Intentional Living: Choosing a Life That Matters by John C. Maxwell

 

Intentional Living: Choosing a Life That Matters by John C. Maxwell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

John Maxwell always writes so wonderful, thought provoking books. This one on Intentional Living is excellent. I hope you will be challenged by the quotes below.

To be significant, all you have to do is make a difference with others wherever you are, with whatever you have, day by day. ~ John C Maxwell

When you intentionally use your everyday life to bring about positive change in the lives of others, you begin to live a life that matters. ~ John C Maxwell

If your story isn't as meaningful or significant or compelling as you want it to be, you can change it. ~ John C Maxwell

To dare is to lose one’s footing momentarily. Not to dare is to lose oneself. ~Soren Kierkegaard

Be the change you want to see in the world. ~Mahatma Gandhi

Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. . . . Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do. ~ Steve Jobs

If you want to live a life that matters, don't strike when you get good; start now so you can become good. ~ John C Maxwell

What is the number one catalyst for change? It's action. ~ John C Maxwell

In life, it is not what we get that makes us valuable. Is what we become in the process that brings value to our lives. Action is what converts human dreams into significance. It brings personal value that we can gain from no other source. ~ John C Maxwell

A butterfly cannot go back to being a caterpillar. When you start living the significant story, you get a taste for making a difference and you won't go back. ~ John C Maxwell

When I die, I cannot take with me what I have, but I can live in others by what I gave. ~ John C Maxwell

Having a heart to help people and add value to them make sure a better person. But if you don't act on it in an intentional way it won't make a difference. ~ John C Maxwell

If you're going to grow, you have to be intentional. ~ Curt Kampmeier

You need to put details to your dreams and attach deadlines to them. You need to examine yourself and where you are. You need to look at your strengths and weaknesses. You need to identify your goals every week. ~ John C Maxwell

An unintentional life accepts everything and does nothing. An intentional life embraces only the things that will add to the mission of significance. ~ John C Maxwell

Intentional leaving always has an idea.
Unintentional living always has an excuse. ~ John C Maxwell

Intentionally living fixes the situation.
Unintentionally living fixes the blame. ~ John C Maxwell

Intentional living makes it happen.
Unintentional living wonders what happened. ~ John C Maxwell

Intentional living says, “Here's something I can do.”
Unintentional living says, “Why doesn't someone else do something?” ~ John C Maxwell

Intentional living turns the doubt-filled question “Can I?” Into the invigorating, possibility-inducing “How can I?” ~ John C Maxwell

When you know what you want and can't find what you need, you must create what you need, so you can get what you want! ~ John C Maxwell

Most people don't aim too high and miss. They aim too low in hit. ~Bob Moawad

If you will first help others get what they want, they will help you get what you want. ~ Zig Ziglar

Make every day your masterpiece. ~ John Wooden

Nobody finishes well by accident. ~ John C Maxwell

Once you find your why, will be able to find your way. Why is your purpose. Way is your path. ~ John C Maxwell

If the why comes before the way, your ability to make a difference will come more quickly and immediately be more effective. ~ John C Maxwell

Humans were made to have a meaning. Without purpose, life is meaningless. A meaningless life is a life without hope or significance. ~ Rick Warren

The sooner you know your why, the sooner you can shift your focus from yourself to others. ~ John C Maxwell

Purpose is the rudder of your boat. It gives you direction and keeps you going in the right direction when the wind is blowing and the waves are crashing against you. It provides calm and confidence in the midst of the storm. ~ John C Maxwell

Purpose is like a snowball rolling downhill-it builds over time. ~ John C Maxwell

Having a life that matters comes from the ability to add value to others. ~ John C Maxwell

The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Our souls are not hungry for fame, comfort, wealth, power. These rewards create almost as many problems as they solve. Our souls are hungry for meaning, for the sense that we have figured out how to live so our lives matter, so that the world will be at least a little different for our having passed through it. ~ Rabbi Harold Kushner

