40 Quotes to Guide Your Whole Life
Most of us have young people (and a few wayward adults) in our lives that we want to help succeed, but it’s tough to break through to people for a wide variety of reasons. Sometimes they’re just not ready to change; other times, they need to hear the same advice from a different person before it sticks in their brain, and perhaps most importantly, it can sometimes feel like such an ordeal to learn things. You know, go read this book, take this class, work there as an intern, grind away at this for a couple of years… It’s just a lot.
So, one thing that occurred to me that would make things simpler was, “What if the only advice we could ever give to people about their lives was just 40 quotes and nothing more? If people took just those 40 quotes to heart, would it be enough to move their lives in the right direction?”
While there’s no way to really know the answer to that question, it did occur to me that whether it worked out or not, it made a lot of sense to come up with those 40 quotes, all of which would need to be easily understandable and apply to a wide variety of people. So, with that in mind, here are those quotes that I think almost everyone could use to guide their lives in the right direction.
1) “It’s likely that whatever challenges you have faced in your life currently could have been avoided by some better decisions upstream.” -- Anonymous
2) “Losers find excuses, winners find solutions.” -- Anonymous
3) “Find something you love to do so much that you’d do it for free and find a way to make it into a career.” -- Anonymous
4) “Evil is not likely to result where people firmly believe that ends do not justify the means.” -- Roy Baumeister
5) “Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anybody else expects of you. Never excuse yourself. Never pity yourself. Be a hard master to yourself - and be lenient to everybody else.” -- Henry Ward Beecher
6) “Be such a man, and live such a life, that if every man were such as you, and every life a life like yours, this earth would be God’s Paradise.” -- Phillips Brooks
7) “I honestly think it is better to be a failure at something you love than to be a success at something you hate.” -- George Burns
8) “Do the hard jobs first. The easy jobs will take care of themselves.” -- Dale Carnegie
9) “Our greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.” -- Francis Chan
10) “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” -- Chinese Proverb
11) “To see and listen to the wicked is already the beginning of wickedness.” -- Confucius
12) “The most satisfying thing in life is to have been able to give a large part of one’s self to others.” -- Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
13) “What gets measured, gets managed.” -- Peter Drucker
14) “All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make, the better.” -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
15) “Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.” -- Epictetus
16) “Above all, it’s the quality of your relationships that will determine the quality of your life.” -- Tim Ferriss
17) “For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” -- Galatians 6:7
18) “I never make the mistake of arguing with people for whose opinions I have no respect.” -- Edward Gibbon
19) “Don’t take criticism from someone you wouldn’t take advice from.” -- Jim Kwik
20) “If you believe that feeling bad or worrying long enough will change a past or future event, then you are residing on another planet with a different reality system.” -- William James
21) “If you have not chosen the Kingdom of God first, it will in the end make no difference what you have chosen instead.” -- William Law
22) “Because we do not know when we will die, we get to think of life as an inexhaustible well. And yet everything happens only a certain number of times. And a very small number, really.” -- Brandon Lee
23) “Affection is responsible for nine-tenths of whatever solid and durable happiness there is in our lives.” -- C.S. Lewis
24) “If you plan on being anything less than you are capable of being, you will probably be unhappy all the days of your life.” -- Abraham Maslow
25) “Don’t let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use.” -- Earl Nightingale
26) “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” -- Mark 8:36
27) “If you don’t change your beliefs, your life will be like this forever. Is that good news?” -- W. Somerset Maugham
28) “There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences.” -- P.J. O’Rourke
29) “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.” -- Tony Robbins
30) “If you don’t go after what you want, you’ll never have it. If you don’t ask, the answer is always no. If you don’t step forward, you’re always in the same place.” -- Nora Roberts
31) “Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines, practiced every day.” -- Jim Rohn
32) “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” -- Teddy Roosevelt
33) “The superior man blames himself. The inferior man blames others.” -- Don Shula
34) “It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.” -- Socrates
35) “There are no solutions. There are only trade-offs.” -- Thomas Sowell
36) “The indispensable first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: decide what you want.” -- Ben Stein
37) “Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end. It’s not a day when you lounge around doing nothing; it’s when you’ve had everything to do, and you’ve done it.” -- Margaret Thatcher
38) “The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.” -- Henry David Thoreau
39) “If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.” -- Often attributed to Mark Twain
40) “The truth is never the problem. The problem is always the problem.” -- Jeff Vanvonderen
I copied but failed to comment on 2 other Hawkins' quotes. So, I'll correct myself now.
