Perfection Quotes to Inspire Excellence
March 15, 2023 5:00 AM EST
These practice and perfection quotes will encourage you to strive for greatness.
It’s not realistic to ever be perfect, but always striving to do your best will help you achieve greatness.
This collection of the best inspirational quotes will encourage you to be the most perfect version of yourself possible.
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According to a study by the Harvard Business Review, top-performing companies have a culture of excellence, where every employee is encouraged to strive for perfection in their work.
If you want to be part of a successful organization and make a difference in your job, consider adopting a similar mindset and using these perfection quotes to motivate you.
How do you reach your goals while on your quest for perfection?
When you believe in yourself, it’s possible to reach even your wildest dreams.
These perfection and excellence quotes will motivate you to work hard and surpass everyone’s expectations.
When you’re working on a passion project and following your heart, you may be determined to achieve perfection.
However, it is important not to let the idea of perfection stop you from getting the work done.
These progress over perfection quotes will remind you that trying your best is the most important factor in achieving success.
Read this list of perfection quotes whenever you need inspiration.
Also, check out our most popular quote article, a list of short inspirational quotes for daily wisdom.
See the rest of our quote database for even more inspirational ideas and thoughts.
Perfection quotes to inspire excellence
Research conducted by the University of California found that perfectionism is positively associated with academic achievement and career success.
So if you want to succeed in school or your professional life, take inspiration from these perfection quotes and start practicing excellence in everything you do.
1. “Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.” – Vince Lombardi
![“Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.” - Vince Lombardi Perfection Quotes about excellence](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Perfection-quotes-to-inspire-excellence.png)
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2. “Have no fear of perfection – you’ll never reach it.” – Salvador Dali
![“Have no fear of perfection - you'll never reach it.” - Salvador Dali fear of Perfection Quotes](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Perfection-quotes-to-inspire-you-to-improve-yourself.png)
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3. “Strive for continuous improvement, instead of perfection.” – Kim Collins
![“Strive for continuous improvement, instead of perfection.” - Kim Collins Perfection Quotes about improvement](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Perfection-quotes-to-inspire-you-to-do-your-best.png)
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4. “Perfection is impossible; just strive to do your best.” – Angela Watson
![“Perfection is impossible; just strive to do your best.” - Angela Watson best Perfection Quotes](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Insightful-perfection-quotes.png)
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5. “Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty, and persistence.” – Colin Powell
![“Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty, and persistence.” - Colin Powell Perfection Quotes about success](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Perfection-quotes-to-help-you-reach-your-goals.png)
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6. “The man with insight enough to admit his limitations comes nearest to perfection.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
![Perfection Quotes to inspire excellence](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/perfection-quotes-6.png)
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7. “Imperfection and perfection go so hand in hand, and our dark and our light are so intertwined, that by trying to push the darkness or the so-called negative aspects of our life to the side… we are preventing ourselves from the fullness of life.” – Jeff Bridges
8. “Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupery
![Perfection Quotes to achieved the success](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/perfection-quotes-8.png)
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9. “The pursuit of perfection often impedes improvement.” – George Will
![Perfection Quotes about The pursuit of perfection often impedes improvement](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/perfection-quotes-9.png)
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10. “I don’t believe in perfection. I don’t think there is such a thing. But the energy of wanting things to be great is a perfectionist energy.” – Reese Witherspoon
![Perfection Quotes to believe in perfection](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/perfection-quotes-10.png)
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Perfection quotes to inspire you to improve yourself
A survey conducted by Forbes found that 90% of managers believe that attention to detail is critical to success in the workplace.
If you want to stand out as an employee or entrepreneur, consider embracing these perfection quotes to help you stay motivated and focused on the details.
