You’ve probably come across several quotes attributed to Buddha over the years. I’ve always enjoyed the precision, profoundness, and pragmatism of his quotes.

His words of wisdom have stood the test of time on a number of broad topics.   For this collection of Buddha quotes, I’ve arranged them by key themes including: Action, Anger, Fear, Health, Life, Love, Mind, Personal Development, Self-Reliance, Speech, and Truth.

As you read through the quotes, see if his words, inspire new insight or echo your experience, or challenge your beliefs in some new way.

Top 10 Buddha Quotes

1. “Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.”
2. “It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or by demons, heaven or hell.”
3. “It is better to travel well than to arrive.”
4. “Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.”
5. “The only real failure in life is not to be true to the best one knows.”
6. “The way is not in the sky. The way is in the heart.”
7. “There is nothing more dreadful than the habit of doubt. Doubt separates people. It is a poison that disintegrates friendships and breaks up pleasant relations. It is a thorn that irritates and hurts; it is a sword that kills.”
8. “Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.”
9. “We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world.”
10. “What we think, we become.“

Action

• “A jug fills drop by drop.”
• “An idea that is developed and put into action is more important than an idea that exists only as an idea.”
• “Chaos is inherent in all compounded things. Strive on with diligence.”
• “Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.”
• “However many holy words you read, however many you speak, what good will they do you if you do not act on upon them?”
• “I do not believe in a fate that falls on men however they act; but I do believe in a fate that falls on them unless they act.”
• “I never see what has been done; I only see what remains to be done.”
• “To be idle is a short road to death and to be diligent is a way of life; foolish people are idle, wise people are diligent.”

Anger, Forgiveness, and Compassion

• “Hatred does not cease through hatred at any time. Hatred ceases through love. This is an unalterable law.”
• “Have compassion for all beings, rich and poor alike; each has their suffering. Some suffer too much, others too little.”
• “In a controversy the instant we feel anger we have already ceased striving for the truth, and have begun striving for ourselves.”
• “Teach this triple truth to all: A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion are the things which renew humanity.”
• “To understand everything is to forgive everything.”
• “You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger.”

Fear

• “Even death is not to be feared by one who has lived wisely.”
• “The whole secret of existence is to have no fear. Never fear what will become of you, depend on no one. Only the moment you reject all help are you freed.”
• “When one has the feeling of dislike for evil, when one feels tranquil, one finds pleasure in listening to good teachings; when one has these feelings and appreciates them, one is free of fear.”

Health

• “Every human being is the author of his own health or disease.”
• “Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship.”
• “The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.”
• “To enjoy good health, to bring true happiness to one’s family, to bring peace to all, one must first discipline and control one’s own mind. If a man can control his mind he can find the way to Enlightenment, and all wisdom and virtue will naturally come to him.”
• “To keep the body in good health is a duty … otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.”
• “Without health life is not life; it is only a state of languor and suffering an image of death.”

Life and Living

• “He who experiences the unity of life sees his own Self in all beings, and all beings in his own Self, and looks on everything with an impartial eye.”
• “Just as a candle cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without a spiritual life.”
• “Just as treasures are uncovered from the earth, so virtue appears from good deeds, and wisdom appears from a pure and peaceful mind. To walk safely through the maze of human life, one needs the light of wisdom and the guidance of virtue.”
• “Life is suffering.”
• “On life’s journey faith is nourishment, virtuous deeds are a shelter, wisdom is the light by day and right mindfulness is the protection by night. If a man lives a pure life, nothing can destroy him.”
• “The foot feels the foot when it feels the ground.”
• “There has to be evil so that good can prove its purity above it.”
• “To live a pure unselfish life, one must count nothing as one’s own in the midst of abundance.”
• “When you realize how perfect everything is you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky.”
• “You cannot travel the path until you have become the path itself.”
• “Your work is to discover your work and then with all your heart to give yourself to it.”

Love, Connection, and Unity

• “All things appear and disappear because of the concurrence of causes and conditions. Nothing ever exists entirely alone; everything is in relation to everything else.”
• “Ambition is like love, impatient both of delays and rivals.”
• “He who loves 50 people has 50 woes; he who loves no one has no woes.”
• “Unity can only be manifested by the Binary. Unity itself and the idea of Unity are already two.”
• “You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe deserve your love and affection.”
• “You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”

Mind, Thought, and Thinking

• “All wrong-doing arises because of mind. If mind is transformed can wrong-doing remain?”
• “An insincere and evil friend is more to be feared than a wild beast; a wild beast may wound your body, but an evil friend will wound your mind.”
• “Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.”
• “He is able who thinks he is able.”
• “It is a man’s own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways.”
• “The mind is everything. What you think you become.”
• “Those who are free of resentful thoughts surely find peace.”
• “We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world.”

Personal Development

• “Do not overrate what you have received, nor envy others. He who envies others does not obtain peace of mind.”
• “The virtues, like the Muses, are always seen in groups. A good principle was never found solitary in any breast.”
• “To conquer oneself is a greater task than conquering others.”
• “Virtue is persecuted more by the wicked than it is loved by the good.”
• “We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves.”

Self-Reliance

• “No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.”
• “Work out your own salvation. Do not depend on others.”

Speech

• “A dog is not considered a good dog because he is a good barker. A man is not considered a good man because he is a good talker.”
• “Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.”
• “The tongue like a sharp knife … Kills without drawing blood.”
• “The wise ones fashioned speech with their thought, sifting it as grain is sifted through a sieve.”
• “Whatever words we utter should be chosen with care for people will hear them and be influenced by them for good or ill.”

Truth

• “In the sky, there is no distinction of east and west; people create distinctions out of their own minds and then believe them to be true.”
• “There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting.”
• “Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.”

Photo by UggBoy / UggGirl.

This is a collection of Confucius quotes to put his wisdom at your finger tips. Confucius was a Chinese thinker and social philosopher with a knack for nailing some big ideas for life.

Confucius tackled topics like anger, character, failure, happiness, intelligence, truth, virtue, and more. The beauty of Confucius’s quotes is how elegantly they express ideas and get you thinking. For example, Confucius said, “No matter where you go – there you are.” This reminds us that we always bring ourselves to any situation, baggage, beliefs, and all. It helped me realize early on in life, that you need to be your own best friend, or, life will be a rough ride.

Another thing I like about Confucius’s quotes is how they are sticky in the mind.   I’ve come across a lot of Confucius’s quotes throughout life and they stuck with me.  Partly it’s because of how they ring true, and partly it’s because of how they are expressed.  Great quotes echo in the mind.

Enjoy these quotes by Confucius and may they serve you well in the journey of life.

Top 10 Confucius Quotes

1. “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”
2. “Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.”
3. “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.”
4. “If I am walking with two other men, each of them will serve as my teacher. I will pick out the good points of the one and imitate them, and the bad points of the other and correct them in myself.”
5. “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”
6. “Men’s natures are alike, it is their habits that carry them far apart.”
7. “No matter where you go – there you are”
8. “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in getting up every time we do.”
9. “Wherever you go, go with all your heart.”
10. “Worry not that no one knows of you; seek to be worth knowing.”

Ability

• “Ability will never catch up with the demand for it.”
• “The expectations of life depend upon diligence; the mechanic that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools.”

Alertness

• “The superior man, when resting in safety, does not forget that danger may come.”
• “When in a state of security he does not forget the possibility of ruin. When all is orderly, he does not forget that disorder may come. Thus his person is not endangered, and his States and all their clans are preserved.”

Anger and Blame

• “If a man be under the influence of anger his conduct will not be correct.”
• “It was by music that the ancient kings gave elegant expression to their joy. By their armies and axes they gave the same to their anger.”
• “To be wronged is nothing unless you continue to remember it.”
• “When anger rises, think of the consequences.”

Character

• “Earnest in practicing the ordinary virtues, and careful in speaking about them, if, in his practice, he has anything defective, the superior man dares not but exert himself; and if, in his words, he has any excess, he dares not allow himself such license.”
• “Faced with what is right, to leave it undone shows a lack of courage.”
• “Forget injuries, never forget kindnesses.”
• “Great as heaven and earth are, men still find some things in them with which to be  dissatisfied. Thus it is that, were the superior man to speak of his way in all its greatness, nothing in the world would be found able to embrace it, and were he to speak of it in its minuteness, nothing in the world would be found able to split it.”
• “Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles. Then no friends would not be like yourself.”
• “I will not be concerned at other men’s not knowing me;I will be concerned at my own  want of ability.”
• “In archery we have something like the way of the superior man. When the archer misses the center of the target, he turns round and seeks for the cause of his failure in himself.”
• “It is easy to hate and it is difficult to love. This is how the whole scheme of things works. All good things are difficult to achieve; and bad things are very easy to get.”
• “Look at the means which a man employs, consider his motives, observe his pleasures. A man simply cannot conceal himself!”
• “Never give a sword to a man who can’t dance.”
• “Only the wisest and stupidest of men never change.”
• “Respect yourself and others will respect you.”
• “Sincerity is that whereby self-completion is effected, and its way is that by which man must direct himself.”
• “The man who in view of gain thinks of righteousness; who in the view of danger is prepared to give up his life; and who does not forget an old agreement however far back it extends – such a man may be reckoned a complete man.”
• “The superior man acts before he speaks, and afterwards speaks according to his action.”
• “The superior man cannot be known in little matters, but he may be entrusted with great concerns. The small man may not be entrusted with great concerns, but he may be known in little matters.”
• “The superior man has nothing to compete for. But if he must compete, he does it in  an archery match, wherein he ascends to his position, bowing in deference.   Descending, he drinks the ritual cup.”
• “The superior man is all-embracing and not partial. The inferior man is partial and not all-embracing.”
• “The superior man is aware of Righteousness, the inferior man is aware of advantage.”
• “There is nothing more visible than what is secret, and nothing more manifest than  what is minute.” Therefore the superior man is watchful over himself, when he is alone.”
• “What the superior man seeks is in himself; what the small man seeks is in others.”
• “Wisdom, compassion, and courage are the three universally recognized moral qualities of men.”
• “Without an acquaintance with the rules of propriety, it is impossible for the character to be established.”
• “Without feelings of respect, what is there to distinguish men from beasts?”

Failure, Mistakes, and Flaws

• “A man who has committed a mistake and doesn’t correct it, is committing another mistake.”
• “Be not ashamed of mistakes and thus make them crimes.”
• “Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without.”
• “If you make a mistake, do not be afraid to correct it.”
• “In all things success depends on previous preparation, and without such previous preparation there is sure to be failure.”
• “The cautious seldom err.”
• “The faults of a superior man are like the sun and moon. They have their faults, and everyone sees them; they change and everyone looks up to them.”
• “Things that are done, it is needless to speak about … things that are past, it is needless to blame.”
• “When you have faults, do not fear to abandon them.”

Friends and Friendship

• “I do not want a friend who smiles when I smile, who weeps when I weep, for my shadow in the pool can do better than that.”
• “It is more shameful to distrust our friends than to be deceived by them.”
• “Never contract friendship with a man that is not better than thyself.”
• “Silence is a true friend who never betrays.”

Goals

• “When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.”

Habits

• “To practice five things under all circumstances constitutes perfect virtue; these five are gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness, and kindness.”

Happiness

• “If a man has no humaneness what can his propriety be like? If a man has no humaneness what can his happiness be like?”
• “If a man takes no thought about what is distant, he will find sorrow near at hand.”
• “The superior man is satisfied and composed; the mean man is always full of distress.”
• “The wise find pleasure in water; the virtuous find pleasure in hills. The wise are active; the virtuous are tranquil. The wise are joyful; the virtuous are long-lived.”
• “They must often change who would be constant in happiness or wisdom.”
• “We should feel sorrow, but not sink under its oppression.”
• “With coarse rice to eat, with water to drink, and my bended arm for a pillow – I have still joy in the midst of these things. Riches and honors acquired by unrighteousness are to me as a floating cloud.”