27) “If you don’t change your beliefs, your life will be like this forever. Is that good news?” -- W. Somerset Maugham
THIS IS SOMETHING I HAVE WRESTLED WITH IN LIFE BUT FINALLY COME TO UNDERSTAND IS TRUE.
I REGARDED THE OPTIMISTIC PEP TALK STUFF ONE HEARS WITH SOMETHING LIKE CONTEMPT. I FELT IT WAS A SIGN OF WEAKNESS AND A KIND OF EFFEMINACY.
BUT I'VE COME TO REALIZE THAT IT'S TRUE.
AS SOMEONE WHO HAD A VERY BENEFICIAL IMPACT ON MY LIFE SAID:
"IT'S ONLY A THOUGHT AND A THOUGHT CAN CHANGE."
IF YOUR INTERIOR CONVERSATI0N IS NEGATIVE AND YOU DON'T CHANGE IT, YOU WILL ENGAGE IN SELF-DEFEATISM.
IN THE CIVIL WAR LEE INITIALLY WAS ASSIGNED THE DUTY OF BEING A MILITARY ADVISER TO PRESIDENT DAVIS. ACTUAL COMMAND WAS GIVEN TO MEN DECIDEDLY INFERIOR TO LEE AS HISTORY SHOWED.
ABOUT 2 YEARS INTO THE WAR, GENERAL MCCLELLAN HATCHED A BRILLIANT STRATEGY THAT CAME CLOSE TO ENDING THE WAR. (IT WOULD HAVE ULTIMATELY BEEN BETTER FOR ALL OF US IF LINCOLND HADN'T INTERFERED WITH MCCLELLAN'S STATEGY AND THE WAR HAD ENDED 2 YEARS EARLIER.)
MCCLELLAN'S STRATEGY WAS TO KEEP THE PRESSURE UP ON THE NORTHERN EDGE OF THE CONFLICT SO AS TO TIE DOWN THE CONFEDERATE TROOPS POSITIONED THERE. MEANWHILE, THE NAVY WOULD LAND A STRONGER FEDERAL FIGHTING FORCE ON THE PENINSULA SOUTH OF RICHMOND, MOVE UP THE PENINSULA AND TAKE RICHMOND, THE CONFEDERATE CAPITAL, FROM THE REAR AND THUS END THE WAR.
LINCOLN, POSSIBLY BECAUSE HE KNEW MCCLELLAN WAS A DEMOCRAT AND A POSSIBLE CANDIDATE AGAINST HIM FOR THE PRESIDENCY IN 1864, INTERFERED WITH MCCLELLAN'S STRATEGY. HE PULLED THE NORTHERN FORCES OUT OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA AND PULLED THEM BACK SUPPOSEDLY TO DEFEND WASHINGTON.
AS A RESULT OFLINCOLN'S INTERFERENCE, STONEWALL JACKSON'S TROOPS WERE FREED UP AND COULD BE RUSHED DOWN TO CONFRONT MCCLELLAN, THEREBY BLUNTING MCCLELLAN'S SUPERIORITY IN NUMBER OF TROOPS AND GUNS.
RETURNING TO LEE IN REGARD TO THE QUOTATION IN QUESTION:
CONFEDERATE GENERAL JOSEPH JOHNSON - AS HE ALWAYS WAS TO DO - STEADILY RETREATED UP THE PENINSULA.. HE RETREATED ALL THE WAY UP TO THE BOUNDARY OF RICHMOND. THE NORTHERN FORCES COULD SEE THE SPIRES OF THE CHURCHES IN RICHMOND.
PRESIDENT DAVIS, ACCOMPANIED BY HIS MILIATARY ADVISER ROBERT E. LEE, ROAD OUT IN DESPERATION TO MEET WITH JOHNSON IN ORDER TO LEARN WHAT PLANS HE HAD, IF ANY, TO DEFEND THE CAPITOL.
DAVIS AND LEE LISTENED AS JOHNSON SHAMELESSLY INFORMED THEM OF HIS INTENTION TO RETREAT AND ABANDON THE CITY. HE RATTLED OFF ALL OF THE CATEGORIES IN WHICH MCCLELLAN OUTCLASSED HIS OWN FORCES.
LEE LISTENED AND MADE THIS REPLY (WHICH IS RELEVANT TO THIS HAWKINS QUOTE):
"GENERAL, IF WE CILPHER*, WE LOSE."
*(CIPHER IS ANTIQUE ENGLISH FOR COUNTING HEADS.)