11. “I am careful not to confuse excellence with perfection. Excellence I can reach for; perfection is God’s business.” – Michael J. Fox
![](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/perfection-quotes-11.png)
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12. “The artist who aims at perfection in everything achieves it in nothing.” – Eugene Delacroix
![Perfection Quotes at perfetion in everything achieves](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/perfection-quotes-12.png)
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13. “Imperfection is perfection.” – Flume
![Perfection Quotes on Inperfection is perfection](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/perfection-quotes-13.png)
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14. “Everyone is comparing lives on social media and wants the perfect body, perfect image, perfect outfit, perfect life – we’re striving for this perfection, and it’s so unhealthy because there’s no such thing as perfection.” – Emily Atack
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15. “Perfection has to do with the end product, but excellence has to do with the process.” – Jerry Moran
![Perfection Quotes about product](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/perfection-quotes-15.png)
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16. “Aim at perfection in everything, though in most things it is unattainable. However, they who aim at it, and persevere, will come much nearer to it than those whose laziness and despondency make them give it up as unattainable.” – Philip Stanhope
17. “The perfection of art is to conceal art.” – Quintilian
![Perfection Quotes on the perfection of art is to conceal art](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/perfection-quotes-17.png)
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18. “You are loved just for being who you are, just for existing. You don’t have to do anything to earn it. Your shortcomings, your lack of self-esteem, physical perfection, or social and economic success – none of that matters. No one can take this love away from you, and it will always be here.” – Ram Dass
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19. “Style is the perfection of a point of view.” – Richard Eberhart
![Perfection Quotes on style is the perfection of a point of view](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/perfection-quotes-19.png)
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20. “I think the perfection of love is that it’s not perfect.” – Taylor Swift
![Perfection Quotes about I think the perfection of love is that it's not perfect](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/perfection-quotes-20.png)
Perfection quotes to inspire you to do your best
According to a study conducted by the American Psychological Association, it was found that individuals who regularly read and share inspirational quotes, such as those on perfection, reported a 29% increase in overall motivation.
The study concluded that this increased motivation led to a greater likelihood of personal growth and goal achievement.
21. “We curate our lives around this perceived sense of perfection because we get rewarded in these short term signals: Hearts, likes, thumbs up. We conflate that with value, and we conflate it with truth, and instead, what it really is is fake, brittle popularity that’s short term and leaves you even more vacant and empty before you did it.” – Chamath Palihapitiya
22. “If I waited for perfection… I would never write a word.” – Margaret Atwood (see more Margaret Atwood quotes)
![Perfection Quotes to inspire you to do your best](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/perfection-quotes-22.png)
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23. “Perfection is impossible, but you don’t stop aiming for it.” – Saquon Barkley
![Perfection Quotes on perfection is impossible, but you don't stop aiming for it](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/perfection-quotes-23.png)
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24. “Spirituality is not a formula; it is not a test. It is a relationship. Spirituality is not about competency; it is about intimacy. Spirituality is not about perfection; it is about connection. The way of the spiritual life begins where we are now in the mess of our lives.” – Mike Yaconelli
25. “This is the very perfection of a man, to find out his own imperfections.” – Saint Augustine
![Perfection Quotes about imperfection](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/perfection-quotes-25.png)
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26. “The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection.” – Michelangelo
![Perfection Quotes about divine perfection](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/perfection-quotes-26.png)
27. “I don’t love Photoshop; I like imperfection. It doesn’t mean ugly. I love a girl with a gap between her teeth, versus perfect white veneers. Perfection is just… boring. Perfect is what’s natural or real; that is beauty.” – Marc Jacobs
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28. “Every particular in nature, a leaf, a drop, a crystal, a moment of time is related to the whole, and partakes of the perfection of the whole.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
![inspirational Perfection Quotes](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/perfection-quotes-28.png)
29. “Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.” – Aristotle
![Perfection Quotes about pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/perfection-quotes-29.png)
30. “I’ve seen the majestic beauty of nature and the overwhelming perfection of it. To me, there’s nothing closer to God than that.” – Cote de Pablo
![Perfection Quotes about beauty of nature](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/perfection-quotes-30.png)
Perfection quotes to help you reach your goals
Research by Dr. Carol Dweck at Stanford University demonstrated that individuals with a growth mindset, which can be promoted through reading perfection quotes, are more likely to embrace challenges and learn from failure.
In her studies, those with a growth mindset showed greater resilience and adaptability in the face of setbacks, compared to individuals with a fixed mindset.