Heart and Love

• “Can there be a love which does not make demands on its object?”
• “If you look into your own heart, and you find nothing wrong there, what is there to worry about? What is there to fear?”
• “Recompense injury with justice, and recompense kindness with kindness.”
• “The superior man examines his heart, that there may be nothing wrong there, and that he may have no cause for dissatisfaction with himself. That wherein the superior man cannot be equaled is simply this — his work which other men cannot see.”

How to Live

• “Although your father and mother are dead, if you propose to yourself any good work, only reflect how it will make their names illustrious, and your purpose will be fixed.”
• “At fifteen my heart was set on learning; at thirty I stood firm; at forty I had no more doubts; at fifty I knew the mandate of heaven; at sixty my ear was obedient; at seventy I could follow my heart’s desire without transgressing the norm.”
• “Being in humaneness is good. If we select other goodness and thus are far apart from humaneness, how can we be the wise?”
• “”Consideration for others is the basic of a good life, a good society.”
• “Death and life have their determined appointments; riches and honors depend upon heaven.”
• “Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire.”
• “He who will not economize will have to agonize.”
• “How great is the path proper to the Sage! Like overflowing water, it sends forth  and nourishes all things, and rises up to the height of heaven. All-complete is its  greatness! It embraces the three hundred rules of ceremony, and the three thousand rules of demeanor. It waits for the proper man, and then it is trodden. Hence it is  said, ‘Only by perfect virtue can the perfect path, in all its courses, be made a fact.’”
• “I want you to be everything that’s you, deep at the center of your being.”
• “If we don’t know life, how can we know death?”
• “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.”
• “Old age, believe me, is a good and pleasant thing. It is true you are gently shouldered off the stage, but then you are given such a comfortable front stall as spectator.”
• “Speak the truth, do not yield to anger; give, if thou art asked for little; by these three steps thou wilt go near the gods.”
• “Study the past, if you would define the future.”
• “The more man meditates upon good thoughts, the better will be his world and the world at large.”
• “The Path is not far from man. When men try to pursue a course, which is far from the common indications of consciousness, this course cannot be considered The Path.”
• “The superior man does what is proper to the station in which he is; he does not desire to go beyond this. In a position of wealth and honor, he does what is proper to a position of wealth and honor. In a poor and low position, he does what is proper to a poor and low position.”
• “The superior man honors his virtuous nature, and maintains constant inquiry and study, seeking to carry it out to its breadth and greatness, so as to omit none of the more exquisite and minute points which it embraces, and to raise it to its greatest height and brilliancy.”
• “The way of the superior man may be compared to what takes place in traveling, when to go to a distance we must first traverse the space that is near, and in ascending a height, when we must begin from the lower ground.”
• “There are three things which the superior man guards against. In youth … lust.   When he is strong … quarrelsomeness.   When he is old … covetousness.”
• “What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.”
• “When one cultivates to the utmost the principles of his nature, and exercises them on the principle of reciprocity, he is not far from the path.”
• “When the Superior Man eats he does not try to stuff himself; at rest he does not seek perfect comfort; he is diligent in his work and careful in speech. He avails himself to people of the Tao and thereby corrects himself. This is the kind of person of whom you can say, ‘he loves learning.’”
• “When you are laboring for others let it be with the same zeal as if it were for yourself.”

Humility

• “A superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions.”
• “He who speaks without modesty will find it difficult to make his words good.”
• “The superior man is distressed by the limitations of his ability; he is not distressed by the fact that men do not recognize the ability that he has.”

Influence

• “All things are nourished together without their injuring one another. The courses  of the seasons, and of the sun and moon, are pursued without any collision among  them. The smaller energies are like river currents; the greater energies are seen  in mighty transformations. It is this which makes heaven and earth so great.”
• “Among the appliances to transform the people, sound and appearances are but trivial  influences.”
• “Sincerity becomes apparent. From being apparent, it becomes manifest. From being manifest, it becomes brilliant. Brilliant, it affects others. Affecting others, they are changed by it. Changed by it, they are transformed. It is only he who is possessed of the most complete sincerity that can exist under heaven, who can transform.”

Intelligence

• “When we have intelligence resulting from sincerity, this condition is to be ascribed to nature; when we have sincerity resulting from intelligence, this condition is to be ascribed to instruction. But given the sincerity, and there shall be the intelligence; given the intelligence, and there shall be the sincerity.”

Knowledge and Learning

• “By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.”
• “He who learns but does not think, is lost! He who thinks but does not learn is in great danger.”
• “I am not one who was born in the possession of knowledge; I am one who is fond of antiquity, and earnest in seeking it there.”
• “If you think in terms of a year, plant a seed; if in terms of ten years, plant trees; if in terms of 100 years, teach the people.”
• “Ignorance is the night of the mind, but a night without moon and star.”
• “Learn as though you would never be able to master it; Hold it as though you would be in fear of losing it.”
• “Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous.”
• “Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s ignorance.”
• “Reviewing what you have learned and learning anew, you are fit to be a teacher.”
• “The scholar who cherishes the love of comfort is not fit to be deemed a scholar.”
• “Things have their root and their branches. Affairs have their end and their beginning. To know what is first and what is last will lead near to what is taught in the Great Learning.”
• “To be fond of learning is to be near to knowledge. To practice with vigor is to be near to magnanimity. To possess the feeling of shame is to be near to energy.”
• “To study and not think is a waste. To think and not study is dangerous.”
• “When you know a thing, to hold that you know it, and when you do not know a thing, to allow that you do not know it – this is knowledge.”
• “You cannot open a book without learning something.”

Personal Development

• “The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential… these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence.”
• “When we see men of worth, we should think of equaling them; when we see men of a contrary character, we should turn inwards and examine ourselves.”
• “When you meet someone better than yourself, turn your thoughts to becoming his equal. When you meet someone not as good as you are, look within and examine your own self.”

Revenge

• “Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.”

Truth

• “The object of the superior man is truth.”
• “The superior man does not set his mind either for anything, or against anything; what is right he will follow.”
• “The superior man, even when he is not moving, has a feeling of reverence, and while he speaks not, he has the feeling of truthfulness.”
• “They who know the truth are not equal to those who love it, and they who love it are not equal to those who delight in it.”

Uniqueness

• “The way of Heaven and Earth may be completely declared in one sentence: They are without any doubleness, and so they produce things in a manner that is unfathomable.”

Virtue

• “Fine words and an insinuating appearance are seldom associated with true virtue.”
• “Go before the people with your example, and be laborious in their affairs.”
• “I have not seen a person who loved virtue, or one who hated what was not virtuous.  He who loved virtue would esteem nothing above it.”
• “Is virtue a thing remote? I wish to be virtuous, and lo! Virtue is at hand.”
• “The determined scholar and the man of virtue will not seek to live at the expense of injuring their virtue. They will even sacrifice their lives to preserve their virtue complete.”
• “The firm, the enduring, the simple, and the modest are near to virtue.”
• “The man of virtue makes the difficulty to be overcome his first interest; success only comes later.”
• “The superior man thinks always of virtue; the common man thinks of comfort.”
• “The virtuous man is driven by responsibility, the non-virtuous man is driven by profit.”
• “Virtue is more to man than either water or fire. I have seen men die from treading on water and fire, but I have never seen a man die from treading the course of virtue.”
• “Virtue is not left to stand alone. He who practices it will have neighbors.”
• “Virtuous people often revenge themselves for the constraints to which they submit by the boredom which they inspire.”
• “What the great learning teaches, is to illustrate illustrious virtue; to renovate the people; and to rest in the highest excellence.”
• “When a man’s knowledge is sufficient to attain, and his virtue is not sufficient to enable him to hold, whatever he may have gained, he will lose again.”

Photo by Ivan Walsh.

This is my collection of leadership quotes drawing from John Maxwell, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Sun Tzu, and more.   It’s wisdom of the ages and modern sages, all focused on the topic of leadership.  Use these quotes to add to your own repertoire of leadership knowledge.

When you think of your favorite leaders, what words come to mind?   Some of the words I think of are courage, compassion, connection, and conviction.  I also think of heart, hope, encouragement, inspiration, and optimism.  I also think of accountability, self-awareness, learning and growth.  These are the words I used to organize my leadership quotes.

There are many lessons we can learn on the art of leadership, but some of the most important I think are start with heart, lead by example, lead yourself first, focus on the greater good, know when to follow, don’t ask people to do what you wouldn’t do yourself, and balance connection with conviction.

For me, to put it simply, I think effective leaders bring out the best in people.

Read on to explore leadership in depth from a variety of people and perspectives.

Top 10 Leadership Quotes

1. “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” –  John C. Maxwell
2. “A real leader faces the music, even when he doesn’t like the tune.” – Anonymous
3. “All Leadership is influence.” — John C. Maxwell
4. “Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
5. “Lead me, follow me, or get out of my way.” — General George Patton
6. “Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.” — Warren Bennis
7. “Managers help people see themselves as they are; Leaders help people to see themselves better than they are.” — Jim Rohn
8. “The art of leadership is saying no, not yes.  It is very easy to say yes.” — Tony Blair
9. “The price of greatness is responsibility.” — Winston Churchill
10. “When the effective leader is finished with his work, the people say it happened naturally.” — Lao Tzu

A Leader Is …

• “A good leader is a person who takes a little more than his share of the blame and a little less than his share of the credit.” — John C. Maxwell
• “A leader is not an administrator who loves to run others, but someone who carries water for his people so that they can get on with their jobs.” — Robert Townsend
• “A leader’s role is to raise people’s aspirations for what they can become and to release their energies so they will try to get there.” — David R. Gergen
• “A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.” — Lao Tzu
• “A leader is one who sees more than others see, who sees farther than others see, and who sees before others see.” — Leroy Eimes

Boldness and Courage

• “A ship in the harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.” — William Shedo
• “Boldness, more boldness, and always boldness!” — George Jacques Danton
• “Courage is the enforcing virtue, the one that makes possible all the other virtues common
  to exceptional leaders: honesty, integrity, confidence, compassion and humility.” — John McCain
• “Leaders make decisions that create the future they desire.” — Mike Murdock
• “Rely on your own strength of body and soul. Take for your star self-reliance, faith, honesty and industry. Don’t take too much advice — keep at the helm and steer your own ship, and remember that the great art of commanding is to take a fair share of the work. Fire above the mark you intend to hit. Energy, invincible determination with the right motive, are the levers that move the world.” — Noah Porter
• “The only safe ship in a storm is leadership.” — Faye Wattleton

Challenges and Difficulty

• “Anyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm.” — Publilius Syrus
• “Big jobs usually go to the men who prove their ability to outgrow small ones.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
• “Confront issues and challenges – not each Other.” — Suzanne Mayo Frindt
• “Difficulties mastered are opportunities won.” — Winston Churchill
• “In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing.  The worst thing you can do is nothing.” — Theodore Roosevelt
• “Leaders aren’t born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. And that’s the price we’ll have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal.” — Vince Lombardi
• “Leaders do not avoid, repress, or deny conflict, but rather see it as an opportunity.” — Warren Bennis
• “Misfortunes, untoward events, lay open, disclose the skill of a general, while success conceals his weakness, his weak points.” – Horace
• “One of the true tests of leadership is the ability to recognize a problem before it becomes an emergency.” — Arnold H. Glasgow
• “People who let events and circumstances dictate their lives are living reactively. That means that they don’t act on life, they only react to it.” — Stedman Graham
• “Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which have been overcome while trying to succeed.” — Booker T. Washington
• “The hallmark of a well-managed organization is not the absence of problems, but whether or not problems are effectively resolved.” — Steve Ventura
• “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” — Martin Luther King, Jr.
• “To do great things is difficult; but to command great things is more difficult.” — Friedrich Nietzsche
  Character
• “Character creates consistency, and if your people know what they can expect from you, they will continue to look to you for leadership.” — John Maxwell
• “Character makes trust possible, and trust is the foundation of leadership.” — John Maxwell
• “I am personally convinced that one person can be a change catalyst, a “transformer” in any situation, any organization. Such an individual is yeast that can leaven an entire loaf. It requires vision, initiative, patience, respect, persistence, courage, and faith to be a transforming leader.” — Stephen R. Covey
• “I have three precious things which I hold fast and prize. The first is gentleness; the second is frugality; the third is humility, which keeps me from putting myself before others. Be gentle and you can be bold; be frugal and you can be liberal; avoid putting yourself before others and you can become a leader among men.” — Lao-Tzu
• “If you have no character to lose, people will have no faith in you.” — Mahatma Gandhi
• “It’s true that charisma can make a person stand out for a moment, but character sets a person apart for a lifetime.” — John Maxwell
• “Leadership consists not in degrees of technique but in traits of character; it requires moral rather than athletic or intellectual effort, and it imposes on both leader and follower alike the burdens of self-restraint.” — Lewis H. Lapham
• “Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy.” — Norman Schwarzkopf
• “Over time, is it easier or harder to sustain your influence within your organization?  With charisma alone, influence becomes increasingly more difficult to sustain. With character, as time passes, influence builds and requires less work to sustain.” — John Maxwell
• “The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly.” — Jim Rohn
• “The greater a man is in power above others, the more he ought to excel them in virtue. None ought to govern who is not better than the governed.” — Publius Syrus
• “The real leader has no need to lead — he is content to point the way.” — Henry Miller
• “The three C’s of leadership are Consideration,Caring,and Courtesy.Be polite to everyone.” — Brian Tracy