People who matter most are aware that everyone else does, too. ~ Malcolm Forbes

Self-centeredness is the root of virtually every problem-both personally and globally. And whether we want to admit it or not, it's a problem all of us have. ~ John C Maxwell

Self-centeredness and fulfillment cannot peacefully coexist. They're incompatible. ~ John C Maxwell

People need to have found themselves, achieve something, and made themselves valuable before they have something to give to others. ~ John C Maxwell

Significance is always about others, serving them intentionally. ~ John C Maxwell

When you change your thinking from “What am I going to receive?” to “What am I going to give?” your entire life begins to turn around. ~ John C Maxwell

There isn't anyone you couldn't learn to love once you've heard their story. ~ Fred Rogers

As you start your day, are you wondering what you will reap, or are you wondering what you will sow? ~ John C Maxwell

John Wooden described an unselfish player as one who “showed an eagerness to lose himself to the group for the goal of the team.”

If you want to be significant and live a life that matters, you must add value to others. ~ John C Maxwell

You know you truly value yourself when each day you silently affirm that you are the type of person with whom you would like to spend the rest of your life. ~ John C Maxwell

If you want to connect with people you must make the conscious decision to embrace the following seven qualities and practices:
Availability-I will choose to spend time with others.
Listening-I will listen my way to common ground.
Questions-I will be interested enough in others to ask questions.
Thoughtfulness-I will think of others and how to connect with them.
Openness-I will let people into my life.
Likability-I will care about people.
Humility-I will think of myself less so I can think of others more. ~ John C Maxwell

If you have the heart to make a difference, there is always an answer, but if you have a heart of indifference, there is never an answer. ~ John C Maxwell

Sometimes the smallest step in the right direction ends up being the biggest step in your life. ~ John C Maxwell

Fear is the most prevalent reason why people stop. Faith is what makes people start. ~ John C Maxwell

Faith does not make things easy, but it makes things possible because it puts everything, including fear, into the right perspective. ~ John C Maxwell

My dream allows me to continue and discourage, for where there is no faith in the future, there is no power in the present. ~ John C Maxwell

Dreams often come one size too big so that we can grow into them. ~ John C Maxwell

Life isn't made by what you can accomplish. It's made by what you can accomplish with others. ~ John C Maxwell

Most people miss opportunities in life, not because the opportunity wasn't there, but because they didn't have a clue what it looked like when it arrived. ~ John C Maxwell

I cannot do what you can do. You cannot do what I can do. Together we can do great things. ~ Mother Teresa

If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. ~African Proverb

A strong partnership divides the effort and multiplies the effect. ~ John C Maxwell

You can't take action if you're spending too much of your time trying to get on the front lines. You need to be on the front lines. ~ John C Maxwell

Anticipation is a wonderful proactive and intentional word for seeking out significance. ~ John C Maxwell

When you live with intentionality, you know and understand that every day is your time to make a difference . ~ John C Maxwell
You don't really know if you're going to be afraid of death until you've been close enough to touch it, taste it, and smell it. ~ John C Maxwell

The difference between the assuming and numbering your days is huge. ~ John C Maxwell

Most hockey players follow the puck on the ice. I never skate to where the puck is. I skate to where it's going. ~ Wayne Gretzky

You anticipate that you can and will make a difference, you prepared differently. ~ John C Maxwell

There is not one door of opportunity. There's not one door to significance. There is a series of doors. ~ John C Maxwell

The compounding potential and return of working with others makes my sense of anticipation soar. ~ John C Maxwell

A transformational leader intentionally engages people to think and act in such a way that it makes a positive difference in their lives and in the lives of others. ~ John C Maxwell

Where you are in the process doesn't matter. As long as you're engaged in it and anticipate positive results, you're on your way. ~ John C Maxwell

There are those that look at things as they are and asked, “Why?” I dream of things that never were and asked, “Why not?” ~John F Kennedy

