Quotes



Self Improvement from SelfGrowth.com- - SelfGrowth.com is the most complete guide to information about Self Improvement on the Internet.


You'll find some of Colonel Bob's favorite quotes on this page.
Quotes, Wisdoms and Some Dumb Things

"The constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself."
 --Benjamin Franklin

"He who has a why to live can bear almost any how."
--Friedrich Nietzche

"He that cannot forgive others breaks the bridge over which he must pass himself, for every man has need to be forgiven."
--Thomas Fuller

Quotes to Live By
Nine ways of thinking that could lead to your demise:
Adopt a pill popping mentality.
Adopt a Can’t-do-anything-to-change-it mentality.
Adopt a closed mind.
Failed to ask, “Am I doing all that’s reasonably possible?”
Adopt a disregard cause-and-effect mentality.
Adopt a philosophy of sedentary lifestyle.
Adopt a disregard-what-is-most-important mentality.
Eat predominantly refined foods.
Think that BMI stands for Big Mac Injection.
 -- From Colonel Bob's book, Quotes to Live By

Perhaps
Perhaps you are negative with yourself.
Perhaps you complain too much.
Perhaps you don’t praise others enough.
Perhaps you are not expressing gratitude enough.
Perhaps you are not learning enough.
Perhaps you need to become more teachable.
 -- From Colonel Bob's book, Quotes to Live By


Negativity is like a skunk spraying you-know-what in all directions. It is not a way to attract people or solutions or success or friends.
 -- From Colonel Bob's book, Quotes to Live By
"I have a simple philosophy: Fill what's empty. Empty what's full. Scratch where it itches."
Alice Roosevelt Longworth

"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


The world is moving so fast these days that the man who says it
can't be done is generally interrupted by someone doing it.

                      Harry Emerson Fosdick
                      1878-1969, American Minister

"We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements
of life, when all that we need to make us really happy is
something to be enthusiastic about."

                     Charles Kingsley
                     1819-1875, English Author and Clergyman

"If you want a kinder world, then behave with kindness; if you
want a peaceful world, make peace within."

                                 Dan Millman
                                 Writer and Speaker

"Outstanding leaders go out of their way to boost the self-esteem of their
personnel. If people believe in themselves, it's amazing what they can
accomplish."

                                Sam Walton
                                1918-1992, Founder of Wal-Mart

“Don’t curse the darkness, light a candle.”

Chinese Proverb

"None are so empty as those who are full of themselves." – Andrew Jackson

"Moral courage is a rarer commodity than bravery in battle or great intelligence. Yet it is the one essential, vital quality of those who seek to change a world that yields most painfully to change." – Robert Kennedy

"An invincible determination can accomplish almost anything and in this
lies the great distinction between great men and little men."

                          Thomas Fuller
                          1608-1661, British Clergyman and Author



Enriching Thoughts for a Richer Life

* The most destructive habit: Worry
* The greatest loss: Loss of self-respect
* The most satisfying work: Helping others
* The most endangered species: Dedicated leaders
* The greatest "shot in the arm": Encouragement
* The greatest problem to overcome: Fear
* The most beautiful attire: A smile
* The most powerful force in life: Love
* The greatest asset: Faith
* The greatest Joy: Giving
* The ugliest personality trait: Selfishness
* The worst thing to be without: Hope
* Our greatest natural resource: Our youth
* The deadliest weapon: The tongue
* The two most power-filled words: "I can"
* The most worthless emotion: Self-pity
* The worlds most incredible computer: The brain
* The most effective sleeping pill: Peace of mind
* The most crippling failure disease: Excuses
* The most prized possession: Self-esteem
* The most contagious spirit: Enthusiasm
"Your mental attitude is something you can control outright and you must
use self discipline until you create a positive mental attitude - your
mental attitude attracts to you everything that makes you what you are."