Communication

• “Diligent follow-up and follow-through will set you apart from the crowd and communicate excellence.” – John Maxwell
• “Earn the right to be heard by listening to others. Seek to understand a situation before making judgments about it.” – John Maxwell
• “Great communication depends on two simple skills—context, which attunes a leader to the same frequency as his or her audience, and delivery, which allows a leader to phrase messages in a language the audience can understand.” – John Maxwell
• “Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers, who can cut through argument, debate, and doubt to offer a solution everybody can understand.” — General Colin Powel
• “Leadership is about magnetic communication. Leaders have a way of communicating that draws people toward the vision and the horizon.” — Doug Firebaugh
• “Persuasive communication involves enthusiasm, animation, audience participation, authenticity and spontaneity.” — John Maxwell
• “Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.” — Theodore Roosevelt
• “Take the emotional temperature of those listening to you. Facial expressions, voice inflection and posture give clues to a person’s mood and attitude.” – John Maxwell
• “The final test of a leader is that he leaves behind him in other men the conviction and will to carry on.” — Walter J. Lippmann

Connection

• “A big man is one who makes us feel bigger when we are with him.” — John C. Maxwell
• “A good leader can’t get too far ahead of his followers.” — Franklin D. Roosevelt
• “A great leader’s courage to fulfill his vision comes from passion, not position.” –  John Maxwell
• “As a leader you should always start with where people are before you try to take them to where you want them to go.” — Jim Rohn
• “I light my candle from their torches.” — Robert Burton
• “I suppose leadership at one time meant muscles; but today it means getting along with people.” — Indira Gandhi
• “High sentiments always win in the end, The leaders who offer blood, toil, tears and sweat always get more out of their followers than those who offer safety and a good time. When it comes to the pinch, human beings are heroic.” — George Orwell
• “Leaders must be close enough to relate to others, but far enough ahead to motivate them.” – John Maxwell
• “The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help them or concluded that you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership.” — Colin Powell
• “The ear of the leader must ring with the voices of the people.” — Woodrow Wilson
• “To become truly great, one has to stand with people, not above them.” — Charles de Montesquieu
• “To lead people, walk beside them.  As for the best leaders, the people do not notice their existence. The next best, the people honor and praise. The next, the people fear; and the next, the people hate.  When the best leader’s work is done the people say, ‘We did it ourselves.’” — Lao-Tsu

Conviction

• “A leader has the vision and conviction that a dream can be achieved. He inspires the power and energy to get it done.” — Ralph Nader
• “A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don’t necessarily want to go but ought to be.” — Rosalynn Carter
• “A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the crowd.” — Max Lucado
• “Consensus is the negation of leadership.” — Margaret Thatcher
• “Every person who wins in any undertaking must be willing to cut all sources of retreat. Only by doing so can one be sure of maintaining that state of mind known as a burning desire to win which is one of the essentials to success.” — Napoleon Hill
• “I cannot give you the formula for success, but I can give you the formula for failure: which is: Try to please everybody.” — Herbert B. Swope
• “If I have the belief that I can do it, I will surely acquire the capacity to do it, even if I may not have it at the beginning.” — Mahatma Gandhi
• “In this world a man must either be an anvil or hammer.” — Henry W. Longfellow
• “Leadership does not always wear the harness of compromise.” — Woodrow Wilson
• “Let him who would be moved to convince others, be first moved to convince himself.” — Thomas Carlyle
• “My leadership began to take flight when I allowed myself to press people to change—whether they thanked me or cursed me.” – John Maxwell
• “Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome.” — Samuel Johnson
• “With the power of conviction, there is no sacrifice.” — Jim Rohn
• “We will either find a way or make one.” – Hannibal

Credibility

• “A highly credible leader under-promises and over-delivers.” – John Maxwell
• “Credibility is a leader’s currency. With it, he or she is solvent; without it, he or she is bankrupt.” – John Maxell
• “Few things help an individual more than to place responsibility upon them and to let them know that you trust them.” — Booker T. Washington
• “Most people who want to get ahead do it backward. They think, ‘I’ll get a bigger job, then I’ll learn how to be a leader.’ But showing leadership skill is how you get the bigger job in the first place. Leadership isn’t a position, it’s a process.” — John Maxwell

Encouragement and Empowerment

• “A boss creates fear, a leader confidence. A boss fixes blame, a leader corrects mistakes. A boss knows all, a leader asks questions. A boss makes work drudgery, a leader makes it interesting. A boss is interested in himself or herself, a leader is interested in the group.” — Russell H. Ewing
• “As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.” — Marianne Williamson
• “As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.” — Bill Gates
• “Coaching isn’t an addition to a leader’s job, it’s an integral part of it.” — George S. Odiorne
• “I have yet to find the man, however exalted his station, who did not do better work and put forth greater effort under a spirit of approval than under a spirit of criticism.” — Charles M. Schwab
• “If you are going to help people reach their potential, they need to be recognised and rewarded. Everyone needs that.” — Jacqueline Norcel
• “If you wish a general to be beaten, send him a ream full of instructions; if you wish him to succeed, give him a destination, and bid him conquer.” — Augustus William Hare and Julius Charles Hare
• “Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.” — George Patton
• “No general can fight his battles alone. He must depend upon his lieutenants, and his success depends upon his ability to select the right man for the right place.” — Philip Armour
• “Nothing else can quite substitute for a few well-chosen, well-timed, sincere words of praise.   They’re absolutely free and worth a fortune.” — Sam Walton
• “People change when they hurt enough that they have to, learn enough that they want to, or receive enough that they are able to.” – John Maxwell
• “Talented performers flock to the best and brightest leaders, and these leaders in turn lift the lids off their people and uncork the latent talent inside of them.” – John Maxwell
• “The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint to keep from meddling with them while they do it.” — Theodore Roosevelt
• “The people who are lifting the world onward and upward are those who encourage more than they criticize.” — Elizabeth Harrison
• “The task of leadership is not to put greatness into people, but to elicit it, for the greatness is there already.” — John Buchan
• “The way to develop the best that is in a man is by appreciation and encouragement.” — Charles Schwab
• “There is no more noble occupation in the world than to assist another human being to help someone succeed.” — Alan Loy McGinnis
• “Treat people as if they were what they ought to be, and you help them to become what they are capable of being.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
• “Trust men and they will be true to you; treat them greatly, and they will show themselves great.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

Example and Leading by Example

• “A leader leads by example not by force.” — Sun Tzu
• “Become the kind of leader that people would follow voluntarily;even if you had no title or position.” — Brian Tracy
• “Example is not the main thing in influencing others, it is the only thing.” — Albert Schweitzer
• “I think leadership comes from integrity – that you do whatever you ask others to do. I think there are non-obvious ways to lead. Just by providing a good example as a parent, a friend, a neighbor makes it possible for other people to see better ways to do things. Leadership does not need to be a dramatic, fist in the air and trumpets blaring, activity.” — Scott Berkun
• “Not the cry, but the flight of a wild duck, leads the flock to fly and follow.” – Proverb
• “Nothing so conclusively proves a man’s ability to lead others as what he does from day to day to lead himself.” — Thomas J. Watson
• “The older I get the less I listen to what people say and the more I look at what they do.” — Andrew Carnegie
• “True leaders always practice the three R’s: Respect for self, Respect for others, Responsibility for all their actions.” — Anonymous

Fear and Failure

• “Don’t buy into the notion that mistakes can somehow be avoided. They can’t be.” – John Maxwell
• “’Failing forward’ is the ability to get back up after you’ve been knocked down, learn from your mistake, and move forward in a better direction.” – John Maxwell
• “Failure is not a one-time event; it’s how you deal with life along the way. Until you breathe your last breath, you’re still in the process, and there is still time to turn things around for the better.” – John Maxwell
• “It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up.” — Babe Ruth
• “Leaders are visionaries with a poorly developed sense of fear and no concept of the odds against them. “ — Robert Jarvik
• “Seek advice, but make sure it’s from someone who has successfully handled mistakes or adversities.” – John Maxwell
• “The leader has a clear idea of what he wants to do professionally and personally, and the strength to persist in the face of setbacks, even failures.” — Warren G. Bennis
• “You are the only person who can label what you do a failure. Failure is subjective.” – John Maxwell

Following

• “A man is only a leader when a follower stands beside him.” — Mark Brouwer
• “Every leader needs to look back once in a while to make sure he has followers.” – Anonymous
• “He that cannot obey, cannot command.” — Benjamin Franklin
• “He who has learned how to obey will know how to command.” – Solon
• “He who has never learned to obey cannot be a good commander.” – Aristotle
• “If you want to lead, first learn how to follow.” — Rick Beneteau
• “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” — Steve Jobs
• “Leaders don’t create followers, they create more leaders.” — Tom Peters
• “Look over your shoulder now and then to be sure someone’s following you.” — Henry Gilmer
• “One measure of leadership is the caliber of people who choose to follow you.” — Dennis A. Peer
• “Take care, don’t fight, and remember: if you do not choose to lead, you will forever be led by others. Find what scares you, and do it. And you can make a difference, if you choose to do so.” — J. Michael Straczynski
• “The function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers.” — Ralph Nader
• “The height of ability in the least able consists in knowing how to submit to the good leadership of others.” — François de la Rochefoucauld
• “The leader is one who mobilizes others toward a goal shared by leaders and followers … Leaders, followers and goals make up the three equally necessary supports for leadership.” — Gary Wills
• “The led must not be compelled, they must be able to choose their own leader.” — Albert Einstein
• “Those who try to lead the people can only do so by following the mob.” — Oscar Wilde
• “To lead the people, walk behind them.” — Lao-Tzu
• “You cannot be a leader, and ask other people to follow you, unless you know how to follow, too.” — Sam Rayburn

Heart

• “A ruler should be slow to punish and swift to reward.” – Ovid
• “Great leadership usually starts with a willing heart, a positive attitude, and a desire to make a difference.” — Mac Anderson
• “He is greatest whose strength carries up the most hearts by the attraction of his own.” — Henry Ward Beecher
• “It is impossible to imagine anything which better becomes a ruler than mercy.” – Seneca
• “People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care.” — John C. Maxwell
• “People don’t mind being challenged to do better if they know the request is coming from a caring heart.” — Ken Blanchard
• “The ability to summon positive emotions during periods of intense stress lies at the heart of effective leadership.” — Jim Loehr
• “The power is detested, and miserable the life, of him who wishes to be feared rather than to be loved.” — Cornelius Nepos
• “They may forget what you said, they may forget what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel.” — Carl W. Buecher

