The Law of Manifestation

"The first Law of Success, the law of Manifestation, demonstrates how things come into being. In quantum physics, consciousness creates reality—and this applies to your personal world as well."

-- Sandra Anne Taylor

The Development of Habits

"Habits are a bit like training a new puppy. They require lots of reinforcement and checking that you are on the right track. If left unattended, new habits can simply disappear (or you can develop unwanted ones!). The new habits require that you check in with them regularly to make sure you are putting them into play (just like you need to check in regularly with the new puppy to make sure it is doing what you are training it to do)."

-- Stephen Macdonald

Thoughts Have Magnetic Energy

"Thoughts and feelings have their own magnetic energy that attracts energy of a similar nature. We can see this principle at work, for instance, when we “accidentally” run into someone we’ve just been thinking of, or “happen” to pick up a book that contains exactly the perfect information we need at that moment."

-- Shakti Gawain

You Need To Commit To The Change

"I know that sounds obvious, but one thing I have found from my own experience, and from having taught these ideas to thousands of people over the years, is this: we often say we want change, but we don't commit to the change. Then nothing changes, and then we complain about it. It's important for you to embrace this simple truth—you will need to change your attitude, and you will need to change your actions."

-- Joel Fotinos

Things That Matter Most In Life

 "The things that matter most in life are the things that matter least in the moment."

-- Mark Manson 

What I believe Mark Manson is saying here is that we often get caught up in the little things that don't actually matter in the grand scheme of life. We spend so much time and energy worrying about things that won't really make a difference in the long run. Instead, what truly matters in life are the things that we tend to overlook or take for granted.

For example, we may get stressed out about work deadlines, but what really matters is spending time with loved ones and making memories that will last a lifetime. It's easy to get caught up in the day-to-day struggles, but it's important to take a step back and focus on what really matters in life.

So, the lesson here is to think about what matters most to you in life, and to make sure you're investing time and energy into those things, even if they're not the most urgent or important things in the moment. Because those are the things that will ultimately bring you the most happiness and fulfillment.

When You Love What You Do

"In my life I’ve always made a conscious choice to work in fields where I love what I do so much that it ceases to feel like work. When you love what you do, life seems so much more beautiful—in fact, the very idea of “work” dissolves. Instead, it feels more like a challenge, a mission, or a game you play. I encourage everyone to try to move toward work that feels this way."

-- Vishen Lakhian

The More You Do In Life

"You are not going to succeed in everything you attempt in life. That’s guaranteed. In fact, the more you do in life, the more chance there is not to succeed in some things. Look at how rich your life can be, however, from your many adventures. Win or lose, you just keep winning!"

-- Susan Jeffers

Make Lasting Change in Your Life

"Our beliefs are like unquestioned commands, telling us how things are, what’s possible and impossible and what we can and cannot do. They shape every action, every thought, and every feeling that we experience. As a result, changing our belief systems is central to making any real and lasting change in our lives."

-- Tony Robbins

Have You Really Lived

"Man. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money.  Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived."

-- James J. Lachard

Why Set Scary Goals

""A good goal should scare you a little and excite you a lot.” Scary and exciting are two beautiful feelings that good end goals often bring out. Scary is a good thing because it means you’re pushing your boundaries—that’s how you take steps toward the extraordinary.""

-- Joe Vitale

Once Learned You Can Never Be The Same Again

"When you grow up, you tend to get told that the world is the way it is and your life is just to live your life inside the world. Try not to bash into the walls too much. Try to have a nice family life, have fun, save money. That’s a very limited life.  Life can be much broader once you discover one simple fact. That is—everything around you that you call life was made up by people no smarter than you. And you can change it. You can influence it…. Once you learn that, you’ll never be the same again." 