                           Napoleon Hill
                           1883-1970, Author of "Think and Grow Rich"

„You will never be happier than you expect. To change your happiness, change your expectation.“
Bette Davis
1908-1989, Oscar Award-Winning Actress
"Every liability is just an asset in hiding." – Mark Victor Hansen

„Every memorable act in the history of the world is a triumph of enthusiasm. Nothing great was ever achieved without it because it gives any challenge or any occupation, no matter how frightening or difficult, a new meaning. Without enthusiasm you are doomed to a life of mediocrity but with it you can accomplish miracles.“
Og Mandino
1923-1996, Speaker and Author
"Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never – in nothing, great or small, large or petty – never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense." – Winston Churchill

"One man with courage makes a majority." – Andrew Jackson

„What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.“
Zig Ziglar
Speaker and Author

"Everything comes to him who hustles while he waits."
–       Thomas Edison

„Only those who can see the invisible, can accomplish the impossible!“
Patrick Snow
Author of „Creating Your Own Destiny“

"We see things not as they are, but as we are." – H.M. Tomlinson

"You can accomplish anything in life, provided that you do not mind who gets the credit." – Harry S. Truman

"When you face your fear, most of the time you will discover that it was not really such a big threat after all.  We all need some form of deeply rooted, powerful motivation - it empowers us to overcome obstacles so we can live our dreams."

Bob Proctor

„Each player must accept the cards life deals him or her. But once they are in hand, he or she alone must decide how to play the cards in order to win the game.“
Voltaire
1694-1778, Historian and Writer
"Creativity is so delicate a flower that praise tends to make it bloom, while discouragement often nips it in the bud. Any of us will put more and better ideas if our efforts are appreciated." – Alexander Osburn

„Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off the goal.“
Henry Ford
1863-1947, Founder of Ford Motor Company
"Creativeness often consists of merely turning up what is already there. Did you know that right and left shoes were thought up only a little more than a century ago?" – Bernice Fitz-Gibbon

"Everyone is ignorant, only on different subjects." -Will Rogers

„True self worth, success and wealth can only come about from responsible love, caring and compassionate thoughts and actions.“
Ty Metsker
Child Development, Family and Individual Counselor
"It's good to have money and the things money can buy, but it's good, too, to check up once in a while and make sure that you haven't lost the things money can't buy." -George Horace Lormier

„Both life and death are a part of the same eternal journey. Those individuals we so sadly lost a year ago today have caused each of us to re-evaluate what our life is all about. They have made us acutely aware of how precious life is, and how it can come to an abrupt halt without warning. They have caused us to be more considerate of one and other. I am very grateful to them and ask that you join me in a prayer, that they are at rest with their Maker.“
Bob Proctor
Author and Speaker

„Most people never run far enough on their first wind to find out they’ve got a second. Give your dreams all you’ve got and you’ll be amazed at the energy that comes out of you.“
William James
1842-1910, Psychologist and Author

"In America, everything you need to succeed is within reach." – Jim Rohn

"I learned that good judgment comes from experience and that experience grows out of mistakes." - Omar Bradley

"The will to believe is perhaps the most powerful but certainly the most dangerous human attribute." – Dero Ames Saunders

"Learn to see in another's calamity the ills that you should avoid." – Thomas Jefferson

"Life is the sum of all your choices." – Albert Camus

"Everyone is ignorant, only on different subjects." -Will Rogers

"It's good to have money and the things money can buy, but it's good, too, to check up once in a while and make sure that you haven't lost the things money can't buy." -George Horace Lormier

Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited.
Imagination encircles the world.
Albert Einstein
1879-1955, Physicist

„What we do today, right now, will have an accumulated effect on all our tomorrows.“
Alexandra Stoddard
Author and Speaker

"A man's doubts and fears are his worst enemies." – William Wrigley Jr.

„Other people’s opinion of you does not have to become your reality.“
Les Brown
Speaker and Author

Do what you love, love what you do, and deliver more than you promise." – Harvey Mackay

"Most of us are just about as happy as we make up our minds to be." – Abraham Lincoln

„Think positively and masterfully, with confidence and faith, and life becomes more secure, more fraught with action, richer in achievement and experience.“
Eddie Rickenbacker
1890-1973, Decorated Aviator and Businessman

„Any man’s life will be filled with constant and unexpected encouragement if he makes up his mind to do his level best each day.“
Booker T. Washington
1856-1915, Educator and Author
„The problems of the world cannot possibly be solved by skeptics or cynics whose horizons are limited by obvious realities. We need men and women who can dream of things that never were.“
John F. Kennedy
1917-1963, Former American President

„We should give as we would receive, cheerfully, quickly, and without hesitation; for there is no grace in a benefit that sticks to the fingers.“
Seneca
                              4 BC - 65 AD, Roman Philosopher

"A man's doubts and fears are his worst enemies." – William Wrigley Jr.

