Be Brave Not Safe

I find that quotes and quips from others who have gone before us can provide a useful shot in the arm, inspiration for the day and timeless wisdom. Following are some of my favorite quotes. Click here to view my post on one way I’ve made use of these with my kids. Enjoy!

1. “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” ~ Jesus Christ
2. “Jump, and you will find out how to unfold your wings as you fall.” ~ Ray Bradbury
3. “Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back– Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth that ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.” ~ W.H. Murray
4. “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” ~ Thomas A. Edison
5. “Your future depends on many things, but mostly on you.” ~ Frank Tyger
6. “Whether you think you can, or think you can’t – you’re right.” ~ Henry Ford
7. “The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up.” ~ Paul Valery
8. “Any area of your life that is not empowered will be overpowered. If you don’t fill each day with high priority actions, your day will fill up with low priorities.  If you don’t clearly define, plan and pursue your highest aspirations in your career you will keep being positioned in low priority positions that are unfulfilling.” ~ Dr John Demartini
9. “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.” ~ Henry Ford
10. “The most valuable result of all education is the ability to make yourself do the thing you have to do when it ought to be done, whether you like it or not; it is the first lesson which ought to be learned, and, however early a man’s [or woman’s] training begins, it is probably the last lesson which [s]he learns thoroughly.” ~ Thomas H. Huxley
11. “Study while others are sleeping; work while others are loafing; prepare while others are playing; and dream while others are wishing.” ~ William Arthur Ward
12. “Many a man [or woman] would have been a success had [s]he connected his[/her] fragmentary efforts. Spasmodic, disconnected attempts, without concentration, uncontrolled by any fixed idea, will never bring success. It is continuity of purpose alone that achieves results.” ~ Orison Swett Marden
13. “You are what you are and where you are because of what has gone into your mind. You can change what you are and where you are by changing what goes into your mind.” ~ Zig Zigler
14. “When you discipline yourself to do the things you need to do, when you need to do them, the day’s going to come when you can do the things you want to do, when you want to do them. It’s also true that life is tough, but when you are tough on yourself, life will be infinitely easier on you.” ~ Zig Zigler
15. “I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.” ~ Michael Jordan
16. “The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
17. “The future you see is the future you get.” ~ Robert G. Allen
18. “We either make ourselves miserable or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.” ~ Carlos Castaneda
19. “If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much.” ~ Jim Rohn
20. “If you don’t build your dream, someone else will hire you to help them build theirs.” ~ Tony Gaskin
21. “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.” ~ Steve Jobs
22. “Effort only fully releases its reward after a person refuses to quit.” ~ Napoleon Hill
23. “Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others.  Unsuccessful people are always asking, “What’s in it for me?” ~ Brian Tracy
24. “Do what you have to do as quickly as possible so you can do what you want to do for as long as possible.” ~ Author Unknown
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