“The sort of man you will make of yourself, how you will be regarded by the world, whether people will admire and respect or despise you, whether you win the approval or the condemnation of your Maker - all this is in your own hands.”

Orison Swett Marden was an American writer and editor of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He founded *Self-Culture*, a magazine promoting personal development and success principles, and became a leading voice in the self-help movement of his era. His work emphasized willpower, optimism, and the power of positive thinking as tools for overcoming adversity.