"Nothing great has ever been achieved except by those who dared believe something inside them was superior to circumstances." – Bruce Barton

"Without courage, all other virtues lose their meaning." – Winston Churchill

„When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, never give up then, for that is just the time that the tide will turn.“
Harriet Beecher Stowe
1811-1896, Writer and Abolitionist

"There is no such thing as a good excuse." – Dero Ames Saunders

„Being defeated is only a temporary condition; giving up is what makes it permanent.“
Marilyn vos Savant
Author and Advice Columnist
"The best way to cheer yourself up is to cheer everybody else up." – Mark Twain

„Life is like riding a bike. It is impossible to maintain your balance while standing still.“
Linda Brakeall
Author of „Unlocking the Secrets of Successful Women in Business“

„The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.“
Mark Twain
1835-1910, Writer

"Learn how to be happy with what you have while you pursue all that you want." – Jim Rohn

„The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.“
Vince Lombardi
1913-1970, Championship Winning Football Coach

"Carry the battle to them. Don't let them bring it to you. Put them on the defensive. And don't ever apologize for anything." – Harry S. Truman

"Everybody thinks of changing humanity, but nobody thinks of changing himself." – Leo Tolstoy

„When one door closes another one opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us.“
Alexander Graham Bell
1847-1922, Inventor and Teacher of the Deaf
„The greater part of our happiness or misery depends on our dispositions and not our circumstances.“
Martha Washington
1731-1802, Former First Lady

"You are not beaten until you admit it." – George S. Patton Jr.

"Only by giving are you able to receive more than you already have." – Jim Rohn

"When the eyes say one thing, and the tongue another, a practiced man relies on the language of the first." – Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Never bend your head. Always hold it high. Look the world right in the eye." – Helen Keller

"Focused mind power is one of the strongest forces on earth." – Mark Victor Hansen

"The soul is dyed the color of its thoughts. Think only on those things that are in line with your principles and can bear the light of day. The content of your character is your choice. Day by day, what you do is who you become. Your integrity is your destiny - it is the light that guides your way." Heraclitus ?535-475BC, Greek Philosopher

"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. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow." Melody Beattie Author

"The minute you settle for less than you deserve, you get even less than you settled for." Maureen Dowd New York Times Columnist

"Fight one more round. When your arms are so tired that you can hardly lift your hands to come on guard, fight one more round. When your nose is bleeding and your eyes are black and you are so tired that you wish your opponent would crack you one on the jaw and put you to sleep, fight one more round – remembering that the man who always fights one more round is never whipped." – James Corbett


"He should sweep streets so well that all the host of heaven and earth will pause to say, 'Here lives a great street-sweeper who did his job well'" – Martin Luther King Jr.

"The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts....take care that you entertain no notions unsuitable to virtue and reasonable nature." – Marcus Aurelius


"We pay a heavy price for our fear of failure. It is a powerful obstacle to growth. It assures the progressive narrowing of the personality and prevents exploration and experimentation. There is no learning without some difficulty and fumbling. If you want to keep on learning, you must keep on risking failure - all your life." John W. Gardner American Educator and Public Official

"Our best friends and our worst enemies are our thoughts. A thought can do us more good than a doctor or banker or a faithful friend. It can also do us more harm than a brick." – Dr. Frank Crane


"Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other one thing." – Abraham Lincoln

"Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential." Sir Winston Churchill 1874-1965, Former British Prime Minister

"What we think or what we believe is, in the end, of little consequence. The only thing of consequence is what we do." – John Ruskin

"No man can always be right. So the struggle is to do one's best, to keep the brain and conscience clear, never be swayed by unworthy motives or inconsequential reasons, but to strive to unearth the basic factors involved, then do one's duty." – Dwight D. Eisenhower


"The highest reward for a person's toil is not what they get for it, but what they become by it." John Ruskin 1819-1900, British Artist and Author

"Learning is the beginning of wealth. Learning is the beginning of health. Learning is the beginning of spirituality. Searching and learning is where the miracle process all begins." – Jim Rohn


"It is not the great temptations that ruin us; it is the little ones." – John W. DeForest