Influence

• “He who has great power should use it lightly.” – Seneca
• “I strongly believe that the responsibility of leadership is to shape the debate—to practice and project the right attributes—whether in a business enterprise, in our society, and even in our religions.” — Farooq Kathwari
• “Ill can he rule the great that cannot reach the small.” — Edmund Spenser
• “In the past a leader was a boss. Today’s leaders must be partners with their people … they no longer can lead solely based on positional power.” — Ken Blanchard
• “No man is good enough to govern another man without that other’s consent.” — Abraham Lincoln
• “The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority.” — Kenneth Blanchard
• “There is no power on earth that can neutralize the influence of a high, simple, and useful life.” — Booker T. Washington
• “What makes leadership is the ability to get people to do what they don’t want to do and like it.” — Harry Truman
• “What you cannot enforce, do not command.” – Sophocles
• “You don’t lead by pointing and telling people some place to go. You lead by going to that place and making a case.” — Ken Kesey

Inspiration and Hope

• “A leader is a dealer in hope.” — Napoleon Bonaparte
• “A person, who no matter how desperate the situation, gives others hope, is a true leader.” — Daisaku Ikeda
• “If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people together to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.” — Antoine de Saint-Exupery
• “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” — John Quincy Adams
• “Good leaders make people feel that they’re at the very heart of things, not at the periphery. Everyone feels that he or she makes a difference to the success of the organization.   When that happens, people feel centered and that gives their work meaning.” — Warren Bennis
• “Lead and inspire people. Don’t try to manage and manipulate people. Inventories can be managed but people must be lead.” — Ross Perot
• “Nobody rises to low expectations.” — Calvin Lloyd
• “One cannot consent to creep when one feels the impulse to soar.” — Helen Keller
• “Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we know we could be.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
• “There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle, or to be the mirror that reflects it.” — Edith Wharton
• “We should seize every opportunity to give encouragement. Encouragement is oxygen to the soul. The days are always dark enough. There is no need for us to emphasize the fact by spreading further gloom.” — George M. Adams
• “Where there is no hope in the future, there is no power in the present.” — John Maxwell

Leadership Is …

• “Leadership is action, not position.” — Donald H. McGannon
• “Leadership is based on a spiritual quality; the power to inspire, the power to inspire others to follow.” — Vince Lombardi
• “Leadership is getting people to help you when they are not obligated to do so.” — John C. Maxwell
• “Leadership is getting someone to do what they don’t want to do, to achieve what they want to achieve.” — Tom Landry
• “Leadership is influence.” — John C. Maxwell
• “Leadership is much more an art, a belief, a condition of the heart, than a set of things to do. The visible signs of artful leadership are expressed, ultimately, in its practice.” — Max Depree
• “Leadership is no longer about your position. It’s now more about your passion for excellence and making a difference.  You can lead without a title.” — Robin Sharma
• “Leadership is not so much about technique and methods as it is about opening the heart. Leadership is about inspiration — of oneself and of others. Great leadership is about human experiences, not processes. Leadership is not a formula or a program, it is a human activity that comes from the heart and considers the hearts of others. It is an attitude, not a routine.” — Lance Secretan
• “Leadership is practiced not so much in words as in attitude and in actions.” — Harold S. Geneen
• “Leadership is the ability to establish standards and manage a creative climate where people are self-motivated toward the mastery of long term constructive goals, in a participatory environment of mutual respect, compatible with personal values.” — Mike Vance
• “Leadership is the ability to get extraordinary achievement from ordinary people.” — Brian Tracy
• “Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.” — Warren G. Bennis
• “Leadership is the challenge to be something more than average.” — Jim Rohn

Learning and Growth

• “Confront your inadequacies and push your personal boundaries: It’s the surest way to grow, improve and expand the scope of your influence.” – John Maxwell
• “Education is the mother of leadership.” — Wendell Lewis Wilkie
• “Every relationship in your organization will affect you one way or another.  Those who do not increase you will inevitably decrease you. “ – John Maxwell
• “It all comes down to this: If you want one year of happiness, grow grain, if you want 10 years of happiness, grow trees, if you want 100 years of happiness, grow people.” — Harvey Mackay
• “In order to be happy, human beings must feel they are continuing to grow. Clearly, we must adopt the concept of continuous improvement as a daily principle.” — Tony Robbins
• “Leaders don’t rise to the pinnacle of success without developing the right set of attitudes and habits; they make every day a masterpiece.” – John Maxwell
• “Leaders never outgrow the need to change.” — John Maxwell
• “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” — John F. Kennedy
• “Leadership cannot really be taught. It can only be learned.” — Harold Geneen
• “The better you are at surrounding yourself with people of high potential, the greater your chance for success.” – John Maxwell
• “The leadership instinct you are born with is the backbone.  You develop the funny bone and the wishbone that go with it.” — Elaine Agather
• “The more seriously you take your growth, the more seriously your people will take you.” — John Maxwell
• “The most important part of being a leader is maintaining the desire to keep on learning. That means learning about yourself, about your peers, and about the people you serve.” — Brian Koval
• “The most valuable “currency” of any organization is the initiative and creativity of its members. Every leader has the solemn moral responsibility to develop these to the maximum in all his people. This is the leader’s highest priority.” — W. Edwards Deming

Self-Leadership

• “It’s amazing how many cares disappear when you decide not to be something, but to be someone. “ — Coco Chanel
• “Personal leadership is not a singular experience. It is, rather, the ongoing process of keeping your vision and values before you and aligning your life to be congruent with those most important things.” — Stephen Covey
• “The place to improve the world is first in one’s own heart and head and hands.” — Robert M. Pirsig
• “To be able to lead others, a man must be willing to go forward alone.” — Harry Truman
• “Whatever you are, be a good one.” — Abraham Lincoln

Servant Leadership

• “A person who is worthy of being a leader wants power not for himself, but in order to be of service.” — J. Ervin, Jr.
• “Earn your success based on service to others, not at the expense of others.” — H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
• “Everybody can be great because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” — Martin Luther King Jr
• “Men are governed only by serving them; the rule is without exception.” — V. Cousin
• “Servant-leadership is more than a concept, it is a fact. Any great leader, by which I also mean an ethical leader of any group, will see herself or himself as a servant of that group and will act accordingly.” — M. Scott Peck
• “The adventure of life is to learn. The purpose of life is to grow. The nature of life is to change. The challenge of life is to overcome. The essence of life is to care. The opportunity of like is to serve. The secret of life is to dare. The spice of life is to befriend. The beauty of life is to give.” — William Arthur Ward
• “The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.” — Max DePree
• “True leadership must be for the benefit of the followers, not to enrich the leader.” — John C. Maxwell

Teamwork

• “Coming together is a beginning, and staying together is progress, but only when teams sweat together do they find success.” – John Maxwell
• “It is the very essence of good leadership to give away all credit for positive achievement, to identify only team goals and always to refer to them as such.” — Joe Klock
• “Remember the difference between a boss and a leader; a boss says ‘Go!’ … a leader says ‘Let’s go!’  — E.M. Kelly
• “Teams make you better than you are, multiply your value, enable you to do what you do best, allow you to help others do their best, give you more time, provide you with companionship, help you fulfill the desires of your heart and compound your vision and effort.” – John Maxwell
• “The leaders who work most effectively, it seems to me, never say ‘I’. And that’s not because they have trained themselves not to say ‘I’. They don’t think ‘I’. They think ‘we’; they think ‘team’. They understand their job to be to make the team function. They accept responsibility and don’t sidestep it, but ‘we’ gets the credit…. This is what creates trust, what enables you to get the task done.” — Peter Drucker
• “The goal of an effective leader is to recondition your team to be solution focused rather than problem focused.” — Jim Rohn
• “Values hold the team together, provide stability for the team to grow upon, measure the team’s performance, give direction and guidance and attract like-minded people.” – John Maxwell

Vision

• “A leader’s job is to look into the future and see the organization, not as it is, but as it should be.” — Jack Welch
• “All who have accomplished great things have had a great aim, have fixed their gaze on a goal which was high, one which sometimes seemed impossible.” — Orison Swett Marden
• “Big thinkers are specialists in creating positive, forward-looking, optimistic pictures in their own minds and in the minds of others.” — David J. Schwartz
• “Dream no small dreams for they have no power to move the hearts of men.” – Goethe
• “Good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision, and relentlessly drive it to completion.” — John Welch
• “If I have seen farther than others, it is because I was standing on the shoulder of giants.” — Isaac Newton
• “Leaders need to be optimists.  Their vision is beyond the present.” — Rudy Giuliani
• “Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall.” — Stephen R. Covey
• “The leader has to be practical and a realist, yet must talk the language of the visionary and the idealist.” — Eric Hoffer
• “The most elusive and desired quality of leadership is vision. Vision is the perfume of the mind.” — Harriet Rubin
• “The very essence of leadership is that you have to have vision. You can’t blow an uncertain trumpet.” — Theodore M. Hesburgh
• “Transmit your vision emotionally by gaining credibility, demonstrating passion, establishing relationships and communicating a felt need. Transmit it logically by confronting reality, formulating strategy, accepting responsibility, celebrating victory and learning from defeat.“ – John Maxwell

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This is my collection of Seth Godin quotes.  They’ll make you think and ponder as you wonder around from one idea to the next.

Seth’s sweet spot is marketing but his quotes easily span business, change, greatness, innovation, leadership, mediocrity, and strategy.  Seth’s quotes teach us that the individual is a powerful force, that multiplies when we dare to be different, take action, test our ideas, stay true to our authentic self, tell inspiring stories, make things meaningful, and lead tribes of like minds and shared values.

Perhaps the most important lesson we learn from Seth Godin is this:  Think and do great things.  And do the tough stuff, because it’s worth it.

Enjoy.

Top 10 Seth Godin Quotes

Here are my top 10 favorite quotes by Seth Godin:

1. “Are you a serial idea-starting person? The goal is to be an idea-shipping person.”
2. “Change is not a threat, it’s an opportunity. Survival is not the goal, transformative success is.”
3. “Don’t try to please everyone. There are countless people who don’t want one, haven’t heard of one or actively hate it. So what?”
4. “Expectations are the engines of our perceptions.”
5. “Go ahead, do something impossible. “
6. “Ideas in secret die. They need light and air or they starve to death.”
7. “If you could do tomorrow over again, would you?”
8. “Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, you ought to set up a life you don’t need to escape from.”
9. “Why waste a sentence saying nothing? “
10. “You can’t shrink your way to greatness! “

Business

• “As an organization grows and succeeds, it sows the seeds of its own demise by getting boring.”
• “Choose your customers, choose your future.”
• “Choose your customers. Fire the ones that hurt your ability to deliver the right story to the others.”
• “Developing expertise or assets that are not easily copied is essential; otherwise you’re just a middleman. “
• “Don’t try to be the ‘next’. Instead, try to be the other, the changer, the new. “
• “Everyone is not your customer. “
• “Fire the committee. No great website in history has been conceived of by more than three people. Not one. This is a deal breaker.”
• “Give up control and give it away … The more you give your idea away, the more your company is going to be worth. “
• “If your organization requires success before commitment, it will never have either. “
• “In a world of free, everyone can play.”
• “It’s better to make a decision, even the wrong one, than to be in limbo.”
• “Lack of resources (payroll), time and competing priorities are why so many nonprofits haven’t done well. It’s that simple.”
• “Make a decision. It doesn’t have to be a wise decision or a perfect one. Just make one.”
• “Once you have permission to talk to someone, finding new products or services for them is a smart way to grow.”
• “One way to think about running a successful business is to figure out what the least you can do is, and do that. “
• “Playing safe is very risky. “
• “The application process changes the list of who applies. Your applicants reflect your methods.”
• “The best time to do great customer service is when a customer is upset.”
• “The market and the consumer and idea trump the system.”
• “Your best customers are worth far more than your average customers.”