-- Steve Jobs

Exercise Your Courage Muscle

"Contrary to popular belief, courage—the ability to do something that’s frightening, such as asking for what you need or want, or do the right thing amid rejection and disapproval—is not born but gained. It’s like a muscle. You need to keep exercising it to keep it strong. Otherwise, it might weaken or even atrophy.  So I use rejection attempts to continue to exercise my courage muscle, stay mentally strong, and keep my confidence flowing."

-- Jia Jiang

To Accomplish Something Extra Ordinary

"If you really want to accomplish something extraordinary, an ordinary effort won’t do. You’ve got to dig deep, give it your all, and then find a way to give a little more."

-- James P. Owen

Habit of Asking Questions

"Get into the habit of asking questions where you don’t already know the answers. Questions asked with the intent of truly understanding, rather than to look for answers that confirm our position."

-- Stephen Macdonald

How To Gain Confidence in Yourself

"It is natural to feel uncertain, unmotivated, or fearful when facing new challenges. But negative feelings shouldn’t stop you. The best way to gain confidence and improve your mood is to take action, even though you’re not feeling up to it. The next time you find yourself hesitating due to your negative mood, get going anyway. Go for a run even though you feel lethargic; invite a colleague to lunch even though you feel shy; volunteer for a project even though you doubt your abilities; or enroll in a challenging course even though you feel unprepared. Now it’s time for you to get out there and fail as quickly as you possibly can. And then fail again." 

-- Ryan Babineaux

Your Dreams Are Really Important

"Dreams are really important. They make us human. We dare to set nearly impossible goals. Yet all those imaginings are worthless without a process to help us achieve them. A dream, once born, quickly dies without a process to support it.  Then a dream turns into a regret—and all of us already have too many of those. The key is to set a goal, use it as a target that helps you create a plan for achieving it . . .and then do your best to forget all about that goal. As I learned from James Clear, a leading thinker on the subject, the best use of a goal is to inform the process you will follow to achieve it."

-- Jeff Haden

Be Bold and Challenge Yourself

"Knowing this, why are we so afraid to fail? The answer is because we personally identify with failure and see ourselves as failures. I challenge you today to intentionally fail at something and then take notice around you. The sun still rises, and it will still set. Be bold!"

-- Robert Sully Sullivan

Each Experience Is A Valuable Lesson

"Start thinking about yourself as a lifetime student at a large university. Your curriculum is your total relationship with the world you live in, from the moment you’re born to the moment you die. Each experience is a valuable lesson to be learned. If you choose Path A, you will learn one set of lessons. If you choose Path B, you will learn a different set of lessons." 

-- Susan Jeffers

Why You Need To Know Clearly What You Want

"Knowing what we want out of life is important. It provides us with a focus. It enables us to start moving in a consistent direction, rather than being like a bird flitting here and there."

-- Stephen Macdonald

The Source of Your Destiny Creation

"The mechanics of your mind reveal fascinating possibilities—not merely in the capacity to work out complex problems and learn new information, but an ability that transcends logic and actually moves into the realm of physical creation.  This is the power of your consciousness, and it’s the source of your destiny creation."

-- Sandra Anne Taylor

See Yourself As The Best

“When I work with groups, I always remind them that if you see yourself as second best, that’s how people are going to treat you. And then I ask them,  ‘If you could be any kind of car, or any kind of animal, what kind would you be?’ For cars, they always pick the best. Nobody wants to be a car with four flat tires and busted headlights. When it comes to animals, they want to be a tiger, a cheetah, or a beautiful dove. I tell them, ‘You want to be the best, and that’s why I’m here.’”

-- James P. Owen

People Who Practice Gratitude

"Research suggests that grateful people have more energy and optimism, are less bothered by life’s hassles, are more resilient in the face of stress, have better health, and suffer less depression than the rest of us. People who practice gratitude—and yes, it is something one can learn and improve—are also more compassionate, more likely to help others, less materialistic, and more satisfied with life"

-- Dondi Scumaci

Aim High Behave Honorably

"You are capable of more than you know. Choose a goal that seems right for you and strive to be the best, however hard the path. Aim high. Behave honorably. Prepare to be alone at times and to endure failure. Persist! The world needs all you can give."

