With this quote, Lord Francis Bacon reminds us that success is rarely achieved by happenstance, but rather by taking action. A British lawyer, statesman, and philosopher born in 1561, Bacon wrote extensively on the topics of ethics, politics, and religion. Under the rule of King James I, Bacon achieved England’s highest political office of Lord Chancellor. This quote encapsulates his attitude on ambition and has been a rallying cry of self-made women and men for hundreds of years.