Change

• “Change almost never fails because it’s too early. It almost always fails because it’s too late.”
• “Change is not a threat, it’s an opportunity. Survival is not the goal, transformative success is.”
• “If you want to dig a big hole, you need to stay in one place.”
• “Knowing what to do is very, very different than actually doing it.”
• “Little changes cost you. Big changes benefit you by changing the game, but only if you go first.”
• “No, everything is not going to be okay. It never is. It isn’t okay now. Change, by definition, changes things”
• “Sometimes we spend more time than we should defending the old thing, instead of working to take advantage of the new thing.”

Choice

• “If religion comprises rules you follow, faith is demonstrated by the actions you take.”
• “If there’s time for an emergency, why isn’t there time for brilliance, generosity or learning? “
• “If you could do tomorrow over again, would you? “
• “If you’re not proud of where you work, go work somewhere else. “
• “Just saying yes because you can’t bear the short-term pain of saying no is not going to help you do the work.”
• “Saying no to loud people gives you the resources to say yes to important opportunities. “
• “We notice what we choose to notice.”
• “Who gets to decide what you want?”

Greatness

• “Art is what we’re doing when we do our best work.”
• “Be personal. Be relevant. Be specific.”
• “Becoming a superstar takes about 10,000 hours of hard work.”
• “Doing justice to the work is your task, not setting a world record. “
• “Go ahead, do something impossible.”
• “If there isn’t a good reason, go home. If there is, then do something … loud, now, and memorable.”
• “Positive thinking is hard. Worth it, though.”
• “Tribes makes our lives better, and leading a tribe is the best life of all. “
• “When kids grow up wanting to be you, you matter.”
• “When the legacy you leave behind lasts for hours, days or a lifetime, you matter.”
• “When the room brightens when you walk in, you matter.”
• “When you see the world as it is, but insist on making it more like it could be, you matter.”
• “You are not your resume, you are your work. “
• “You can’t shrink your way to greatness! “

Ideas

• “Are you a serial idea-starting person? The goal is to be an idea-shipping person. “
• “Big ideas are little ideas that no-one killed too soon. “
• “Ideas in secret die. They need light and air or they starve to death. “
• “No organization ever created an innovation. People innovate, not companies.”
• “There’s no correlation between how good your idea is and how likely your organization will be to embrace it. “
• “You can’t have good ideas unless you’re willing to generate a lot of bad ones.”

Leadership / Management

• “Are you a serial idea-starting person? The goal is to be an idea-shipping person. “
• “If you’re not uncomfortable in your work as a leader, it’s almost certain you’re not reaching your potential as a leader. “
• “Leadership is scarce because few people are willing to go through the discomfort required to lead.”
• “Leadership on the other hand, is about creating change you believe in.”
• “’Teamwork’ is the word that bosses use when they actually mean ‘Do what I say’”
• “The easiest thing is to react. The second easiest thing is to respond. But the hardest thing is to initiate. – When people ask you to tell them what to do, resist.”

Marketing

• “Advertising is just a symptom, a tactic. Marketing is about far more than that.”
• “Bullhorns are overrated: having ten times as many Twitter followers generates approximately zero times as much value. “
• “But this is a remarkable egg, an egg worth talking about, an egg worth crossing the street for, an egg worth writing about. “
• “Good marketers measure. “
• “Good marketers tell stories. “
• “If you can’t make money from attention, you should do something else for a living. “
• “If you can’t sell to 1 in 1000, why market to a million? “
• “If you’re a marketer who doesn’t know how to invent, design, influence, adapt, and ultimately discard products, then you’re no longer a marketer. You’re deadwood.“
• “Low price is a great way to sell a commodity. That’s not marketing though, that’s efficiency.”
• “Market-driven design builds the success of the product’s marketing into the product itself.”
• “Marketing is the way your people answer the phone, the typesetting on your bills and your return policy.”
• “Marketing management is now tribal leadership. “
• “Most of the time, creative entrepreneurs lose interest long before their marketing message loses its power. “
• “People don’t believe what you tell them. They rarely believe what you show them. They often believe what their friends tell them. They always believe what they tell themselves. “
• “People rarely buy what they need. They buy what they want.”
• “Perhaps marketing is about to transition to a new kind of profession, one that requires insight, dedication and smarts. “
• “Relying too much on proof distracts you from the real mission–which is emotional connection.”
• “Selling to people who actually want to hear from you is more effective than interrupting strangers who don’t. “
• “The best marketing strategy is to destroy your industry before your competition does. “
• “The reason it seems that price is all your customers care about is that you haven’t given them anything else to care about. “
• “Why waste a sentence saying nothing? “
• “You can win with consistent benefits, delivered over time. You win by incrementally earning share, attention and trust.”

Mediocrity / Status Quo

• “’Good enough’ stopped being good enough a long time ago. so why not be great? “
• “If you make a difference, people will gravitate to you. They want to engage, to interact and to get you more involved.”
• “It’s uncomfortable to challenge the status quo.”
• “It’s uncomfortable to resist the urge to settle.”
• “In our desire to please everyone, it’s very easy to end up being invisible or mediocre.”
• “Once you free yourself from the need for perfect acceptance, it’s a lot easier to launch work that matters.”
• “Successful people are the ones who are breaking the rules. “
• “The reason they want you to fit in… is that once you do, then they can ignore you.
• “The status quo is leaving the building, and quickly.”
• “You can raise the bar or you can wait for others to raise it, but it’s getting raised regardless. “
• “You don’t have to settle. It’s a choice you get to make every day.”

Passion

• “If there was ever a moment to follow your passion and do work that matters, this is it.”
• “If you have no wish, how can it possibly come true? “

Relationships

• “A long walk and calm conversation are an incredible combination if you want to build a bridge.”
• “Be with the ones you love (and the ones that love you.) Ignore everyone else.”
• “You can be right or you can have empathy. You can’t do both.”

Strategy

• “Don’t have any meetings about your web strategy. Just do stuff. First you have to fail, then you can improve. “
• “Put aside your need for a step-by-step manual and instead realize that analogies are your best friend.“
• “The scalable, profitable strategy is to change the game, not to become the most average.”

Seth Godin Books
Here is a roundup of Seth Godin books you migh enjoy:

• All Marketers Tell Stories
• Free Prize Inside
• Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?
• Meatball Sundae: Is Your Marketing out of Sync?
• Permission Marketing
• Poke the Box
• Purple Cow
• Small Is the New Big
• Survival Is Not Enough: Why Smart Companies Abandon Worry and Embrace Change
• The Big Red Fez: How To Make Any Web Site Better
• The Big Moo: Stop Trying to Be Perfect and Start Being Remarkable
• The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick)
• Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us
• Unleashing the Ideavirus
• We are All Weird

My Related Posts

• Lessons Learned from Seth Godin
• Lessons Learned from the Dip
• Lessons Learned from the Bootstrapper’s Bible

Photo by jurvetson.

Oprah is a wealth of wisdom and a great source of inspirational quotes.

You can learn a lot about Oprah and her insights through her quotable quotes.  Oprah is a great example of driving life from the fundamental questions, “Who do you want to be?” and, “What experiences do you want to create?”

What comes across for me is that Oprah built strong pillars in determination, gratitude, and growth to support her through life.   Maybe, perhaps, the most significant thing we learn from Oprah is how empowering or limiting your belief in yourself can actually be.  For Oprah, she believed she was destined for greatness and that’s exactly the path she chose to drive her life from.

Enjoy.

Top 10 Oprah Winfrey Quotes

Here are my top 10 favorite Oprah Winfrey quotes:

1. “Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.”
2. “Every time you suppress some part of yourself or allow others to play you small, you are in essence ignoring the owner’s manual your creator gave you and destroying your design.”
3. “I knew there was a way out. I knew there was another kind of life because I had read about it. I knew there were other places, and there was another way of being.”
4. “The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude.”
5. “The key to realizing a dream is to focus not on success but significance – and then even the small steps and little victories along your path will take on greater meaning.”
6. “Turn your wounds into wisdom.”
7. “We are each responsible for our own life – no other person is or even can be.”
8. “What I know is, is that if you do work that you love, and the work fulfills you, the rest will come.”
9. “What I know for sure is that if you want success, you can’t make success your goal.  The key is not to worry about being successful, but to instead work toward being significant, and the success will naturally follow.”
10. “You know you are on the road to success if you would do your job, and not be paid for it.”

Choice

• “Be more splendid, more extraordinary. Use every moment to fill yourself up.”
• “Follow your instincts. That’s where true wisdom manifests itself.”
• “I believe that every single event in life happens in an opportunity to choose love over fear.”
• “I believe that uncertainty is really my spirit’s way of whispering, “I’m in flux. I can’t decide for you. Something is off-balance here.”
• “I believe the choice to be excellent begins with aligning your thoughts and words with the intention to require more from yourself.”
• “It’s much easier for me to make major life, multi-million dollar decisions, than it is to decide on a carpet for my front porch. That’s the truth.”
• “My philosophy is that not only are you responsible for your life, but doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.”
• “Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody’s going to know whether you did it or not.”
• “Understand that the right to choose your own path is a sacred privilege. Use it. Dwell in possibility.”
• “With every experience, you alone are painting your own canvas, thought by thought, choice by choice.”

Dreams / Destiny / Purpose

• “Before you agree to do anything that might add even the smallest amount of stress to your life, ask yourself: What is my truest intention? Give yourself time to let a yes resound within you. When it’s right, I guarantee that your entire body will feel it.”
• “Excellence is the best deterrent to racism or sexism.”
• “I believe that everyone is the keeper of a dream – and by tuning into one another’s secret hopes, we can become better friends, better partners, better parents, and better lovers.”
• “I knew there was a way out. I knew there was another kind of life because I had read about it. I knew there were other places, and there was another way of being.”
• “I know for sure that what we dwell on is who we become.”
• “I trust that everything happens for a reason, even when we’re not wise enough to see it.”
• “I’ve come to believe that each of us has a personal calling that’s as unique as a fingerprint – and that the best way to succeed is to discover what you love and then find a way to offer it to others in the form of service, working hard, and also allowing the energy of the universe to lead you.”
• “It isn’t until you come to a spiritual understanding of who you are – not necessarily a religious feeling, but deep down, the spirit within – that you can begin to take control.”
• “Often we don’t even realize who we’re meant to be because we’re so busy trying to live out someone else’s ideas. But other people and their opinions hold no power in defining our destiny.”
• “The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams.”
• “The key to realizing a dream is to focus not on success but significance – and then even the small steps and little victories along your path will take on greater meaning.”
• “Use what you have to run toward your best – that’s how I now live my life.”
• “You can have it all. You just can’t have it all at once.”

Giving / Gratitude

• “Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.”
• “I don’t think you ever stop giving. I really don’t. I think it’s an on-going process. And it’s not just about being able to write a check. It’s being able to touch somebody’s life.”
• “I finally realized that being grateful to my body was key to giving more love to myself.”
• “Living in the moment brings you a sense of reverence for all of life’s blessings.”
• “The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.”
• “What I know for sure is that what you give comes back to you.”

Growth

• “Challenges are gifts that force us to search for a new center of gravity. Don’t fight them. Just find a different way to stand.”
• “I am a woman in process. I’m just trying like everybody else. I try to take every conflict, every experience, and learn from it. Life is never dull.”
• “Getting my lifelong weight struggle under control has come from a process of treating myself as well as I treat others in every way.”
• “The whole point of being alive is to evolve into the complete person you were intended to be.”
• “You are built not to shrink down to less but to blossom into more.”

Fear / Failure

• “Do the one thing you think you cannot do. Fail at it. Try again. Do better the second time. The only people who never tumble are those who never mount the high wire. This is your moment. Own it.”
• “Every one of us gets through the tough times because somebody is there, standing in the gap to close it for us.”
• “I believe that one of life’s greatest risks is never daring to risk.”
• “I don’t believe in failure. It is not failure if you enjoyed the process.”
• “I have a lot of things to prove to myself. One is that I can live my life fearlessly.”
• “It is confidence in our bodies, minds and spirits that allows us to keep looking for new adventures, new directions to grow in, and new lessons to learn – which is what life is all about.”
• “So go ahead. Fall down. The world looks different from the ground.”
• “The thing you fear most has no power. Your fear of it is what has the power. Facing the truth really will set you free.”
• “Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another steppingstone to greatness.”
• “You can take from every experience what it has to offer you. And you cannot be defeated if you just keep taking one breath followed by another.”

