Imitation Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else. (Judy Garland, late actress) It has been said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but Garland offers a wise caution. Don’t try to be a Kobe Bryant;...
Try It! I don’t think you know how much you can do until you try. (Chita Rivera, singer and actress) Do you remember a conversation like this: “Eat your broccoli.” “No, I don’t like it.” “Have you ever tasted it?” “No.” “Well, just taste it.” How can you know if you...
Change I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it. (Maya Angelou, late poet and civil rights advocate) Many factors in our environment and activities may affect us—for good or bad. They may affect us to the point of personal change. Don’t...
Focus If you focus on the process of climbing, you’ll end up on the summit. (Yvon Chouinard, rock climber) You must always keep the end in mind—in this case, the summit. But, to reach it, you have to concentrate on where you are and what you are doing in the process...
Finish Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars. (Les Brown, motivational speaker) Sometimes our hopes and dreams are so big, that we don’t want to even start the project for fear of failing. Brown’s encouragement, however, makes a lot of...
Foolish A fool knows the price of everything and the value of nothing. (Oscar Wilde, 19th century Irish playwright) What April Fools joke might you experience today? It may be an extreme prank, but it’s all in fun, of course. Wilde, however, comments on what is a...
Forgiving Don’t forget to forgive. Forgiveness can be difficult, but learning how to incorporate it into your life can be good for your health (Erin Johnson). As Johnson suggests, there may be times when it can be really hard to forgive someone who has hurt you...
Light There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it (Edith Wharton, 19th-20th century writer). Not everyone can be a leading scorer on the basketball or football team or have the lead role in a play or movie. The role of the...
Winning The human spirit is never finished when it is defeated… it is finished when it surrenders (Ben Stein, writer). Everyone loses from time to time, whether it’s a debate, an investment, or an athletic competition. It hurts, but it’s not the end unless we let it...
Doubts Doubt is letting your circumstances get between you & God. Faith is letting God get between you & your circumstances (Mark Batterson, author). Circumstances are like mattresses. When you’re on top of them, you can be really comfortable. But, when you’re...
Seeds You can count the number of seeds in an apple, but you can never count the number of apples in a seed. (Karen Jensen, actress) “Of course; that’s obvious,” we might say. But how seriously have we applied that thought to our daily lives? How can your investment...
Opportunity Having the opportunity to develop our strengths is more important to our success than our role, our title, or even our pay (Tom Rath, author). Some people are impressed by titles—professor, CEO, all-star and so forth. Others consider the wage scale a good...