Goethe Quote (?), Pronunciation Hint & Cautionary Word

The quote for this beautiful fall day is attributed to Goethe by W. H. Murray in The Scottish Himalayan Expedition. Murray’s use of the Goethe quote was cited in The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield. In other words, I haven’t been reading original Goethe poetry, just Pressfield. 

“Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, magic, and power in it. Begin it now.”

I am going to be bold: I’ve learned how to pronounce Goethe! If you want to be bold and experiment with the magic and power of learning something new, go to YouTube and type in “How to Pronounce Goethe.” Or if you are one of my literary friends and Goethe’s name rolls off your tongue easily and often, type in your own “How to….”  Perhaps see if you can learn how to create magic and power.  

The next time you meet with your friends or are chatting with acquaintances at the health food store or working out at the gym, give into your temptation to share a Goethe quote, after all, you probably now know how to pronounce his name!  However, let me warn you that The Goethe Society of North America isn’t certain this is an authentic Goethe quote. Use at your own risk.

Thanks for exploring the mystery of Goethe quotes – Nicky Mendenhall