working hard.” —Maria Bartiromo
13. “Genius begins great works. Labor alone finishes them.” —Joseph Joubert
14. “Just try new things. Don’t be afraid. Step out of your comfort zones and soar, all right?” —Michelle Obama
15. “Nothing ever comes to one that is worth having except as a result of hard work.” —Booker T. Washington
16. “Before the reward there must be labor. You plant before you harvest. You sow in tears before you reap joy.” —Ralph Ransom
17. “There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work and learning from failure.” —Colin Powell
18. “I didn’t get there by wishing for it or hoping for it, but by working for it.” —Estée Lauder
19. “Though you can love what you do not master, you cannot master what you do not love.” —Mokokoma Mokhonoana
20. “Find something you love to do, and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.” —Harvey Mackay
Find out why you can’t wear white after Labor Day—but it’s perfect for those Labor Day decorations!
21. “Follow your passion, be prepared to work hard and sacrifice, and above all, don’t let anyone limit your dreams.” —Donovan Bailey
22. “Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration. The rest of us just get up and go to work.” —Stephen King
23. “All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity.” —Martin Luther King Jr.
24. “The fruit derived from labor is the sweetest of pleasures.” —Luc de Clapiers
25. “The big secret in life is that there is no big secret. Whatever your goal, you can get there if you’re willing to work.” —Oprah Winfrey
26. “It is only through labor and painful effort, by grim energy and resolute courage, that we move on to better things.” —Theodore Roosevelt
27. “You have to fight to reach your dream. You have to sacrifice and work hard for it.” —Lionel Messi
28. “Nothing ever comes to one that is worth having except as a result of hard work.” —Booker T. Washington
29. “It is labor indeed that puts the difference on everything.” —John Locke
30. “Dreams don’t work unless you do.” —John C. Maxwell
31. “To find joy in work is to find the fountain of youth.” —Pearl S. Buck
32. “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” —Thomas Edison
33. “The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without work.” —Émile Zola
34. “One must work and dare if one really wants to live.” —Vincent Van Gogh
35. “Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don’t turn up at all.” —Sam Ewing
Originally Published: June 17, 2022