-- James P. Owen

Positive Thinking Changes Everything

"Positive thinking changes everything in your life.  Without your negative Chatterbox, you will wonder what you were always so afraid of before. You will have energy you never thought possible. You will laugh a lot and love a lot more. You will draw more and more positive people into your life. You will be healthier physically. You will be happy to be alive."

-- Susan Jeffers

Focus On What You Can Do Today

"Successful people have a lean approach to planning. They find ways to take small steps in order to experiment, collect information, and adjust course, without the need for a huge investment or long-term commitment. With this in mind, rather than worry about your plans for the next month or year, focus on what you can do today. Take a small, immediate step related to your interests or aspirations. For example, you might talk to an expert, visit a company, sign up for a conference, buy a book, or begin building a prototype."

-- Ryan Babineaux

Control The Cosmic Energy In You

"You’re a vibrating force in the workings of this world, a creative consciousness that directs both your own destiny and that of all humankind. You are—at this moment—engaged in an exquisite act of personal and global creation. When you take control of the cosmic energy within, you align yourself with the Universal Laws, a source that will allow you to create a wellspring of happiness, success, and value beyond belief!"

-- Sandra Anne Taylor

Your Life is So Precious

"The reason life is so precious is that it is limited." It is finite. Life can’t be multiplied, it can’t be saved up, and it can’t be stored away to be used in the future."

-- Brian Page

Are You Ready To Discipline Yourself

"This is easier said than done because discipline usually involves discomfort if not outright pain. You will absolutely feel like you are being tried by fire. But you know what? Pure gold is tried by fire. It is put through intense fire and the impurities are driven out, leaving pure gold. This is what discipline will do for every facet of your life. My question to you is this: Are you ready to discipline yourself to make changes that will dramatically improve the quality of your life, or do you need to hit rock bottom first?"

-- Robert Sully Sullivan

Your Power of Attraction

“Every person is surrounded by a thought atmosphere. . . .Through this power we are either attracting or repelling. Like attracts like and . . . we attract just what we are in mind.”

-- Ernest Holmes

The Right Way To Look At Life

"It all depends on your mindset, Julia believes: “When I think about the past, I see that what might have been negative at the time turned out well in the end. Certain things had to happen for me to know what I know and be who I am today. If you look at life that way, you see that what you have learned every step of the way is going to help you for the rest of your life.”"

-- James P. Owen

What is Real Toughness

"Real toughness is experiencing discomfort or distress,"leaning in, paying attention, and creating space to take thoughtful action. It’s navigating discomfort to make the best decision you can."

-- Steve Magness

This quote by Steve Magness is talking about what it means to be truly tough. He believes that true toughness isn't just about being physically strong or able to handle difficult situations, but it's about being able to experience discomfort or distress and still be able to take thoughtful action.

To put it simply, Steve is saying that real toughness involves being able to navigate uncomfortable situations and making the best decisions possible despite the discomfort. This means leaning into the discomfort, paying attention to what's going on around you, and creating space for yourself to take thoughtful action.

Let me give you an example. Imagine you're taking a really difficult exam, and you start to feel anxious and uncomfortable. A tough person in this situation wouldn't just give up or panic, but they would lean into the discomfort, pay attention to what's going on, and create space to make the best decision possible. They might take a deep breath, refocus their attention, and calmly work through the exam to the best of their ability.

Another example could be in a situation where you need to have a difficult conversation with someone. It's uncomfortable and distressing, but a tough person would lean into the discomfort, pay attention to what's being said, and create space for themselves to respond thoughtfully. They might take a moment to gather their thoughts, speak calmly and respectfully, and work towards a solution.

In summary, Steve Magness is saying that true toughness involves being able to navigate discomfort and distress in order to make the best decisions possible. It's not just about being physically strong, but about being mentally tough and resilient in difficult situations.

