Quotes

It’s time for the 10th success quote!

“One of the commonest mistakes and one of the costliest is thinking that success is due to some genius, some magic — something or other which we do not possess. Success is generally due to holding on, and failure to letting go. You decide to learn a language, study music, take a course of reading, train yourself physically. Will it be success or failure? It depends upon how much pluck and perseverance that word “decide” contains. The decision that nothing can overrule, the grip that nothing can detach will bring success. Remember the Chinese proverb, “With time and patience, the mulberry leaf becomes satin.”
–Maltbie Davenport Babcock

“Every one of us, unconsciously, works out a personal philosophy of life, by which we are guided, inspired, and corrected, as time goes on. It is this philosophy by which we measure out our days, and by which we advertise to all about us the man, or woman, that we are. . . . It takes but a brief time to scent the life philosophy of anyone. It is defined in the conversation, in the look of the eye, and in the general mien of the person. It has no hiding place. It’s like the perfume of the flower — unseen, but known almost instantly. It is the possession of the successful, and the happy. And it can be greatly embellished by the absorption of ideas and experiences of the useful of this earth.”
–George Matthew Adams

This is a long quote, I know.  But I think it’s a great quote.  Truly successful people are very aware of their philosophy and work diligently to improve upon it.

Would you agree or disagree?  Why or why not?

“If you are to be, you must begin by assuming responsibility. You alone are responsible for every moment of your life, for every one of your acts.”
– Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Honestly, I personally feel that there is a lack of personal responsibility in our society today.  For example, I see too many parents that are willing to make excuses for their children, instead of making their children be responsible for their actions.  The same attitude persists in the adults.

If we would all be the change that we want to see, I think that the world would be a much better place.  Would you agree?

“Real success comes in small portions day by day. You need to take pleasure in life’s daily little treasures. It is the most important thing in measuring success.”
–Denis Waitley

I think that a lot of people would be happier if they took pleasure in everyday life. Whether it be in the form of quality time with children, or taking a walk in the park, or just taking a deep breath in the middle of the day to appreciate something small, there are a lot of things most people take for granted.

Would you agree or disagree? What are your “little treasures”?

“Would you like me to give you a formula for success? It’s quite simple, really. Double your rate of failure. You are thinking of failure as the enemy of success. But it isn’t at all. You can be discouraged by failure or you can learn from it, So go ahead and make mistakes. Make all you can. Because remember that’s where you will find success.”
–Thomas J. Watson

Adopting the attitude that failure is acceptable, and can even be embraced for a greater overall positive change, is a good thing! I wish that the schools would agree…

Do you think that our schools should do more to embrace failure? Why or why not?

“Dictionary is the only place that success comes before work. Hard work is the price we must pay for success. I think you can accomplish anything if you’re willing to pay the price.”
–Vincent Thomas Lombardi

I like this quote a lot, and think that it can be applied to almost any aspect of life. For example, being a successful parent takes a lot of hard work. The only thing that I might add is that in addition to hard work, learning from mistakes is necessary to success.

I’m willing to do what it takes to be successful. What about you?  What are you willing to do?

“Don’t be discouraged by a failure. It can be a positive experience. Failure is, in a sense, the highway to success, inasmuch as every discovery of what is false leads us to seek earnestly after what is true, and every fresh experience points out some form of error which we shall afterwards carefully avoid.”
–John Keats

Simply put, to me this means that learning from our mistakes is part of the path to becoming successful. Sometimes, our society puts such an emphasis on success that we find ourselves afraid to take risks because we are so afraid of failure.

Do you think we need to start taking the pressure off kids to constantly perform up to predefined standards? Should there be more emphasis on trying new things for the sake of learning from them?

“The most successful men in the end are those whose success is the result of steady accretion… It is the man who carefully advances step by step, with his mind becoming wider and wider - and progressively better able to grasp any theme or situation - persevering in what he knows to be practical, and concentrating his thought upon it, who is bound to succeed in the greatest degree.”
–Alexander Graham Bell

Being able to develop both one’s depth as well as breadth is a trait that is frequently seen in successful people. In today’s changing world, it’s important to constantly learn and develop new skills.

Is there something that you would like to learn more about? Do you have a current area of interest that you would like to pursue in greater detail?

“There is only one success - to be able to spend your life in your own way.”

— Christopher Morley

Are you happy with the way that your life is?  What are you thankful for?  What would you like to change?

Making small changes in our daily lives can really add up.  Also, being brave enough to make larger changes can help us to live up to our personal meaning of “successful”.  

How often do you take time to reflect on your life?  Daily?  Monthly?  Never?

Keep in mind that we only get one chance at life!

What do you think?  Any questions or comments are welcome.

“I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.”

– Bill Cosby

What do you live for? How do you define success? Is it the square footage of your house, the stability of your marriage, or the amount of money in the bank?

When thinking about the important things in our life, we need to focus on what our values are. Trying to satisfy the desires of others is a waste of our time and energy. At the end of the day, we need to answer to ourselves.

What do you think? Any comments or questions are greatly appreciated!