31. “Perfection to me is, I walk away from a situation and say, ‘I did everything I could do right there. There was nothing more that I could do.’ I was a hundred percent, like the meter was at the top. There was nothing else I could have done. You know? Like, I worked as hard as I possibly could have. That’s perfection.” – Drake
32. “The principal mark of genius is not perfection but originality, the opening of new frontiers.” – Arthur Koestler
![Perfection Quotes about frontiers](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/perfection-quotes-32.png)
33. “Perfection doesn’t exist.” – Andres Iniesta
![Perfection Quotes on perfection doesn't exist](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/perfection-quotes-33.png)
34. “We never taste happiness in perfection, our most fortunate successes are mixed with sadness.” – Pierre Corneille
![Happiness Perfection Quotes](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/perfection-quotes-34.png)
35. “I am no longer concerned with sensation and innovation, but with the perfection of my style.” – Yves Saint Laurent
![Perfection Quotes about innovation](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/perfection-quotes-35.png)
36. “Perfection itself is imperfection.” – Vladimir Horowitz
![Perfection Quotes on perfection itself is imperfection](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/perfection-quotes-36.png)
37. “March on. Do not tarry. To go forward is to move toward perfection. March on, and fear not the thorns, or the sharp stones on life’s path.” – Khalil Gibran
![Perfection Quotes that sharp stones on life's path](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/perfection-quotes-37.png)
38. “Perfection is boring. If a face doesn’t have mistakes, it’s nothing.” – Kevyn Aucoin
![Perfection Quotes about perfection is boring.](https://everydaypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/perfection-quotes-38.png)
39. “It’s not about finding relevance or perfection or imperfection in objects, but it’s that you can accept yourself and then go out and accept others.” – Jeff Koons
40. “A minute of perfection was worth the effort. A moment was the most you could ever expect from perfection.” – Chuck Palahniuk
Insightful perfection quotes
A study by the University of Pennsylvania found that the act of sharing inspirational content, such as perfection quotes, can increase an individual’s sense of happiness and well-being by up to 20%.
By sharing positive content, people not only uplift themselves but also foster stronger social connections and spread positivity within their communities.
41. “Redemption is not perfection. The redeemed must realize their imperfections.” – John Piper
42. “The pursuit of perfection, then, is the pursuit of sweetness and light.” – Matthew Arnold
43. “Perfectionism rarely begets perfection, or satisfaction – only disappointment.” – Ryan Holiday
44. “Practice means to perform, over and over again in the face of all obstacles, some act of vision, of faith, of desire. Practice is a means of inviting the perfection desired.” – Martha Graham
45. “Perfection is attained by slow degrees; it requires the hand of time.” – Voltaire
46. “I am not a perfectionist. Perfection doesn’t exist in real life. It’s a wrong title for me.” – Aamir Khan
47. “I gave up my struggle with perfection a long time ago. That is a concept I don’t find very interesting anymore. Everyone just wants to look good in the photographs. I think that is where some of the pressure comes from. Be happy. Be yourself, the day is about a lot more.” – Anne Hathaway
48. “The essence of being human is that one does not seek perfection.” – George Orwell
49. “People throw away what they could have by insisting on perfection, which they cannot have, and looking for it where they will never find it.” – Edith Schaeffer
50. “Looking for perfection is the only way to motivate yourself.” – Ronnie O’Sullivan
Other perfection quotes and sayings
51. “If you look for perfection, you’ll never be content.” – Leo Tolstoy
52. “Done is better than perfect.” – Sheryl Sandberg
53. “It’s not about perfection; it’s about the joy of striving.” – Thomas Keller
54. “No one is perfect. It’s not interesting to be perfect.” – Lindsay Lohan
55. “Perfection consists not in doing extraordinary things, but in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.” – Marie Angelique Arnauld
56. “Producing perfection from imperfection is, after all, the highest of art forms.” – Frank Herbert
57. “I think perfection is ugly. Somewhere in the things humans make, I want to see scars, failure, disorder, distortion.” – Yohji Yamamoto
58. “Nobody’s perfect. We’re all just one step up from the beasts and one step down from the angels.” – Jeannette Walls
59. “Better to do something imperfectly than to do nothing perfectly.” – Robert H. Schuller