Wise Dream Or Achievable Dream

"A dream is shadowy and elusive as long as we think of it as “something I wish would happen.” It becomes achievable only when we define it clearly as “a goal I will strive for.”"

-- James P. Owen

Why Keep Your Success Journal

"An important part of your self-exploration is keeping a Success Journal. The word journal originally meant a written record of the experiences on a journey. Your pursuit of success is a voyage in itself, and your written record will help you get from here to your ultimate destination. Your process will take you through many stops along the way, and your entries can act as a personal road map, keeping you on track and redirecting you toward your goals."

-- Sandra Anne Taylor

Why Do Things You Like Best

"Fall in love with some activity, and do it! Nearly everything is really interesting if you go into it deeply enough. Work as hard and as much as you want to on the things you like to do the best. Don’t think about what you want to be, but what you want to do. Keep up some kind of a minimum with other things so that society doesn’t stop you from doing anything at all."

-- Marshall Goldsmith

To Become The Mighty Oak

"But picture the mighty oak. First that acorn had to break apart and a seedling had to emerge. Then that seedling had to face and survive droughts, floods, storms, being chopped down, and more. Eventually, it grew and grew into the mighty oak. That is what we must be willing to endure, and if we do, in time, we too will be the mighty oak standing tall and standing strong."

-- Robert Sully Sullivan

Ways To Experience New Possibilities

"You are more likely to encounter unexpected opportunities and ideas when you are doing new things—trying activities, exploring unfamiliar places, meeting people, or being exposed to different ideas or cultures. So find a way today to step out of your usual haunts, habits, and thinking patterns to experience new possibilities. For example, you might drive a different route home from work, introduce yourself to a stranger, attend an offbeat play, or read an unfamiliar magazine."

-- Ryan Babineaux

Focus On Your Own Life

“My father taught me a lesson that has saved me a lot of grief in life. He said, ‘Even though people may mock you — the way you speak, your hair, your accent, the color of your skin — those are wounds that you don’t have to own.’ He got me to focus on my own life and not on what others think about me.”

-- James P. Owen

Leave That Gloomy Outlook Behind

""The previous patterns of your life may have left you unhappy, and you may be gazing into the future without much hope, but you can leave that gloomy outlook behind.  Your journey to a new, happy future can begin right now!

-- Sandra Anne Taylor

When There Are Too Many Choices

"Having too many choices is also a problem. In a classic study, psychologists Sheena Iyengar and Mark Lepper set up a display table with twenty-four varieties of gourmet jam at an upscale food market. Those who sampled the spreads received a coupon for one dollar off any jam. On another day, shoppers saw a similar table, except that only six varieties of jam were on display. The large display attracted more interest than the small one . . . but when the time came to purchase, people who had seen the large display were one-tenth as likely to buy as people who had seen the small display.*"

-- Jeff Haden

Focus On The Small Steps

"Goals can be overwhelming if we focus on the end point. It’s easier to make progress if we focus on small steps that move us in the right direction."

-- James P. Owen

You Can Do It With 10 Minutes

"Ten minutes more in any facet of your life will yield huge results. In what area in your life would you like to see a huge, positive change, and are you willing to indulge an extra ten minutes per day toward that goal? Even if you are at zero time spent right now, imagine what an extra forty-two hours spent in that area will do for you this time next year. Don’t stop . . . just ten minutes more! You can do it!"

-- Robert Sully Sullivan

Be Aware of Your Fulfillment Needs

“Whenever I engage in something or I’m in the process of making a choice about something, I ask myself if my Fulfillment Needs are being met. I use this in my work life all the time, and I’ve found that I keep attracting interesting and fulfilling projects! It’s all very rewarding. I’m much happier and more fulfilled in my work life than I’ve ever been! I also keep my needs top of mind with relationships… very important to feeling a sense of connection that’s good and full of joy!” 