THE NEXT DAY, A YANKEE SHARPSHOOTER WOUNDED GENERAL JOHNSON WHO HAD TO STEP DOWN FROM COMMAND.
DAVIS APPOINTED LEE AS JOHNSON'S SUCCESSOR. LEE THEN WON HIS FIRST AND MOST IMPRESSIVE VICTORY. HE DEFEATED MCCLELLAN AND THE FEDERAL TROOPS HAD TO BE TRANSPORTED BY THE NAVY BACK NORTH.
I'M A SOUTHERNER. I HAVE AN EMOTIONAL CONNECTION TO THE SOUTH. MY GREAT GRANDFATHER WAS BADLY INJURED IN THE PENINSULA CAMPAIGN AND HAD TO RECUPERATE BEFORE GOING BACK TO THE ARMY AND FIGHTING ALL THE WAY TO THE LAST DITCH AT APPOMATTOX.
DESPITE MY EMOTIONAL CONNECTION TO THE CONFEDERACY, REASON (AND COMMON SENSE) TELLS ME THAT WE ALL (SOUTH AND NORTH) WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER OFF IF THAT DAMNED YANKEE SHARPSHOOTER HADN'T WOUNDED JOHNSON AND JOHNSON HAD BEEN ABLE TO CAUSE THE SOUTH'S DEFEAT 2 YEARS EARLIER.
BUT THAT'S BESIDE THE POINT.
THE POINT IS THAT LEE'S COMMENT - THAT RUNS ALONG THE SAME THINKING AS QUOTE 27 - IS RIGHT.
IF ONE ONLY COUNTS HEADS, ONLY ADDS UP THE NEGATIVES OF THE SITUATION, ONE IS DOOMED TO LOSE.
29) “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.” -- Tony Robbins
THIS IS COMMON SENSE AND COMMON SENSE ISN'T VERY COMMON.
I OFTEN TELL PEOPLE, "IF YOU CAN'T GROW ROSES AND YOUR NEIGHBOR GROWS GOBS OF FABULOUS ROSES, YOU GO FIND OUT WHAT YOUR NEIGHBOR IS DOING."
I USUALLY SAY THIS WHEN THE SUBJECT OF THE ABJECTLY PATHETIC AMERICAN SYSTEM OF "EDUCATION" IS.
GERMANY HAS ONE OF THE FINEST SCHOOL SYSTEMS IN THE WORLD. GERMAN KIDS DO VERY WELL WHILE AMERICAN KIDS DO NOT.
THE REASON IS THAT GERMANY, DESPITE THE MALICIOUS PROPAGANDA INFLICTED BY THE VICTORIOUS ALLIES, DOESN'T RUN A SILLY, EGALITARIAN EDUCATION SYSTEM LIKE WE DO.
WE PRETEND THAT ALL KIDS ARE GOING TO COLLEGE WHEN MOST OF THEM HAVE NO BUSINESS WASTING 4 YEARS OF THEIR LIVES AND INCURRING HUGE DEBT BY GOING TO COLLEGE.
THE GERMANS, IN CONTRAST, AT ABOUT 9TH GRADE TEST THE KIDS. ABOUT 10% WHO CLEARLY SEEM TO BE COLLEGE BOUND ARE PUT INTO A PREP SCHOOLING THAT PREPARES THEM FOR COLLEGE.
THE OTHERS, WHILE THEY STILL GET A DOSE OF SUBJECTS LIKE HISTORY, GERMAN GRAMMER, ETC., ARE GIVEN AN INTENSIVE VOCATIONAL EDUCATION.
AMERICAN POLITICIANS WILL NOT - CANNOT FOR POLITICAL REASONS - DO LIKE I SAID ABOUT HOW TO LEARN TO GROW ROSES.
THEY DARE NOT PUT TO REST THE NONSENSE THAT THOMAS JEFFERSON WROTE ABOUT "ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL."
SO, THE ONLY "SOLUTION" THAT THEY HAVE TO AN AMERICAN SYSTEM OF EDUCATION THAT WOULD EMBARRASS HAITI, IS TO APPROPRIATE MORE AND MORE MONEY TO FUND THE WORTHLESS THING.
MR. HAWKINS SEEMS TO DETEST "LIBERALS" EVEN MORE THAN I DO. MAYBE THAT'S BECAUSE I ACTUALLY AGREE WITH LIBERALS ON A NUMBER OF ISSUES.
BUT THIS QUOTATION IS ONE THAT NO MODERN "LIBERAL" WILL EVER ACT ON.
JUST AS WITH OUR FAILED MODEL FOR THE SCHOOLS, LIBERALS WILL NOT RECONSIDER THEIR POLICIES BASED ON DATA.