"Become a possibilitarian. No matter how dark things seem to be or actually are, raise your sights and see possibilities - always see them, for they're always there." Dr. Norman Vincent Peale 1898-1993, Author of "The Power of Positive Thinking"

"Do what you feel in your heart to be right - for you'll be criticized anyway." Eleanor Roosevelt 1884-1962, Former First Lady

"Divide each difficulty into as many parts as necessary to resolve it." – Rene Descartes

"Great crisis produce great men and great deeds of courage." – John F. Kennedy

"Shoulda, coulda, and woulda won't get it done. In attacking adversity, only a positive attitude, alertness, and regrouping to basics can launch a comeback." Pat Riley Legendary Basketball Coach

"Behold the turtle. He makes progress only when he sticks his neck out." – James Bryant Conant

"'Tis better to be alone than in bad company." – George Washington

"The only way to discover the limits of the possible is to go beyond them into the impossible."

"Mangers help people to see themselves as they are. Leaders help people to see themselves better than they are." – Jim Rohn

"Success is about who you are, not what you have. Successful people work to discover their talents, to develop those talents, and then to use those talents to benefit others as well as themselves." Tom Morris Author and Speaker

"A leader, once convinced that a particular course of action is the right one, must....be undaunted when the going gets tough." – Ronald Reagan

"If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never been in the dark with a mosquito." Author Unknown


"You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing that we call 'failure' is not the falling down, but the staying down." Mary Pickford 1893-1979, Actress and Producer

"There is no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love; there's only a scarcity of resolve to make it happen." Wayne Dyer Psychotherapist and Writer

"Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored." - Aldous Huxley

"If you had a friend who talked to you like you sometimes talk to yourself, would you continue to hang around with that person?" Rob Bremer Speaker

"The more you say, the less people will remember." – Anatole France

"With ordinary talent and extraordinary perseverance, all things are attainable." Thomas E. Buxton

"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." - Sir Winston Churchill

"Learn to see in another's calamity the ills that you should avoid." – Thomas Jefferson
"When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us." - Helen Keller

"Most great men and women are not perfectly rounded in their personalities, but are instead people whose one driving enthusiasm is so great it makes their faults seem insignificant." Charles A. Cerami Author

"Example is not the main thing in influencing others. It is the only thing." – Albert Schweitzer

"Achievement seems to be connected with action. Successful men and women keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don't quit." – Conrad Hilton

"Self-esteem is so delicate a flower that praise tends to make it bloom, while discouragement often nips it in the bud." Alex F. Osborn 1888-1966, Writer

"Self- control is a critical leadership skill. Leaders generally are able to plan and work at a task over a longer time span than those they lead." -Gerald Faust

"Few things help an individual more than to place responsibility upon them and to let them know that you trust them." Booker T. Washington 1856-1915, Educator and Writer

"To be conscious that you are ignorant of the facts is a great step in knowledge." – Benjamin Disraeli

"If you think education is expensive, try ignorance." – Derek Bok


"I am only one; but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. I will not refuse to do the something I can do." Helen Keller 1880-1968, Author and Lecturer

"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." – Winston Churchill


"Everyone wants to be appreciated, so if you appreciate someone, don't keep it a secret." Mary Kay Ash 1915-2001, Founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

"The only people who achieve much are those who want knowledge so badly that they seek it while the conditions are still favorable. Favorable conditions never come." – C.S. Lewis

"It's good to have money and the things that money can buy, but it's good, too, to make sure you haven't lost the things that money can't buy." – George Horace Lorimer

"When I've heard all I need to make a decision, I don't take a vote. I make a decision." – Ronald Reagan


"Each indecision brings its own delays and days are lost lamenting over lost days...What you can do or think you can do, begin it. For boldness has magic, power, and genius in it." Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 1749-1832, Poet, Novelist, and Scientist

"You will find yourself refreshed by the presence of cheerful people. Why not make earnest effort to confer that pleasure on others?...Half the battle is gained if you never allow yourself to say anything gloomy." Lydia M. Child 1802-1880, U.S. Abolitionist and Writer

"The successful person makes a habit of doing what the failing person doesn't like to do." – Thomas Edison

"I am careful not to confuse excellence with perfection. Excellence, I can reach for; perfection is God's business." – Michael J. Fox