Identity / Individuality

• “All these years I’ve been feeling like I was growing into myself. Finally, I feel grown.”
• “As you become more clear about who you really are, you’ll be better able to decide what is best for you … the first time around.”
• “Biology is the least of what makes someone a mother.”
• “I always knew I was destined for greatness.”
• “I don’t think of myself as a poor deprived ghetto girl who made good. I think of myself as somebody who from an early age knew I was responsible for myself, and I had to make good.”
• “I still have my feet on the ground, I just wear better shoes.”
• “I’m black, I don’t feel burdened by it and I don’t think it’s a huge responsibility. It’s part of who I am. It does not define me.”
• “If you come to fame not understanding who you are, it will define who you are.”
• “In every aspect of our lives, we are always asking ourselves, How am I of value? What is my worth? Yet I believe that worthiness is our birthright.”
• “Let your light shine. Shine within you so that it can shine on someone else. Let your light shine.”
• “Partake of some of life’s sweet pleasures. And yes, get comfortable with yourself.”
• “Though I am grateful for the blessings of wealth, it hasn’t changed who I am. My feet are still on the ground. I’m just wearing better shoes.”
• “What we’re all striving for is authenticity, a spirit-to-spirit connection.”

Opportunity / Possibility

• “Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.”
• “Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.”
• “Every day brings a chance for you to draw in a breath, kick off your shoes, and dance.”
• “Every time you state what you want or believe, you’re the first to hear it. It’s a message to both you and others about what you think is possible. Don’t put a ceiling on yourself.”
• “If you want your life to be more rewarding, you have to change the way you think.”
• “When I look into the future, it’s so bright it burns my eyes.”

Passion / Energy

• “Energy is the essence of life. Every day you decide how you’re going to use it by knowing what you want and what it takes to reach that goal, and by maintaining focus.”
• “I define joy as a sustained sense of well-being and internal peace – a connection to what matters.”
• “If you neglect to recharge a battery, it dies. And if you run full speed ahead without stopping for water, you lose momentum to finish the race.”
• “Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.”

Relationships

• “I think that when you invite people to your home, you invite them to yourself.”
• “Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.”
• “My idea of heaven is a great big baked potato and someone to share it with.”
• “Surround yourself with only people who are going to lift you higher.”
• “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.”

Success

• “For every one of us that succeeds, it’s because there’s somebody there to show you the way out.”
• “I feel that luck is preparation meeting opportunity.”
• “If you want to accomplish the goals of your life, you have to begin with the spirit.”
• “I’ve learned that you can’t have everything and do everything at the same time.”
• “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.”
• “There’s no easy way out. If there were, I would have bought it. And believe me, it would be one of my favorite things!”
• “Unless you choose to do great things with it, it makes no difference how much you are rewarded, or how much power you have.”
• “What material success does is provide you with the ability to concentrate on other things that really matter. And that is being able to make a difference, not only in your own life, but in other people’s lives.”

My Related Posts

• Lessons Learned from Oprah Winfrey

This is a collection of John Maxwell quotes you can use to inspire yourself and others.

As you’ll see in his quotes, John Maxwell flows inspiration and wisdom in a relevant way.  While many of John Maxwell’s quotes are focused on teams and leaders, he also tackles interesting topics like character, choice, and every day success,.  There is truly something for everyone.

Enjoy.

Top 10 Quotes

Here are my top 10 favorite John Maxwell quotes:

1. “Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.”
2. “Do not take the agenda that someone else has mapped out for your life.”
3. “Growth inside fuels growth outside.”
4. “Learn to say ‘no’ to the good so you can say ‘yes’ to the best.”
5. “Life is 10% of what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it.”
6. “People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care.”
7. “The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails.”
8. “We all stand on the shoulders of the past generation.”
9. “You don’t overcome challenges by making them smaller but by making yourself bigger.”
10. “You must manage your thought life daily and then you can manage your life.”

Character

• “Character creates consistency, and if your people know what they can expect from you, they will continue to look to you for leadership.”
• “Character makes trust possible, and trust is the foundation of leadership.
  It’s true that charisma can make a person stand out for a moment, but character sets a person apart for a lifetime.”
• “Good character is more to be praised than outstanding talent.”
• “Over time, is it easier or harder to sustain your influence within your organization?  With charisma alone, influence becomes increasingly more difficult to sustain. With character, as time passes, influence builds and requires less work to sustain.”
• “There are three qualities a leader must exemplify to build trust: competence, connection, and character.”
• “You build trust with others each time you choose integrity over image, truth over convenience, or honor over personal gain.”

Choice and Decisions

• “Everything begins with a decision. Then, we have to manage that decision for the rest of your life.”
• “If you don’t change the direction you are going, then you’re likely to end up where you’re heading… “
• “The law of the [Cub Scout] pack guides the boys to move in the direction of being helpful, friendly, courteous, trustworthy and promote qualities which parents and the community are looking for. The whole purpose of scouting is to help the children grow up making good decisions in life.”
• “There are two paths people can take. They can either play now and pay later, or pay now and play later. Regardless of the choice, one thing is certain. Life will demand a payment.”
• “We choose what attitudes we have right now. And it’s a continuing choice.”
• “You cannot overestimate the unimportance of practically everything.”

Communication

• “A good leader is a person who takes a little more than his share of the blame and a little less than his share of the credit.”
• “Educators take something simple and make it complicated. Communicators take something complicated and make it simple.”
• “Leaders must be close enough to relate to others, but far enough ahead to motivate them.”
• “People buy into the leader before they buy into the vision.”
• “Relational skills are the most important abilities in leadership.”
• “Remember, man does not live on bread alone: sometimes he needs a little buttering up.”
• “Talk to people, not above them.”

Credibility

• “A highly credible leader under-promises and over-delivers.”
• “Diligent follow-up and follow-through will set you apart from the crowd and communicate excellence.”
• “Credibility is a leader’s currency. With it, he or she is solvent; without it, he or she is bankrupt.”
• “Don’t hide bad news. With multiple information channels available, bad news always becomes known. Be candid right from the start.”

Daily Impact

• “As you begin changing your thinking, start immediately to change your behavior. Begin to act the part of the person you would like to become. Take action on your behavior. Too many people want to feel, then take action. This never works.”
• “Doing the right thing daily, compounds over time.”
• “Doing the wrong thing daily, compounds over time.”
• “It is truly one day at a time.”
• “Stay focused instead of getting offended or off track by others.”
• “Success is not a destination thing, it’s a daily thing.”
• “The law of process says — leaders develop daily, not in a day.”
• “The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.”
• “Today matters.”
• “What is the main event today? What do you want me to focus on today?”
• “What you are going to be tomorrow, you are becoming today.”
• “Where there is no hope in the future, there is no power in the present.”

Failure

• “Don’t buy into the notion that mistakes can somehow be avoided. They can’t be.”
• “‘Failing forward’ is the ability to get back up after you’ve been knocked down, learn from your mistake, and move forward in a better direction.”
• “Failure is not a one-time event; it’s how you deal with life along the way. Until you breathe your last breath, you’re still in the process, and there is still time to turn things around for the better.”
• “Generally speaking, there are two kinds of learning: experience, which is gained from your own mistakes, and wisdom, which is learned from the mistakes of others.”
• “Seek advice, but make sure it’s from someone who has successfully handled mistakes or adversities.”
• “You are the only person who can label what you do a failure. Failure is subjective.”

Growth

• “A difficult time can be more readily endured if we retain the conviction that our existence holds a purpose, a cause to pursue, a person to love, a goal to achieve.”
• “A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them.”
• “If we’re growing, we’re always going to be out of our comfort zone.”
• “Image is what people think we are; integrity is what we really are.”
• “The depth of your mythology is the extent of your effectiveness.”
• “Life doesn’t do anything to you. It only reveals your spirit.”
• “The greatest day in your life and mine is when we take total responsibility for our attitudes. That’s the day we truly grow up.”
• “The greatest mistake we make is living in constant fear that we will make one.”
• “You must do right before you feel good.”

Leaders and Leadership

• “A great leader’s courage to fulfill his vision comes from passion, not position.”
• “A leader is great, not because of his or her power, but because of his or her ability to empower others.”
• “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.”
• “A leader who produces other leaders multiples their influences.”
• “Believing in people before they have proved themselves is the key to motivating people to reach their potential.”
• “Encourage the many; mentor the few.”
• “Everyone is a leader because everyone influences someone.”
• “Leadership is developed daily, not in a day.”
• “Leadership is influence.”
• “Leaders must live by higher standards than their followers.”
• “Most People have a desire to look for the exception instead of the desire to become exceptional. “
• “Not everyone will become a great leader, but everyone can become a better leader.”
• “One is too small a number to achieve greatness.”
• “The first step to leadership is servant hood.”
• “The law of process says leaders develop daily, not in a day.”
• “The more credible you are, the more confidence people place in you, thereby allowing you the privilege of influencing their lives.”
• “We cannot lead anyone farther than we have been ourselves.”
• “What is the main event today? What do you want me to focus on today?”
• “You can’t become a leader in one conference.”

Success

• “Happiness simply cannot be relied upon as a measure of success.”
• “If you start today to do the right thing, you are already a success even if it doesn’t show yet.”
• “Once our minds are ‘tattooed’ with negative thinking, our chances for long-term success diminish.”
• “Successful leaders have the courage to take action while others hesitate.”
• “Successful people are willing to do things unsuccessful people will not do.”
• “To collaborative team members, completing one another is more important than competing with one another.”
• “True success comes only when every generation continues to develop the next generation.”
• “We all stand on the shoulders of the past generation”
• “You don’t become a success when you get your diploma, you became a success when you decided to go to college when you get your diploma you get the rewards of success.”
• “You have to sow excellent seeds to have an excellent life. You must start with sowing excellent thoughts.”

Teamwork

• “Coming together is a beginning, and staying together is progress, but only when teams sweat together do they find success.”
• “Talented performers flock to the best and brightest leaders, and these leaders in turn lift the lids off their people and uncork the latent talent inside of them.”
• “Teams make you better than you are, multiply your value, enable you to do what you do best, allow you to help others do their best, give you more time, provide you with companionship, help you fulfill the desires of your heart and compound your vision and effort.”
• “The best way to serve the individuals on the team is to see that the whole team wins.”
• “The Wrong Person in the Wrong Place = Regression. The Wrong Person in the Right Place = Frustration. The Right Person in the Wrong Place = Confusion. The Right Person in the Right Place = Progression. The Right People in the Right Places = Multiplication.”
• “Values hold the team together, provide stability for the team to grow upon, measure the team’s performance, give direction and guidance and attract like-minded people.”

My Related Posts

• Lessons Learned from John Maxwell

Dr. Seuss had a wonderful way with his words.  He managed to say, in a sentence or two, how to live with more life, or how to be more like you.

This is my collection of Dr. Seuss quotes to put his wisdom and words at your finger tips.

Top 10

1. Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.
2. Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.
3. Only you can control your future.
4. So the writer who breeds more words than he needs, is making a chore for the reader who reads.
5. The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.
6. Today is gone. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one.
7. Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.
8. Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.
9. You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself, any direction you choose.
10. You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.

Aloneness

• All alone! Whether you like it or not, alone is something you’ll be quite a lot.
• I’m afraid sometimes you’ll play lonely games too, games you can’t win because you’ll play against you.
• You can get help from teachers, but you are going to have to learn a lot by yourself, sitting alone in a room.

Balance

• So be sure when you step, Step with care and great tact. And remember that life’s A Great Balancing Act.
• Words and pictures are yin and yang. Married, they produce a progeny more interesting than either parent.