-- Rhonda

Give Your Dreams Strong Legs

"Many people have worthy, even exciting aspirations. Only a small percentage of people actually put these in writing and consistently read them. The moment you take these steps, you have separated yourself from the multitude that stops with a dream. You give your dream strong legs to run on."

-- Dondi Scumaci

Doing Work That Matters To You

"When you spend time each day engaged in work that matters to you, you improve your mood, build momentum, stir up your creativity, and become attuned to the opportunities around you. So don’t wait —get to work on something important today."

-- Ryan Babineaux

Are Your Choices Moving Towards Your Goals

“I want our students to ask, ‘Are my choices moving me closer to where I want to be, or are they impeding me?’ If you apply that question to every aspect of your life — your friends, the activities you choose to engage in, your work, your education — you might realize you need to change your priorities or your environment. If friends hold you back, get new friends. If relatives keep you down, make them distant relatives.”

-- James P. Owen

Be In Battle With Yourself

"This is what you find when you study the true masters of any profession. They don’t care much about winning, about money, about fame, about most of the things that have come their way as a result of their success. Their journey has always been toward something bigger. They aren’t running a race against the competition. They are in a battle with themselves."

-- Ryan Holiday

Pick Other People Brain

"Please understand, if you are okay with your life right now, that is perfectly fine. Your definition for success might be exactly where you are right now. Not everyone is wired to constantly seek to achieve more. However, if you feel like you need a change in some area of your life, I strongly urge you to find someone else today who is excelling in that area and set up a time to meet with them. Pick their brains and glean a nugget . . . today."

-- Robert Sully Sullivan

What Does Taking Responsibility Mean

"Taking responsibility means looking to yourself for answers when things go wrong and giving yourself credit when things go right."

-- James P. Owen

The Universe Need You To Be Specific

"The problem with not being specific is that your brain has no clear instructions on how to take the next step. Your mind has no measurable way to know if the moves you’re making are getting you closer to your goal. By not articulating what success looks like, in detail, you can’t possibly put together a roadmap that will get you there."

-- Brian Page

How Are You Spending Your Life

"THINK OF A time in your life when you were feeling happy, enthusiastic, and full of energy. Now consider what you were doing. Our guess is that you weren’t sitting at home eating Haagen-Dazs and watching reruns of Friends. If you are like most people, the times in your life that have been the most vibrant and meaningful were when you were engaged in exciting projects, taking on new challenges, learning fascinating things, immersing yourself in creative expression, or nurturing a significant relationship."

-- Ryan Babineaux

You Need To Back Up Your Dreams

“I learned that you have to back up your dreams with a plan. When I talk to people who are locked up, or in great trouble, they do not want to hear cliches about hope. So I tell them the truth: There is no such thing as a brighter future if you don’t have a plan. I call it ‘operational hope,’ which means hope backed up by a plan to get from point A to point B, and from point B to point C. It’s hope laid out in small, achievable steps.”

-- James P. Owen

Embrace The Power of Your Thoughts

"When I shifted gears in my thought process from all the negativity, I was experiencing and started thinking about what I could learn, how I could be a blessing to someone, etc., my day and disposition brightened tremendously. I encourage you to fully embrace the power your thoughts have not only on you, but on everyone around you. The next time you start a negative thought process, make a conscious decision to turn those thoughts around and see how it changes your attitude. Make it, “The best day ever!”"

-- Robert Sully Sullivan

How Optimists See Things

"Optimists see things differently. Setbacks are temporary, isolated events and solvable. They have a future focus; less concerned with what happened, they look ahead to options, solutions, and action. Optimists are not interested in fixing blame. They want to fix the problem. Blame is irrelevant"

-- Dondi Scumaci

Look At Those Facts Objectively

"If something has crushed your dream, do you find that you are in denial? I wasn’t really in denial—I didn’t think there was life after the NFL, so I hadn’t even reached the point of denial yet — but I was in a death spiral. I believed if I couldn’t play football, then life as I knew it was over. If you’re in denial about a crushed dream, or if you’re succumbing to the “death” feeling where demons roam and you believe that nothing matters in life anymore, you need to face the facts. We all have to look at those facts objectively and analyze our next move, no matter how painful it is."