Every generation gets an opportunity to make a difference, but the people of that generation have to seize that opportunity. ~ John C Maxwell

Opportunities do not multiply because they are seen. . . . They multiply because they are seized. ~ John C Maxwell

The people who most often make the biggest difference are the people who are first to step up and help at a time when it makes a difference. ~ John C Maxwell

People most often regret the chances they failed to take, not the chances they took that failed. ~ John C Maxwell

The classroom is the molder of the opinion of the lives of people. I came back because if I can change a 19 year old's life, that is much more significant than what I was doing because I get them on the front end. ~ Condoleezza Rice

Unless Someone Like You cares a whole lot, nothing is going to get better period it's not. ~Doctor Seuss
You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. ~Doctor Seuss

You're off to great places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting! So get on your way! ~Doctor Seuss

What we teach our children to love and appreciate is far more important than what we teach them to know. ~ John C Maxwell

Maddie, John Maxwell’s granddaughter, list the following ideas she has learned from her dad or granddad:
Attitude is a choice.
Maturity is seeing things from another person's point of view and being flexible.
Always plan ahead. You're either prepared or repaired.
You are what you do every day.
Failure is inevitable, but learning is optional.

Once you taste significance, success will never satisfy you again. ~ John C Maxwell

Significance is not a destination thing-it's a daily thing. ~ John C Maxwell

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Highly recommend this book.

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Legacy: What The All Blacks Can Teach Us About The Business Of Life by James Kerr

 

Legacy by James Kerr
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

James Kerr's book, Legacy: What The All Blacks Can Teach Us About The Business Of Life is the book the 2023 UGA Bulldogs are reading. The book is about the greatest team of all time. It is a rugby team, The All Blacks" who have the greatest winning percentage in their history. Kerr takes the "keys of this team's success" and applies them to life, business, other sports teams, etc. It is a fascinating book. It you enjoy reading about success, leadership, how to win, how to live a good life, how to train a team, then I highly recommend this book. I hope the quotes below will challenge and encourage you.

James Kerr, “Legacy: What The All Blacks Can Teach Us About The Business Of Life” Quotes from the book:

Successful leaders balance pride with humility: your absolute pride in performance; total humility before the magnitude of the task. ~James Kerr

The challenge is to always improve, to always get better, even when you're the best. Especially when you're the best. ~James Kerr

A collection of talented individuals without personal discipline will ultimately and inevitably fail. Character triumphs over talent. ~James Kerr

Only by knowing yourself can you become an effective leader. ~Vince Lombardi

From self-knowledge, Lombardi believed, we develop character and integrity. And from character and integrity comes leadership.

What is my job on the planet? What is it that needs doing, that I know something about, that probably won't happen unless I take responsibility for it? ~Jon Kabat-Zinn

Winning takes talent, John Wooden would say. To repeat it takes character.

You get nowhere without character. Character is essential to individuals, and their cumulative character is the backbone of your winning team. ~Bill Walsh

The challenge of every team is to build a feeling of oneness, of dependence on one another. ~Vince Lombardi

Because the question is usually not how well each person performs, but how well they work together. ~Vince Lombardi

collective character is vital to success. Focus on getting the culture right; The results will follow. ~ James Kerr

Performance = capability + behavior. ~ James Kerr

Vision without action is a dream. ~James Kerr

Our values decide our character. Our character decides our value. ~James Kerr

A culture of asking and re- asking fundamental questions cuts away unhelpful beliefs in order to achieve clarity of execution. Humility allows us to ask a simple question: how can we do this better? ~James Kerr

Humility does not mean weakness, but its opposite. Leaders would mana understand the strength of humility. It allows them to connect with their deepest values and the wider world. ~James Kerr

Sweep the sheds. Never be too big to do the small things that need to be done. ~James Kerr

A winning organization is an environment of personal and professional development, in which each individual takes responsibility shares ownership. ~James Kerr