"To some degree, you control your life by controlling your time." – Conrad Hilton

"Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present." – Jim Rohn


"If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude." Maya Angelou Author and Poet

"If you accept a limiting belief, then it will become a truth for you." Louise Hay Author and Speaker

"Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strength. When you go through hardship and decide not to surrender, that is strength." Arnold Schwarzenegger Bodybuilder and Actor

"You have to find something that you love enough to be able to take risks, jump over the hurdles and break through the brick walls that are always going to be placed in front of you. If you don't have that kind of feeling for what it is you are doing, you'll stop at the first giant hurdle." George Lucas Film Director and Producer

"The time is always right to do what is right." – Martin Luther King Jr.

"Begin with praise and honest appreciation. Call attention to people's mistakes indirectly. Talk about your own mistakes before criticizing the other person. Ask questions instead of giving direct orders...Make the fault easy to correct. Make the other person happy about doing what you suggest." - Dale Carnegie

"If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away." Henry David Thoreau 1817-1862, Writer and Philosopher

"Man must cease attributing his problems to his environment, and learn to exercise his will — his personal responsibility." — Albert Schweitzer

"Troubles are often the tools by which God fashions us for better things." - Henry Ward Beecher

"Happiness doesn't depend on what we have, but it does depend on how we feel toward what we have. We can be happy with little and miserable with much." – William Dempster Hoard

"The more tranquil a man becomes, the greater is his success, his influence, his power for good. Calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom." James Allen 1864-1912, Author of "As A Man Thinketh"

"You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand." - Woodrow Wilson

"Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes but they never quit." Conrad Hilton 1887-1979, Hotel Executive

"The victory of success is half won when one gains the habit of setting goals and achieving them. Even the most tedious chore will become endurable as you parade through each day convinced that every task, no matter how menial or boring, brings you closer to achieving your dreams." Og Mandino 1923-1996, Author

"Formulate and stamp indelibly on your mind a mental picture of yourself as succeeding. Hold this picture tenaciously and never permit it to fade. Your mind will seek to develop this picture!" Dr. Norman Vincent Peale 1898-1993, Author of "The Power of Positive Thinking"

"Everything depends upon execution; having just a vision is no solution." – Stephen Sondheim


"You are what you repeatedly do. Excellence is not an event - it is a habit." Aristotle 384-322 BC, Greek Philosopher and Scientist

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result." - Albert Einstein

"It is not the great temptations that ruin us; it is the little ones." – John W. DeForest

"Before you can inspire with emotion, you must be swamped with it yourself. Before you can move their tears, your own must flow. To convince them, you must yourself believe." – Winston Churchill


"I kept six honest serving men. They taught me all I knew. Their names are What and Why and When and How and Where and Who." – Rudyard Kipling

"The act of taking the first step is what separates the winners from the losers." – Brian Tracy

"Your own mind is a sacred enclosure into which nothing harmful can enter except by your promotion." – Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Achievement seems to be connected with action. Successful men and women keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don't quit." – Conrad Hilton

"I see a sea of millions of people going down with their own negative thoughts, going down for the third time in this big sea of iniquity and negativity."
-- Jack LaLanne

"It matters not what your present age is or what your physical condition is. If you obey nature's laws, you can be [physically] born again."
-- Paul C. Bragg, ND, PhD

Will Rogers  Tips on Life

Will Rogers, who died in a plane crash with Wylie Post in 1935, was probably the greatest political sage this country has ever known. Enjoy the following quotes--

1. Never slap a man who's chewing tobacco.

2. Never kick a cow chip on a hot day.

3. There are 2 theories to arguing with a woman...neither works.

4. Never miss a good chance to shut up.

5. Always drink upstream from the herd.

6. If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.

7. The quickest way to double your money is to fold it and put it back in your pocket.

8. There are three kinds of men
The ones that learn by reading.
The few who learn by observation.
The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence.

9. Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.

10. If you're riding' ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then to make sure it's still there.

11. Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier'n puttin' it back.

12. AND FINALLY: After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started roaring. He kept it up until a hunter came along and shot him... The moral… When you're full of bull, keep your mouth shut.


"Do not save your loving speeches for your friends till they are dead;
Do not write them on their tombstones, speak them rather now instead."

                              Anna Cummins
                              Poet
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