-- Matt Mayberry

When Things Go Wrong

"Almost nothing in life goes exactly the way we want or expect. When things go wrong, some people lose heart while others buckle down and work even harder."

-- James P. Owen

To Become A Doer

"If you want to be a doer—a person whose life is filled with meaningful experiences, diverse opportunities, and continual learning and growth—then it is essential that you not deplete your confidence and energy by overthinking your opportunities."

-- Ryan Babineaux

How To Face Challenges

"Your knowledge stems from the fact that regardless of the challenges you faced in the past, they are over and done with and probably have little to no impact on you today. With this knowledge comes hope. You can now deal with a challenge today with the knowledge that in the future, you will look back at this challenge knowing you overcame it. This knowledge provides you with hope, and with hope comes joy. So, face today’s challenge knowing that this too shall pass. It might not be today or tomorrow, but soon today’s challenge will be history."

-- Robert Sully Sullivan

Commit To That Process

"You’ll stay motivated when you find a process you trust and commit to working that process for as little as a week. Forget how far you need to go to reach your goal; just commit to following the process for a week. By the end of that week you’ll have made a small improvement: You’ll be able to run a little farther, or lift a little more weight, or speak with greater confidence, or perform a task more effectively. Whatever goal you set, you will have moved a few steps closer to achieving that goal."

-- Jeff Haden

How To Build Your Mental Strength

"Whatever you’re pursuing, study it. For me, it was the playbook. I had to study it inside and out. After practices I also studied the videos of my and other teammates’ performances. So, no matter what you’re pursuing, study it by reading books about it, watching videos about it, and joining others to discuss it. This builds up your knowledge of the sport or whatever it is you’re interested in. It builds your mental strength."

-- Matt Mayberry

Goals Can Be Incremental

“I think many people hesitate to set a goal because they think it has to be something you want to do forever. And that’s not really the way it is. Goals can be incremental, requiring just simple, small steps to move you on your way. Go as far as you can see, and when you get there you can see farther.”

-- James P. Owen

Create A Greater Sense of Enjoyment

"When you have clear and challenging goals, you tend to be more focused and engaged, which leads to a greater sense of flow and enjoyment in what you’re doing."

-- Brendon Burchard

The Law of Accomplishment

"When you take time to dwell on something, the most powerful computer in the world, your brain, will figure out a way to make it happen. If you truly desire to become a better spouse and you contemplate regularly on this, thoughts of flowers, love notes, romance, or acts of kindness will come into your mind. Then it just becomes a matter of acting on these ideas. Remind yourself daily of who or what you desire to be or have. Then do not be surprised when you find yourself accomplishing whatever it is that you have been thinking about."

-- Robert Sully Sullivan

The Need To Do New Things

"Like old maps and old stories, continually doing what we have always done will bring us back to old places, the places we have been before. Repeat after me: What got me here will not take me one step further. To have more or become more, I will have to do new things."

-- Dondi Scumaci

The Way To Foster Innovation in You

"Another way to foster innovation is to seek out skills and knowledge outside of your current range of experiences. If you are an engineer, take a class in art; if you are employed as a business analyst, try your hand as a volunteer career counselor; if you work at a computer in an office, take up carpentry. Read books and magazines on unfamiliar topics, attend conferences on subjects you know little about, and pursue classes and workshops that help you develop new physical skills."

-- Ryan Babineaux

How To Expand Your Mind

"I know we’re discussing the mental here, but honestly, doing something physical can really pay off for your mental work. Lifting weights and cardio are two of the best methods to strengthen working memory and intelligence. The trick, however, is to keep pushing yourself, just like Neal and I pushed each other during our workouts to increase the intensity. If you work out at the level you’ve always done—like running a mile, for example—then you’ll stay where you are mentally. You have to push yourself a little past your limit to expand the mind."