Leaders create leaders. ~James Kerr

Organizational decline is inevitable unless leaders prepare for change - even when standing at the pinnacle of success. ~James Kerr

It is not the strongest species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the ones most responsive to change. ~Charles Darwin

Go for the Gap. When you're on top of your game, change your game. ~James Kerr
Play with purpose. Ask why? ~James Kerr

The person with a narrow vision sees a narrow horizon, the person with a wide vision sees a wide horizon. ~James Kerr

Leaders connect personal meaning to a higher purpose to create belief in a sense of direction. ~James Kerr

Humans, by their nature, seek purpose- a cause greater and more enduring than themselves. The most convincing arguments for his theories are the simplest to understand: we leave well paying jobs for purpose driven ones, we volunteer, We have children. ~Daniel Pink

The idea that emotional reward is more important than material compensation. That intrinsic rather than extrinsic motivation rules the world. ~Hawthorne Effect

Victor Frankel, who, in his book, Man's Search for Meaning, cites research from John Hopkins University: Asked what they considered very important to them now, 16% checked making a lot of money; 78% said their first goal was finding a meaning and purpose to my life.
“What man actually needs”, argues Frankel, “is not a tensionless state but rather the striving and struggling for a worthwhile goal, a freely chosen task.”

People don't buy what you do they buy why you do it. ~Simon Sinek

Inspired leaders, organizations and teams find their deepest purpose- their why? -and attract followers through shared values, vision, and beliefs. ~James Kerr

Leaders create leaders by passing on responsibility, creating ownership, accountability and trust. ~James Kerr

Shared responsibility means shared ownership. A sense of inclusion means individuals are more willing to give themselves to a common cause. ~James Kerr

Leaders don't create followers they create more leaders. ~Tom Peters

Instill in your team members a sense of great self-worth - that each, at any given time, can be the most important on the battlefield. ~General David Petraeus

The mission command model requires the leader to provide 1.) A clear defined goal, 2.) the resources 3.) the time-frame. ~James Kerr

By arming staff with intention, leaders can enable their people to respond appropriately to changing context, without losing sight of the tactical imperative. ~James Kerr
Leaders create leaders. They armed their subordinates with intent. And then step out of the way. ~James Kerr

Look for a leader who can bring people together. ~James Kerr

Leaders or teachers. ~James Kerr

In Drive, Daniel Pink lists the three factors that he believes creates motivation in a human being: mastery, autonomy, and purpose. ~James Kerr

“The best sports people in the world practice more than they play,” Sean Fitzpatrick, states in, New Zealand Management Magazine. “Businesspeople should practice too. They should go home at night and analyze their day's performance. They don't and they need to. To be good at something takes practice, and lots of it.”

“Excellent firms don't believe in excellence,” wrote Tom Peters in Thriving on Chaos, only in constant improvement and constant change. He argues that success is result of a long-term commitment to improving excellence - the small steps leading to a mighty leap.

Excellence is a process of evolution, of cumulative learning, of incremental improvement. ~James Kerr

Enlightened leadership promotes a structured system for the development of the team, combined with a tailored map for the development of the individual. ~James Kerr

A map of daily self-improvement acts as a powerful tool to develop teams and organizations; this living document provides fresh goals and develops new skills so people push themselves harder, become more capable and achieve more for the team. ~James Kerr

Leaders or learners. ~James Kerr

You find out that life is just a game of inches. So is football. Because in either game, life or football, the margin for error is so small . . . On this team, we fight for that inch. On this team, we tear ourselves, and everyone around us to pieces for that inch . . . Cause we know when we add all those inches that's going to make the difference between winning and losing. ~Al Pacino character in Any Given Sunday

Marginal gains: 100 things done 1% better to deliver cumulative competitive advantage. ~James Kerr

Computer programmers have a phrase: garbage in/ garbage out. If we apply the analogy, this means:
• the verbal, visual, and gestural language that will allow to take up residence in our heads;
• the toxins like alcohol, drugs, or sugar that will allow to take up residence in our bodies parentheses and mines);
• the people will allow to take up space in our lives. ~James Kerr