60. “A certain type of perfection can only be realized through a limitless accumulation of the imperfect.” – Haruki Murakami
61. “You know how you’re always trying to get things to come out perfect in art because it’s real difficult in life.”― Woody Allen
62. “True perfection has to be imperfect. I know that sounds foolish, but it’s true.”― Noel Gallagher
63. “Don’t worry about getting perfect, just keep getting better.”― Frank Peretti
64. “To appreciate life’s small moments, it helps to have a sense the whole can never be made perfect.”― Alain de Botton
65. “The only skill that cannot be perfected is perfection itself.”― Daphne Delacroix
Perfection quotes about love and what it means to people
66. “I’m chasing perfection.” — Kobe Bryant
67. “Love is the bond of perfection.” — John Winthrop
68. “It is through art, and through art only, that we can realize our perfection.” — Oscar Wilde
69. “I probably do have an obsessive personality, but striving for perfection has served me well.” — Tom Ford
70. “Confusion of goals and perfection of means seems, in my opinion, to characterize our age.” — Albert Einstein
71. “Life is a moving, breathing thing. We have to be willing to constantly evolve. Perfection is constant transformation.” — Nia Peeples
72. “I think what makes people fascinating is conflict, it’s drama, it’s the human condition. Nobody wants to watch perfection.” — Nicolas Cage
73. “To feel much for others and little for ourselves; to restrain our selfishness and exercise our benevolent affections, constitute the perfection of human nature.” — Adam Smith
74. “You’re not looking for perfection in your partner. Perfection is all about the ego. With soulmate love, you know that true love is what happens when disappointment sets in – and you’re willing to deal maturely with these disappointments.” — Karen Salmansohn
75. “There would be no need for love if perfection were possible. Love arises from our imperfection, from our being different and always in need of the forgiveness, encouragement and that missing half of ourselves that we are searching for, as the Greek myth tells us, in order to complete ourselves.” — Eugene Kennedy
Perfection quotes to help you progress in life
76. “When you stop expecting people to be perfect, you can like them for who they are.” ― Donald Miller
77. “Imperfection facilitates improvement, perfection facilitates stagnation.” ― Abhijit Naskar
78. “A small step of progression is a thousand times better than a delayed step of perfection. Perfectionism procrastinates and paralyzes progress.” ― Tony Warrick
79. “Few good friends, one great partner, and something I love to do every day, that’s the idea of my little perfect life.” ― Sarvesh Jain
80. “The wise strive for their best. The foolish strive for perfection.” ― Mokokoma Mokhonoana
81. “Perfection is not a destination; it’s a never-ending process…Enjoy!” ― Jim Bouchard
82. “Perfectionism means that you try not to leave so much mess to clean up. But clutter and mess show us that life is being lived.” ― Anne Lamott
83. “Perfect should never be a goal. Perfect just happens if you let it.” ― Wendy Wunder
84. “There is desire in the perfect, beauty in the imperfect. Thus I lust over the flawless, and fall amorously forceless to the flawed.” ― Ilyas Kassam
85. “A pursuit for perfection is the most leading cause of procrastination in artists.” ― Neeraj Agnihotri
Perfection Quotes To Help You Stay Focused On Your Main Goals
86. “Until you realize perfection is an ideal and not a reality, you will never have self-confidence.” ― J.S. Felts
87. “Expecting perfection can only lead to disappointment. Besides, it’s the flaws that give a person character. That’s where the beauty hides.” ― Tessa Bailey
88. “No, you’re not perfect & that’s how it should be.” ― Megan Hine
89. “It’s actually normal to desire perfection—at least near, but remember originality too.” ― Itohan Eghide
90. “The real goal is to create something that evokes emotion, not to be perfect.” ― Drasen
91. “Forever does not imply perfection; rather, it refers to long-term happiness that allows us to strive to be a better person every day.” ― Shaa Zainol
92. “You don’t have to be perfect, just try to be kind. Perfection is inferior to kindness.” ― Debasish Mridha
93. “There is a very thin line between wisely striving for your best and foolishly striving for perfection.” ― Mokokoma Mokhonoana
94. “Only a fool pursues perfection, the wise pursues self-correction.” ― Abhijit Naskar
95. “We ruin what we have by trying to make it perfect. Enjoy the imperfectness.” ― Sarvesh Jain
Perfection Quotes To Help You Be Content With Your Situation
96. “When something has been perfect, there is a tendency to try hard to repeat it.” ― Edna O’Brien
97. “Our erected wit maketh us to know what perfection is.” ― Philip Sidney