TO CHOOSE AND EMBARASSINGLY "EXTREME" SUBJECT (RACE) ON WHICH I AM A CONSERVATIVE AND MR. HAWKINS IS PROBABLY A LIBERAL, WHAT DOES THE DATE TELL US ABOUT THE DESEGREGATION/INTEGRATION PROGRAM?
THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A STUDY THAT SHOWED THAT MIXING THE RACES IN THE SCHOOLS HAS EVER SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED BLACK ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE.
CONTRARY TO THE LIBERAL ESTABLISHMENT'S CLAIM THAT DR. KING LED HIS PEOPLE INTO THE PROMISED LAND AND SOLVED THEIR PROBLEMS THROUGH HIS SOLUTION OF RACE-MIXING, BLACKS ARE LARGELY WORSE OFF TODAY THAN THEY WERE BEFORE THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT.
NOT ONLY HAS MIXING THE RACES IN THE SCHOOLS NOT IMPROVED BLACK ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE, BLACK HOME OWNERSHIP IS NOW STATISTICALLY LOWER THAN IT WAS WHEN LYNDON JOHNSON SIGNED THE FAIR HOUSING LAW.
LIBERALS LIKE TO PUT YARD SIGNS UP VIRTUE-SIGNALLING TO PASSERS BY THAT "IN THIS HOUSE WE BELIEVE...IN SCIENCE" BUT THAT'S NOT TRUE AT ALL.
MODERN LIBERALISM IS A RELIGION. ITS FOLLOWERS BELIEVE BY FAITH. THE FACTS DON'T MATTER.
THERE...
NUFF SAID!
I WARNED YOU THAT I AM "GABBY."
I'm gabby and like to talk (or write). Here's some feedback on John Hawkins 40 Quotes:
3) “Find something you love to do so much that you’d do it for free and find a way to make it into a career.” -- Anonymous
GOETHE IS OFTEN QUOTED MAKING THIS SAME POINT: "NOTHING REALLY SUCCEEDS WITHOUT ENTHUSIASM."
This is true but the unfortunate reality is that usually the things that appeal to us aren't a realistic means to make money.
My brain is always drawn to the most unprofitable things (like reading and quoting Goethe).
I'd be happiest spending my life conjugating Latin, Greek and Sanskrit verbs....but no one will pay me to to do this.
Alas, suggestion #3 has to be tempered in the light of this sad reality.
8) “Do the hard jobs first. The easy jobs will take care of themselves.” -- Dale Carnegie
THIS IS SOMETHING ONE HEARS ALL THE TIME FROM THE SELF-HELP PEOPLE. IT'S SO TRUE BUT IT'S ALSO HARD TO PUT INTO PRACTICE. IT SEEMS TO BE A NATURAL TENDENCY TO DELUDE OURSELVES WHEN WE SIT DOWN AT THE DESK IN THE MORNING BY SAYING "I'LL GET THE LITTLE, EASY THINGS OUT OF THE WAY FIRST AND THEN I'LL DO THE IMPORTANT, HARD STUFF.
THIS IS A BIG MISTAKE. THE PSYCHOLOGICAL THING THAT HAPPENS IS THAT THE TRIVIAL, UNIMPORTANT AND EASY THINGS MULTIPLY BECAUSE SUBCONSCIOIUSLY WHAT IS GOING ON IS THAT WE DON'T WANT TO DO THE HARD, IMPORTANT THINGS SO WE CLUTTER OUR DAY WITH THE LITTLE STUFF.
ALWAYS START WITH WHAT MATTERS.
18) “I never make the mistake of arguing with people for whose opinions I have no respect.” -- Edward Gibbon
GIBBON WAS AN ENGLISHMAN. HE COULD HAVE QUOTED THE FAMILIAR ENGLISH PROVERB ON THIS POINT. THE PROVERB SAYS IT BETTER:
"ARGUE WITH A FOOL? WHOSE THE BIGGER FOOL?"
THERE'S A LOT TO BE GAINED BY ARGUING WITH PEOPLE FOR WHOSE OPINIONS WE HAVE NO RESPECT. IT'S IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER OTHER POINTS OF VIEW, EVEN THOSE WE THINK ARE MISTAKEN.
BUT IT'S A WASTE OF TIME AND ENERGY ARGUING WITH FOOLS.
27) “If you don’t change your beliefs, your life will be like this forever. Is that good news?” -- W. Somerset Maugham
29) “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.” -- Tony Robbins