Sometimes it only takes one encounter - one teacher - to change their life, and many lives after that. ~James Kerr

Successful leaders look beyond their own field to discover new approaches, learned best practices, and push the margins. Then they pass on what they have learned. ~James Kerr

The first stage of learning is silence, the second stage is listening. ~James Kerr

Fly information. Follow the spearhead. This is the being of team and the essence of successful organization. ~James Kerr

For the Strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack. ~Rudyard Kipling

The being of team begins from inside. High standards must come from within. Leadership works best when your team takes the lead. ~James Kerr

No one is bigger than the team and individual brilliance does not automatically lead to outstanding results. One selfish mindset will affect a collective culture. ~James Kerr

It's better to have 1000 enemies outside the tent than one inside the tent. ~An old Arab Proverb

A little water seeping through a small hole may swamp a canoe. ~Maori saying

Success can be traced back to the connections between members of the team and their collective character, something true of all winning organizations. Great leaders ruthlessly protect their people, encouraging connection, collaboration, and collective ownership, nurturing a safe environment of trust, respect, and family ~James Kerr

Let us be united, not pulling against one another. ~James Kerr

EMBRACE EXPECTATIONS: Aim for the highest cloud. ~James Kerr

Successful leaders have high internal benchmarks. They set their expectations high and try to exceed them. ~James Kerr

We learned best - and change - from hearing stories that strike a chord with us . . . those in leadership positions who fail to grasp or use the power of stories risk failure for their companies or for themselves. ~John Kotter

Aim for the highest cloud, so that if you miss it, you will hit a lofty mountain. ~James Kerr

The way the sapling is shaped determines how the tree grows. ~James Kerr

TRAIN TO WIN: Practice under pressure. ~James Kerr

Intensity of preparation Who- training to win - conditions the brain and body to perform under pressure. It lets peak performance become automatic. It develops the mindset to win. ~James Kerr

In business, training is often seen as a soft option and is limited to the occasional away-day. However, effective training is intense, regular, and repetitious. For world-class results, it should be central to the culture. ~James Kerr People

Training with intensity accelerates personal growth. ~James Kerr

“Most people have the will to win,” says basketball coach Bobby Knight, “few have the will to prepare to win.”

A Person who is taught at home will stand with confidence in the community. ~James Kerr

KEEP A BLUE HEAD: Control your attention.
(RED HEAD means tight, inhibited, results-oriented, anxious, aggressive, over- compensating, desperate.) (BLUE HEAD means loose, expressive, in the moment, calm, clear, accurate, on task.) ~James Kerr

Bad decisions are not made through a lack of skill or innate judgment: they are made because of an inability to handle pressure at the pivotal moment. ~James Kerr

Mantras are the way in which we can tell our story to ourselves; they are tools for effective thinking, a mental road map in times of pressure. ~James Kerr

From listening comes knowledge; from knowledge comes understanding; from understanding comes wisdom; from wisdom comes well-being. ~James Kerr

The best leaders remain true to their deepest values. They lead their own life and others follow. ~James Kerr

The key to strong peer-to-peer interaction is a high level of trust. This is trust in the sense of safe vulnerability. The leaders need to create an environment where individuals get to know each other as people and gather insight into their personal story and working style. This needs to be supported by the leader’s role-modelling behavior around admission of mistakes and weaknesses and fears . . . this is essential by safe conflict and safe confrontation, where the most important interactions often occur. ~Owen Eastwood

High-performing teams promote a culture of honesty, authenticity, and safe conflict. ~James Kerr

Integrity means that our thoughts and words and deeds are as one, a chiropractic alignment in which our core values, purposes, beliefs, and behaviors all flow in the same direction. It's useful to think of integrity not as morality, as many people do, but workability. It's not about being pure or noble - it's about getting stuff done. Though the end result is trust, belief, and respect, these are merely the by-products of the fact that when we say something will happen it actually does happen. This means that others can count on us to deliver. And, most importantly, that we can count on ourselves. ~James Kerr