98. “Perfection is not necessary to make a real and lasting difference to other people’s lives.” ― J. K. Rowling
99. “Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect.” ― Vince Lombardi
100. “If you do not learn to deny yourself, you can make no progress in perfection.” ― John of the Cross
101. “Adjusting to the requirement for perfection is, I think, the most difficult part of learning to program.” ― Fred Brooks
102. “He only moves toward the perfection of his art whose criticism surpasses his achievement.” ― Leonardo da Vinci
103. “Be content with nothing less than perfection.” ― Walter J. Phillips
104. “I’m a perfectionist. Sometimes I have to remind myself that it’s okay if there are flaws here and there.” ― Tyra Banks
105. “And now that you don’t have to be perfect, you can be good.” ― John Steinbeck
Perfection Quotes That Will Lead To Success
106. “Perfection is lots of little things done well.” — Fernand Point
107. “You can’t wait to become perfect, you got to go out and fall down and get up with everybody else.” — Ray Bradbury
108. “Strive for perfection in everything. Take the best that exists and make it better. If it doesn’t exist, create it. Accept nothing nearly right or good enough.” — Henry Royce
109. To live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often.” — John Henry Newman
110. “I’m definitely on the pursuit of perfection…I will always be learning.” — Conor McGregor
111. “When you aim for perfection, you discover it’s a moving target.” — George Fisher
112. “Perfection cannot be defined or seen; it can only be found in your heart.” — Kelly Millar
113. “Perfection is a road, not a destination. Every time I live, I get an education.” — Burk Hudson
114. “Fix your eyes on perfection and you make almost everything speed towards it.” — William Ellery Channing
115. “The perfecting of one’s self is the fundamental base of all progress and all moral development.” — Confucius
Perfection Quotes To Keep You Going
116. “Sensuality is not about perfection, it’s about inspiration and expression.” ― Lebo Grand
117. “Dont brag about being perfect..imperfections are what makes you attractive.” ― Sandra Chami Kassis
118. “Where utility ends and decoration begins is perfection.” ― Jack Gardner
119. “Love doesn’t demand perfection, but it does ask you to give yourself with less reserve than you’d prefer.” ― Thomas Moore
120. “There is no limit to how good you can get in pursuit of perfection.” ― Sachin Kumar Puli
121. “Perfection irritates as well as it attracts, in fiction as in life.” ― Louis Auchincloss
122. “Strive not for perfection..but for lives and loves that matter.” ― Debora Spar
123. “We must know when to move on. To search too long for perfection can also paralyse.” ― Peter Goldsworthy
124. “Stop hating on yourself for not being perfect. If God wanted perfection, He would have made you an angel.” ― Yasmin Mogahed
125. “To accomplish the perfect perfection, a little imperfection helps.” ― Dejan Stojanovic
Perfection Quotes on the Journey towards Excellence
126. “Perfection is a pursuit, not a guarantee.” ― Tim Fargo
127. “Perfection is a never-ending process of self-discovery and improvement.” ― Tony Robbins
128. “Perfection is not a destination, it’s a journey towards excellence.” ― Robin Sharma
129. “Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing more to take away.” ― Brian Tracy
130. “Perfection is not a fixed state, but a process of growth and evolution.” ― Ken Blanchard
131. “Perfection is the enemy of creation.” ― Ernest Hemingway
132. “Perfection is just a word. The only real standard is excellence.” ― Jim Rohn
133. “Perfection is a measure of our own limitations, not a measure of reality.” ― Shunryu Suzuki
134. “Perfection is a myth. Embrace your imperfections, and use them to your advantage.” ― Arianna Huffington
135. “Perfection is not just about control, it’s also about letting go.” ― Queen Latifah
What are your favorite progress over perfection quotes to inspire you to work your hardest?
Perfection is an admirable goal, but the most important thing to remember is to always try your best.
These quest for perfection quotes will motivate you to always put forth your greatest effort.
At the end of the day, striving for perfection will help you achieve excellence.
Focusing on flaws will only bring you unhappiness and anxiety.
Once you accept that imperfection into your life, you will become successful and satisfied.
Is perfection possible to achieve?
This collection of perfection quotes will make you rethink your perspective on success and greatness.
The only way to reach your goals is to accept your limitations and set realistic expectations for yourself.
What are your favorite excellence and perfection quotes that inspire you to chase your dreams?
Let us know in the comment section below.