-- Matt Mayberry

It Is Like That In Life

“When you look at the mountain peak, all you can see is a lot of hard work ahead. But once you start climbing, you gain some confidence, and soon the view changes. It’s like that in life — in the process of attempting the climb, your horizon changes. If you never attempt it at all, your perspective stays exactly the same, and the options never change. Only by attempting, by pushing beyond what you see right now, will new horizons emerge. You begin to see possibilities — things you want to do, things you can do.”

-- James P. Owen

Every Stage of Life

"At every stage of life, you should be a rookie at something. Midlife can be like Kansas, long and flat. Creating a goal will energize your days."

-- Barbara Bradley Hagerty

Pursuit of Your Own Victory

"You must pay your debts, own your mistakes, communicate your intentions. You must have a plan for what you’re going to do after. Whether that’s a next project, a new chapter, another charge. Retreats, we must remember, are only temporary. They are buying us time until we can take the offensive and courageously attack again in pursuit of our victory."

-- Ryan Holiday

Be Willing To Jump In and Try

“I’m not a teacher, and yet I’m creating schools. I know something about teaching people because I’ve had to teach my own children and I’ve gone through the learning experience myself. I’m not pretending to have all the answers, but I’m figuring it out. You just have to be willing to jump in and try. You have to be ready to make mistakes. If you’re not making mistakes you’re not being challenged enough! You just don’t want those mistakes to be the same ones you made before.”

-- James P. Owen

Mindfulness Mediation To Achieve Your Dreams

"It’s important to be able to shut out the world on a regular basis and laser-focus on the job at hand. Turn off your smartphones and all social media for at least twenty minutes a day. You can take a walk or simply sit somewhere quietly and just breathe… relax. Some people call this mindfulness meditation. When your thoughts begin to wander, gently pull them back. When that work meeting pops into your head, push it out and focus on your breathing. When you start mentally planning your next workout, return to your breathing. This can have dramatic results and will help you in your work and activities toward achieving your dreams."

-- Matt Mayberry

How To Become Innovative

"Innovation, like luck, is dependent on being present and ready to act at the right time and place. You are more likely to come up with transformative ideas when you are doing things out in the world— trying new activities, exploring unfamiliar places, meeting people—than when you are at home watching TV on your couch. An important aspect of becoming an innovator is learning to act outside the box—to step out of your usual haunts, habits, and thinking patterns to embrace new possibilities."

-- Ryan Babineaux

When Becoming Feels Wonderful

"When you put in the time and effort, when you make improvements, when you gain a certain level of skill, you become the thing that you’re trying to achieve. “Becoming” feels wonderful because you’ve earned it."

-- Jeff Haden

Beware of Distractions That Became Our Lifestyle

"Things that matter usually take time, energy, and concentration. Is devoting our time to binge-watching movies on TV or beating the next ten levels of Candy Crush really worth it? It might be, if it gives us some much-needed diversion from our real-life stresses. Probably not, though, if these distractions have become a lifestyle and are taking us away from the pursuits we’ve identified as most meaningful to us."

-- Joshua Becker

The Common People

“There are people in every life who have an intensity and an interest in who you are. They show up at odd times, and if you’re wise, you learn from them. If I’ve achieved anything, it’s because I learned to look for and recognize these people who are like beacons of light. And it’s true on a larger scale as well. In times of great stress in society, it’s the ordinary people who become great teachers. Martin Luther King, Gandhi, Cesar Chavez, and Mother Teresa were all common people who rose up to give great hope to others.”

-- James P. Owen

Our Most important Priorities in Life

"Sometimes we may not give our best at work or in school until a problem arises. We wait to tell those we love how much they really mean to us, and then we regret it when they’re gone. We forget about our most important values and priorities in life while we’re rushing to earn a hefty paycheck or receive an extra bonus." 

-- Matt Mayberry