Integrity in our model is honoring your word. As such, integrity is a purely positive phenomenon. It has nothing to do with good versus bad, right versus wrong behavior. Like the law of gravity, the law of integrity just is, and if you violate the law of integrity . . . you get hurt just as if you try to violate the law of gravity with no safety device. The personal and organizational benefits of honoring one's word are huge - both for individuals and for organizations - and generally unappreciated. ~“Integrity: Where Leadership Begins”

To the degree that integrity is diminished, the opportunity for is diminished. ~Jansen

If integrity is a central leadership tool and everyone in a team does exactly what they say they will do, clarity, certainty, productivity, and momentum are the results. ~James Kerr

Authenticity is the alignment of head, mouth, heart, and feet - thinking, saying, and doing the same thing consistently. This builds trust, and followers love leaders they can trust. ~ Lance Secretan

Honesty = integrity = authenticity = resilience = performance. ~James Kerr

CHAMPIONS DO EXTRA: find something you would die for and give your life to it. ~James Kerr

Companies that maintain their core values are those that stand alone, stand apart, and stand for something. ~James Kerr

First we shape our values; Then our values shape us. ~James Kerr

Based on strong resonant values, using a common language that employs mantras, mottos, and metaphors, storytelling helps leaders connect their people’s personal meaning to their vision of the future. ~James Kerr

What is the food of a leader? It is knowledge. It is communication. ~James Kerr

RITUALIZE TO ACTUALIZE: Create a culture. ~James Kerr

Inspiring leaders establish rituals to connect their team to its core narrative, using them to reflect, remind, reinforce, and reignite their collective identity and purpose. ~James Kerr

Rituals tell your story, involve your people, create a legacy. Rituals make the intangible real. ~James Kerr

You are but a speck in the moment of time situated between two eternities, the past and the future. ~James Kerr

BE A GOOD ANCESTOR; plant trees you'll never see. ~James Kerr

True leaders are stewards of the future. They take responsibility for adding to the legacy. ~James Kerr

Asus society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they will never see. ~ An old Greek Proverb

What is my job on the planet? What is this that needs doing, that I know something about, that probably won't happen unless I take responsibility for it? ~Albert Schweitzer

The word "character" comes from the ancient Greek, kharakter, meaning the mark that is left on a coin during its manufacture. Character is also the mark left on you by life, and the mark we leave on life. It's the impact you make when you're here, the trace you leave once you're gone. Character rises out of our values, our purpose, the standards we set for ourselves, our sacrifice, and commitment, and to the decisions we make under pressure, but is primarily defined by the contribution we make, the responsibility we take, the leadership we show. ~James Kerr

They're more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are. ~John Wooden

Character is forged by the way we respond to the challenges of life and business, by the way we lead our life in teams. If we value life, life values us. If we devalue it, we dishonor ourselves and our one chance at living. ~James Kerr

This is our time. Leadership is surely the example we said the way we lead our own life is what makes us a leader. It is what gives us mana. ~James Kerr

Our time is limited. Understanding the fragility of life is the first step in understanding our role and responsibility as a leader. Our greatest responsibility is to honor those who came before us and those who will come after, to leave the jersey in a better place. We are the stewards of our organizations, the caretakers of our own lineage. Our action today will echo beyond our time. They are our legacy. Care for the land, Care for the people, Go forward. ~James Kerr

Grow and branch forth for the days of your world. ~James Kerr

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Camino Winds by John Grisham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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One Season of Hope

 

One Season of Hope by Jim Stovall
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A wonderful book by Jim Stovall. This is suppose to be a series on Historical fiction. It combines elements of an inspirational novel with a historical retrospective. This one is about a high school football coach who has a player with a terminal disease. The coach gets his inspiration from Harry S. Truman. Other books that hopefully will be in the series are:

The Will to Win - A Tale of Humor and Perspective from Will Rogers High School

Making Your Mark - A Story of Wit and Wisdom from Mark Twain High School

Top of the Hill - A saga of Wealth and Success from Napoleon Hill High School

The Making of a King > - An Adventure in Tolerance and Forgiveness from martin Luther King, Jr. High School

The Building of a Dynasty - A Novel of Champions and Victory from John Wooden High School

This book, One Season of Hope, is full of Harry S. Truman's quotes. I very much enjoyed reading it. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys, football, inspiration, or history. I trust the following quotes will inspire you the way they inspired me.

There is nothing new in the world except the history you do not know. ~Harry S. Truman
The buck stops here. ~Harry S. Truman

I never played high school football, but if it were me, I would get there early, keep my mouth shut, and do what I was told. ~Jim Stovall

It is understanding that gives us an ability to have peace. When we understand the other fellow’s viewpoint, and he understands ours, then we can sit down and work out our differences. ~Harry S. Truman

In reading the lives of great men, I found that the first victory they won was over themselves . . . self-discipline with all of them came first. ~Harry S. Truman

If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. ~Harry S. Truman

If you can read this, thank a teacher. ~Harry S. Truman

I come to the office each morning and stay for long hours doing what has to be done to the best of my ability. When you’ve done the best you can, you can’t do any better. ~Harry S. Truman

I shall continue to do what I think is right, whether anybody likes it or not. ~Harry S. Truman

A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities, and an optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties. ~Harry S. Truman

There are a lot of things we cannot control, but two things we can always control are our effort and our attitude. ~Jim Stovall

If you do anything less than your best, you not only let the guy next to you down, but you make it easier to be mediocre again next time. ~Jim Stovall

Different people are put on this earth for different reasons. For some individuals, there is no higher calling than being a parent, a carpenter, a banker, a pilot, or an accountant. Each of those professions require dedication and devotion. There are certain poignant moments in every human endeavor that epitomize who we are and why we’re on this earth. ~Jim Stovall

It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit. ~Harry S. Truman

Tact is the ability to step on a man’s toes without messing up the shine on his shoes. ~Harry S. Truman

I hope you can understand that there are times, if you’re going to be who you need to be, you have to learn what you don’t know. ~Jim Stovall

I hate times in life when lying seems more comfortable and convenient than telling the truth. It’s like my grandfather used to tell me about fishing lures. The brightest, shiniest ones have the sharpest hooks. ~Jim Stovall

Sometimes, if you’ll give away what you lack, you’ll get what you need. ~Jim Stovall
It’s a recession when your neighbor loses his job. It’s a depression when you lose yours. ~Harry S. Truman

When even one American who has done nothing wrong is forced by fear to shut his mind and close his mouth, then all Americans are in peril. ~Harry S. Truman

Men make history and not the other way around. In periods where there is no leadership, society stands still. Progress occurs when courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better. ~Harry S. Truman

America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination, and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand. ~Harry S. Truman

Actions are the seeds of fate. Deeds grow into destiny. ~Harry S. Truman

It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts. ~Harry S. Truman

We must have strong minds, ready to accept facts as they are. ~Harry S. Truman

Human life is something that comes to us from beyond this world. The purpose of our society is to cherish it and to enable the individual to attain the highest achievement of which he is capable. ~Harry S. Truman

In a free society, the rules are the servants, and the people are their superiors and their sovereigns; and, therefore, for the former to return to the latter was not to degrade them, but was to promote them. ~Benjamin Franklin

Fame is a vapor, popularity is an accident, riches take wings, those who cheer you today may curse you tomorrow, and only one thing endures – character. ~Harry S. Truman

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Finding God When the World's on Fire: Strength & Faith for Dangerous Times