Be Yourself

• Be awesome! Be a book nut!
• If you’d never been born, then you might be an Isn’t! An Isn’t has no fun at all. No, he disn’t.
• Why fit in when you were born to stand out?
• You are you. Now, isn’t that pleasant?
• You’re in pretty good shape for the shape you are in.

Challenges

• I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I’ve bought a big bat. I’m all ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!
• I’m sorry to say so but, sadly it’s true that bang-ups and hang-ups can happen to you.
• It’s a troublesome world. All the people who’re in it are troubled with troubles almost every minute. You ought to be thankful, a whole heaping lot, for the places and people you’re lucky you’re not.

Christmas

• Christmas doesn’t come from a store, maybe Christmas perhaps means a little bit more …

Everybody Deserves a Shot

• A person’s a person, no matter how small.
• I know, up on top you are seeing great sights, but down here at the bottom we, too, should have rights.
• Kid, you’ll move mountains!  Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So…get on your way!”

Fun

• Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, It’s a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, And that enables you to laugh at life’s realities.
• From there to here, and here to there, funny things are everywhere.
• I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, It’s a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, And that enables you to laugh at life’s realities.
• If you never did you should. These things are fun and fun is good.
• I’m glad we had the times together just to laugh and sing a song, seems like we just got started and then before you know it, the times we had together were gone.
• It is fun to have fun, but you have to know how.
• Look at me! Look at me! Look at me NOW! It is fun to have fun, but you have to know how.

Life Happens

• If things start happening, don’t worry, don’t stew, just go right along and you’ll start happening too.
• I’m sorry to say so but, sadly it’s true that bang-ups and hang-ups can happen to you.
• Things may happen and often do to people as brainy and footsy as you.

Make Things Happen

• Oh, the things you can find if you don’t stay behind!
• There’s no limit to how much you’ll know, depending how far beyond zebra you go.
• Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So… get on your way.
• Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.

Positivity

• And will you succeed? Yes indeed, yes indeed! Ninety-eight and three-quarters percent guaranteed!
• If you keep your eyes open enough, oh the stuff you will learn. Oh the most wonderful stuff.
• It’s opener, out there, in the wide, open air.
• Just tell yourself, Duckie, you’re really quite lucky.
• You’ll miss the best things if you keep your eyes shut.

Simplicity

• Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.

Thinking

• Think and wonder, wonder and think.
• Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the things you can think up if only you try!

Time Flies

• How did it get so late so soon? Its night before its afternoon. December is here before its June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?
• They say I’m old-fashioned, and live in the past, but sometimes I think progress progresses too fast!
• Think and wonder, wonder and think.

My Related Posts

• Lessons Learned from Dr. Seuss

This is a collection of gratitude quotes.  If you want to get your thanks on, or flex your attitude of gratitude, these quotes should help you out.

With these gratitude quotes, you have a collection of wisdom at your fingertips.   This collection includes words of wisdom from a variety of sources including Aesop, Cicero, Paige, Oprah, and more.  While the quote may vary, they teach us a few key things about gratitude.  They teach us that appreciation is a deep need within us.   They teach us that a little thanks can go a long way.  They also teach us that there is always something to be grateful for, or, on the flip side, that things can always be worse.  They teach us that gratitude can be tough to express, as we struggle to find the right words.  Perhaps the most important lesson of all, is that they teach us that gratitude is the key to our own joy and happiness.  If you don’t have enough joy or happiness in your life, just maybe, gratitude is the missing ingredient.

Top 10 Gratitude Quotes
Here are my top ten favorite gratitude quotes:

1. “At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.” — Albert Schweitzer
2. “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” — William Arthur Ward
3. “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.” – Cicero
4. “Gratitude is one of the least articulate of the emotions, especially when it is deep.” — Felix Frankfurter
5. “Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn’t learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn’t learn a little, at least we didn’t get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn’t die; so, let us all be thankful.” – Buddha
6. “Gratitude is one of the sweet shortcuts to finding peace of mind and happiness inside. No matter what is going on outside of us, there’s always something we could be grateful for.” — Barry Neil Kaufman
7. “One regret dear world, that I am determined not to have when I am lying on my deathbed is that I did not kiss you enough.” — Hafiz of Persia
8. “Silent gratitude isn’t very much to anyone.” — Gertrude Stein
9. “Wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving.” — Kahlil Gibran
10. “What you focus on expands, and when you focus on the goodness in your life, you create more of it. Opportunities, relationships, even money flowed my way when I learned to be grateful no matter what happened in my life.” — Oprah Winfrey

A – Z Gratitude Quotes
Here is my collection of gratitude quotes organized A – Z:

1. “Act with kindness, but do not expect gratitude.” – Proverb
2. “A man’s indebtedness is not virtue; his repayment is. Virtue begins when he dedicates himself actively  to the job of gratitude.” — Ruth Benedict
3. “Ambition breaks the ties of blood, and forgets the obligations of gratitude.” – Sallust
4. “Appreciation can make a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary.” — Margaret Cousins
5. “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” — John F. Kennedy
6. “Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation.” — Brian Tracy
7. “Don’t pray when it rains if you don’t pray when the sun shines.” — Satchell Paige
8. “Every professional athlete owes a debt of gratitude to the fans and management, and pays an installment every time he plays. He should never miss a payment.” — Bobby Hull
9. “Friendship based solely upon gratitude is like a photograph; with time it fades.” — Carmen Sylva
10. “Gratefulness is the key to a happy life that we hold in our hands, because if we are not grateful, then no matter how much we have we will not be happy — because we will always want to have something else or something more.” — David Steindl-Rast
11. “Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world.” — John Milton
12. “Gratitude changes the pangs of memory into a tranquil joy.” — Dietrich Bonhoeffer
13. “Gratitude helps you to grow and expand; gratitude brings joy and laughter into your life and into the lives of all those around you.” — Eileen Caddy
14. “Gratitude is a burden upon our imperfect nature, and we are but too willing to ease ourselves of it, or at least to lighten it as much as we can.” — Philip Stanhope
15. “Gratitude is a duty which ought to be paid, but which none have a right to expect.” — Jean-Jacques Rousseau
16. “Gratitude is one of those things that cannot be bought. It must be born with men, or else all the obligations in the world will not create it.” — Edward F. Halifax
17. “Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul.” — Henry Ward Beecher
18. “Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received. Thankfulness is the natural impulse to express that feeling. Thanksgiving is the following of that impulse.” — Henry Van Dyke
19. “Gratitude is the most exquisite form of courtesy.” — Jacques Maritain
20. “Gratitude is the sign of noble souls.” – Aesop
21. “Gratitude is when memory is stored in the heart and not in the mind.” — Lionel Hampton
22. “Gratitude isn’t a burdening emotion.” — Loretta Young
23. “Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” — Melody Beattie
24. “Gratitude to gratitude always gives birth.” – Sophocles
25. “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.” — Melody Beattie
26. “Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.” — Denis Waitley
27. “Happiness is itself a kind of gratitude.” — Joseph Wood Krutch
28. “If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, ‘thank you,’ that would suffice.” — Meister Eckhart
29. “It’s a sign of mediocrity when you demonstrate gratitude with moderation.” — Roberto Benigni
30. “Joy is a heart full and a mind purified by gratitude.” — Marietta McCarty
31. “Joy is the simplest form of gratitude.” — Karl Barth
32. “Kindness trumps greed: it asks for sharing. Kindness trumps fear: it calls forth gratefulness and love. Kindness trumps even stupidity, for with sharing and love, one learns.” — Marc Estrin
33. “Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” — Marcel Proust
34. “Maybe the only thing worse than having to give gratitude constantly is having to accept it.” –William Faulkner
35. “Next to ingratitude the most painful thing to bear is gratitude.” — Henry Ward Beecher
36. “No one who achieves success does so without acknowledging the help of others. The wise and confident acknowledge this help with gratitude.” — Alfred North Whitehead
37. “One can never pay in gratitude: one can only pay ‘in kind’ somewhere else in life.” — Anne Morrow Lindbergh
38. “One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feelings. The curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but warmth is the vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of the child.” — Carl Jung
39. “One of the surest evidences of friendship that one individual can display to another is telling him gently of a fault. If any other can excel it, it is listening to such a disclosure with gratitude, and amending the error.” — Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton
40. “Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude. Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness. Thankfulness may consist merely of words. Gratitude is shown in acts.” — Henri Frederic Amiel
41. “The debt of gratitude we owe our mother and father goes forward, not backward. What we owe our parents is the bill presented to us by our children.” — Nancy Friday
42. “The deepest craving of human nature is the need to be appreciated.” — William James
43. “The essence of all beautiful art, all great art, is gratitude.” — Friedrich Nietzsche
44. “The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings.” — Eric Hoffer
45. “There is as much greatness of mind in acknowledging a good turn, as in doing it.” – Seneca
46. “To educate yourself for the feeling of gratitude means to take nothing for granted, but to always seek out and value the kind that will stand behind the action. Nothing that is done for you is a matter of course. Everything originates in a will for the good, which is directed at you. Train yourself never to put off the word or action for the expression of gratitude.” — Albert Schweitzer
47. “We are told that people stay in love because of chemistry, or because they remain intrigued with each other, because of many kindnesses, because of luck. But part of it has got to be forgiveness and gratefulness.” — Ellen Goodman
48. “When you are grateful fear disappears and abundance appears.” — Tony Robbins
49. “You say grace before meals. All right. But I say grace before the concert and the opera, and grace before the play and pantomime, and grace before I open a book, and grace before sketching, painting, swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing and grace before I dip the pen in the ink.” — G. K. Chesterton

Please feel free to share your favorite quote, insight, or action on gratitude.

Photo by Zitona.

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” — Mahatma Gandhi

This is a collection of my favorite Mohandas Gandhi quotes.  When I think of Gandhi, I think of non-violence, compassion, conviction, truth, service and sacrifice.  He set the gold standard for leading with heart.

Gandhi may not be with us in body, but he’s with us in spirit as his life was his message.  His words of wisdom continue to ring true …

Top 10 Gandhi Quotes

1. “Imitation is the sincerest flattery.”
2. “In a gentle way, you can shake the world.”
3. “I suppose leadership at one time meant muscles; but today it means getting along with people.”
4. “In matters of conscience, the law of the majority has no place.”
5. “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”
6. “My life is my message.”
7. “Nobody can hurt me without my permission.”
8. “Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment, full effort is full victory.”
9. “There is more to life than increasing its speed.”
10. “Truth stands, even if there be no public support. It is self-sustained.”

Action

• “A man is but the product of his thoughts what he thinks, he becomes.”
• “Action expresses priorities.”
• “Action is no less necessary than thought to the instinctive tendencies of the human frame.”
• “Always aim at complete harmony of thought and word and deed. Always aim at purifying your thoughts and everything will be well.”
• “An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching.”
• “Glory lies in the attempt to reach one’s goal and not in reaching it.”
• “Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment, full effort is full victory.”
• “The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world’s problem.”
• “The moment there is suspicion about a person’s motives, everything he does becomes tainted.”
• “To give pleasure to a single heart by a single act is better than a thousand heads bowing in prayer.”
• “Unwearied ceaseless effort is the price that must be paid for turning faith into a rich infallible experience.”

Anger

• “Anger and intolerance are the enemies of correct understanding.”
• “Anger is the enemy of non-violence and pride is a monster that swallows it up.”
• “Man should forget his anger before he lies down to sleep.”

Compassion, Love, and Heart

• “A coward is incapable of exhibiting love; it is the prerogative of the brave.”
• “Culture of the mind must be subservient to the heart.”
• “In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart.”
• “Justice that love gives is a surrender, justice that law gives is a punishment.”
• “Power is of two kinds. One is obtained by the fear of punishment and the other by acts of love. Power based on love is a thousand times more effective and permanent then the one derived from fear of punishment.”
• “The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”
• “There is a sufficiency in the world for man’s need but not for man’s greed.”
• “We may have our private opinions but why should they be a bar to the meeting of hearts?”
• “Where there is love there is life.“

Conviction and Will

• “A ‘No’ uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a ‘Yes’ merely uttered to please, or worse, to avoid trouble.”
• “Everyone who wills can hear the inner voice. It is within everyone.”
• “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.”
• “I am prepared to die, but there is no cause for which I am prepared to kill.”
• “It is any day better to stand erect with a broken and bandaged head then to crawl on one’s belly, in order to be able to save one’s head.”
• “Nearly everything you do is of no importance, but it is important that you do it.”
• “Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.”
• “Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.”
• “The human voice can never reach the distance that is covered by the still small voice of conscience.”
• “The only tyrant I accept in this world is the still voice within.”
• “To believe in something, and not to live it, is dishonest.”

Flaws, Faults, and Errors

• “An error does not become truth by reason of multiplied propagation, nor does truth become error because nobody sees it. “
• “Confession of errors is like a broom which sweeps away the dirt and leaves the surface brighter and clearer. I feel stronger for confession.”
• “I claim to be a simple individual liable to err like any other fellow mortal. I own, however, that I have humility enough to confess my errors and to retrace my steps.”
• “I look only to the good qualities of men. Not being faultless myself, I won’t presume to probe into the faults of others.”

Fear

• “Fear has its use but cowardice has none.”
• “Fear of death makes us devoid both of valour and religion. For want of valour is want of religious faith.”

Freedom

• “Freedom is never dear at any price. It is the breath of life. What would a man not pay for living?”
• “Freedom is not worth having if it does not connote freedom to err.”
• “You can chain me, you can torture me, you can even destroy this body, but you will never imprison my mind.”

Humanity and Goodness

• “There is no principle worth the name if it is not wholly good.”
• “To deprive a man of his natural liberty and to deny to him the ordinary amenities of life is worse then starving the body; it is starvation of the soul, the dweller in the body.”
• “We win justice quickest by rendering justice to the other party.”
• “You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.”

Living

• “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”
• “I do not want to foresee the future. I am concerned with taking care of the present. God has given me no control over the moment following.”
• “If I had no sense of humor, I would long ago have committed suicide.
  Imitation is the sincerest flattery. “
• “It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.”
• “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”
• “Man falls from the pursuit of the ideal of plan living and high thinking the moment he wants to multiply his daily wants. Man’s happiness really lies in contentment.”
• “Nearly everything you do is of no importance, but it is important that you do it.”
• “Providence has its appointed hour for everything. We cannot command results, we can only strive.”
• “Purity of personal life is the one indispensable condition for building up a sound education.”
• “Rights that do not flow from duty well performed are not worth having.”
• “The main purpose of life is to live rightly, think rightly, act rightly. The soul must languish when we give all our thought to the body.”
• “Those who know how to think need no teachers.”
• “We do not need to proselytize either by our speech or by our writing. We can only do so really with our lives. Let our lives be open books for all to study.”

Peace, Gentleness, and Non-Violence

• “An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.“
• “Each one has to find his peace from within. And peace to be real must be unaffected by outside circumstances.”
• “Gentleness, self-sacrifice and generosity are the exclusive possession of no one race or religion.”
• “It is better to be violent, if there is violence in our hearts, than to put on the cloak of nonviolence to cover impotence.”
• “Non-violence and truth are inseparable and presuppose one another.”
• “Non-violence is not a garment to be put on and off at will. Its seat is in the heart, and it must be an inseparable part of our being.”
• “Non-violence is the first article of my faith. It is also the last article of my creed.”
• “Non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man.”
• “Non-violence requires a double faith, faith in God and also faith in man.”
• “Non-violence, which is the quality of the heart, cannot come by an appeal to the brain.”
• “Peace is its own reward.”
• “We may never be strong enough to be entirely nonviolent in thought, word and deed. But we must keep nonviolence as our goal and make strong progress towards it.“

Religion and Faith

• “All the religions of the world, while they may differ in other respects, unitedly proclaim that nothing lives in this world but Truth.“
• “Each one prays to God according to his own light.”
• “Every formula of every religion has in this age of reason, to submit to the acid test of reason and universal assent.”
• “Faith is not something to grasp, it is a state to grow into.”
• “Faith… must be enforced by reason… when faith becomes blind it dies.”
• “I believe in the fundamental truth of all great religions of the world.”
• “I reject any religious doctrine that does not appeal to reason and is in conflict with morality.”
• “In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart.”
• “It is easy enough to be friendly to one’s friends. But to befriend the one who regards himself as your enemy is the quintessence of true religion. The other is mere business.”
• “One’s own religion is after all a matter between oneself and one’s Maker and no one else’s.”
• “Spiritual relationship is far more precious than physical. Physical relationship divorced from spiritual is body without soul.”
• “The essence of all religions is one. Only their approaches are different.”

Service

• “Man becomes great exactly in the degree in which he works for the welfare of his fellow-men.”
• “Service which is rendered without joy helps neither the servant nor the served. But all other pleasures and possessions pale into nothingness before service which is rendered in a spirit of joy.”
• “That service is the noblest which is rendered for its own sake.”
• “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

Truth

• “Even if you are a minority of one, the truth is the truth.”
• “I have nothing new to teach the world. Truth and Non-violence are as old as the hills. All I have done is to try experiments in both on as vast a scale as I could.”
• “In matters of conscience, the law of the majority has no place.”
• “The pursuit of truth does not permit violence on one’s opponent.”
• “Truth is by nature self-evident. As soon as you remove the cobwebs of ignorance that surround it, it shines clear.”
• “Truth never damages a cause that is just.”
• “What is true of the individual will be tomorrow true of the whole nation if individuals will but refuse to lose heart and hope.”

Please share your favorite insight, quote, or lesson from Gandhi.

Welcome to my collection of Tony Robbins Quotes. It’s organized by action, change, communication, fear, goals, life,  questions, and success.

One thing you’ll notice about Tony Robbins’ quotes is that his phrases are measured and meaningful.  He boils down potentially complex ideas into simple, bite-sized chunk.  He also says things in a way that’s sticky.

Enjoy …

Top 10 Tony Robbins’ Quotes

Here is a short-list of some of Tony Robbins’ most popular and insightful quotes:

1. “A real decision is measured by the fact that you’ve taken a new action. If there’s no action, you haven’t truly decided.”
2. “In life you need either inspiration or desperation.”
3. “It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped.”
4. “It is not what we get. But who we become, what we contribute… that gives meaning to our lives.”
5. “Let fear be a counselor and not a jailer.”
6. “Live life fully while you’re here. Experience everything. Take care of yourself and your friends. Have fun, be crazy, be weird. Go out and screw up! You’re going to anyway, so you might as well enjoy the process.”
7. Most people fail in life because they major in minor things.”
8. “Personal power is the ability to take action.”
9. “The secret of success is learning how to use pain and pleasure instead of having pain and pleasure use you. If you do that, you’re in control of your life. If you don’t, life controls you.”
10. “You see, in life, lots of people know what to do, but few people actually do what they know. Knowing is not enough! You must take action.”

Action

Tony Robbins quotes about action:

• “I believe life is constantly testing us for our level of commitment, and life’s greatest rewards are reserved for those who demonstrate a never-ending commitment to act until they achieve.”
• “If you can’t, you must. If you must, you can.”
• “In essence, if we want to direct our lives, we must take control of our consistent actions. It’s not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives, but what we do consistently.”
• “Personal power is the ability to take action.”
• “The higher your energy level, the more efficient your body The more efficient your body, the better you feel and the more you will use your talent to produce outstanding results.”
• “The truth is that we can learn to condition our minds, bodies, and emotions to link pain or pleasure to whatever we choose. By changing what we link pain and pleasure to, we will instantly change our behaviors.”
• “We will act consistently with our view of who we truly are, whether that view is accurate or not.”
• “You always succeed in producing a result.”
• “You see, in life, lots of people know what to do, but few people actually do what they know. Knowing is not enough! You must take action.”

Change / Decisions

Tony Robbins quotes about change and making decisions:

• “A real decision is measured by the fact that you’ve taken a new action. If there’s no action, you haven’t truly decided.”
• “All personal breakthroughs being with a change in beliefs. So how do we change? The most effective way is to get your brain to associate massive pain to the old belief.”
• “Any time you sincerely want to make a change, the first thing you must do is to raise your standards.”
• “For changes to be of any true value, they’ve got to be lasting and consistent.”
• “If you don’t set a baseline standard for what you’ll accept in life, you’ll find it’s easy to slip into behaviors and attitudes or a quality of life that’s far below what you deserve.”
• “It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped.”
• “More than anything else, I believe it’s our decisions, not the conditions of our lives, that determine our destiny.”
• “We can change our lives. We can do, have, and be exactly what we wish.”
• “Your life changes the moment you make a new, congruent, and committed decision.”

Communication

Tony Robbins quotes about communication:

• “The people who shape our lives and our cultures have the ability to communicate a vision or a quest or a joy or a mission.”
• “To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.”

Fear / Failure

Tony Robbins quotes about fear and failure:

• “Let fear be a counselor and not a jailer.”
• “Most people fail in life because they major in minor things.”
• “One reason so few of us achieve what we truly want is that we never direct our focus; we never concentrate our power. Most people dabble their way through life, never deciding to master anything in particular.”

Goals

Tony Robbins quotes about goals:

• “Goals are a means to an end, not the ultimate purpose of our lives. They are simply a tool to concentrate our focus and move us in a direction.”
• “How am I going to live today in order to create the tomorrow I’m committed to?”
• “People are not lazy. They simply have impotent goals – that is, goals that do not inspire them.”
• “Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.”

Life

Tony Robbins quotes about life:

• “I challenge you to make your life a masterpiece. I challenge you to join the ranks of those people who live what they teach, who walk their talk.”
• “In life you need either inspiration or desperation.”
• “Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back by becoming more.”
• “Live life fully while you’re here. Experience everything. Take care of yourself and your friends. Have fun, be crazy, be weird. Go out and screw up! You’re going to anyway, so you might as well enjoy the process.”
• “Live with passion!”

Purpose / Meaning

Tony Robbins quotes about purpose and meaning:

• “Beliefs have the power to create and the power to destroy. Human beings have the awesome ability to take any experience of their lives and create a meaning that disempowers them or one that can literally save their lives.”
• “Everything happens for a reason and a purpose, and it serves you.”
• “It is not what we get. But who we become, what we contribute… that gives meaning to our lives.”
• “Things do not have meaning. We assign meaning to everything.”
• “You see, it’s never the environment; it’s never the events of our lives, but the meaning we attach to the events … how we interpret them … that shapes who we are today and who we’ll become tomorrow.”

Questions

Tony Robbins quotes about questions:

• “Quality questions create a quality life.”
• “Questions provide the key to unlocking our unlimited potential.”

Success

Tony Robbins quotes about success:

• “If you want to be successful, find someone who has achieved the results you want and copy what they do and you’ll achieve the same results.”
• “Once you have mastered time, you will understand how true it is that most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a year – and underestimate what they can achieve in a decade!”
• “Success is doing what you want to do, when you want, where you want, with whom you want, as much as you want.”
• “Success is the result of good judgment, good judgment is the result of experience, and experience is often the result of bad judgment!”
• “Successful people ask better questions, and as a result, they get better answers.”
• “Take control of your consistent emotions and begin to consciously and deliberately reshape your daily experience of life.”
• “The secret of success is learning how to use pain and pleasure instead of having pain and pleasure use you. If you do that, you’re in control of your life. If you don’t, life controls you.”

General

• “Nothing has any power over me other than that which I give it through my conscious thoughts.“
• “The meeting of preparation with opportunity generates the offspring we call luck.”
• “The only limit to your impact is your imagination and commitment.”
• “The only people without problems are those in cemeteries.”
• “Want to learn to eat a lot? Here it is: Eat a little. That way, you will be around long enough to eat a lot.”
• “Whatever happens, take responsibility”
• “When people are like each other they tend to like each other.”

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