Finding God When the World's on Fire: Strength & Faith for Dangerous Times by Charles R. Swindoll
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Charles Swindoll does it again. A most encouraging book. I highly recommend this book to everyone. Swindoll helps explain why we as Christians do not need to worry or to be anxious when everything around us seems to be falling apart. I hope you will find the following quotes encouraging, challenging, and calming:

And you must show mercy to those who faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames. ~Jude 1:22-23 NLT

There’s something about the human heart, that when the heat is on, it softens toward things of the Lord. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Sorrow is better than laughter, for sadness has a refining on us. ~Ecclesiastes 7:3 NLT

Enjoy prosperity while you can, but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God. Remember that nothing is certain in life. ~ Ecclesiastes 7:14

The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine. ~How Firm A Fountain

If our foundations are in place, then nothing else really matters. ~ Charles R. Swindoll

The righteous – people whose lives are rightly related to God by faith in Jesus Christ – stand on a firm foundation. ~ Charles R. Swindoll

Now, should the foundation of a life be destroyed, that life crumbles. But if the foundation remains secure, no amount of stress, no brutal attack, or painful backstabbing – would cause life to fracture or ultimately crumble. ~ Charles R. Swindoll

A refuge is a place of hiding – a place of secure protection. The term is chasah in the ancient Hebrew. A chasah is a protective enclosure that provides safety from that which would otherwise consume everything in its past. It’s an impenetrable firewall of protection from danger and distress – from anxiety and fear. ~Charles R. Swindoll

The old country preacher was right when he said, “I may tremble on the rock, but the rock don’t tremble under me.” ~Charles R. Swindoll

Faith is our solid foundation too. A foundation of faith, not fear, is our refuge; it enables us to stand firm against the advancing threats of terror. ~Charles R. Swindoll

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. ~ Psalm 46:1 NIV

He is a very present help in those tight places of fear and uncertainty. ~Charles R. Swindoll

He is fully in control, absolutely sovereign, not almost sovereign. ~Charles R. Swindoll

In biblical days, the word selah probably indicated a pause. A breather, a moment to reflect. “Pause and let that sink in.” ~Charles R. Swindoll

In place of worry and anxiety, pause . . . The Lord is our refuge. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Don’t run ahead; pause.
Don’t panic; pause.
Don’t fret and fear; pause. ~Charles R. Swindoll

In place of worry and anxiety, pause. The foundation stands firm. The Lord is our refuge. He is our very present help in tight places. Even when the flames seem more like a blast furnace. ~Charles R. Swindoll

We will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea. ~Psalm 46:2

Our God is in sovereign control of all the events of this earth. ~Charles R. Swindoll

We do not fear because the Lord our God is our chasah – our refuge, our hiding place He is our strength. He Himself is the rock. All such catastrophes surprise and shock us, but nothing surprises or shocks Him. Our God is in sovereign control of all the events of this earth. They occur exactly as He has planned or permitted them. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Nothing surprises God. However, He does permit events that often puzzle us, and His reasons are too profound for us to grasp. They are put together in the counsel of His own will, and they fit perfectly into His plan for His glory and for His purposes. As His servant, I say in response, “I will not fear. Though I don’t understand it, I will not fear. Though You, Lord, take something that’s deeply significant to me, though You allow catastrophe to strike, I will not fear. I will not blame you, I will not doubt Your goodness, and I will not question Your intentions. ~Charles R. Swindoll

And though this world with devils filled, should threaten to undo us, we will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us! ~Martin Luther
When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, your consolations delight my soul. ~Psalm 94:19
Cease striving and know that I am God. ~Psalm 46:10

God’s Word became the ammunition to weaken the enemy’s position and strengthen the Christians’. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Verse 10 of Psalm 46 announces: We will not worry. The psalmist writes, “Cease striving.” The Hebrew uses a single term in that command that means, literally, “stop!” What a great directive. Stop! ~Charles R. Swindoll

You can almost imagine the Lord of heaven thundering this command to His people as they shrink in fear: “Stop. Stop it. Stop worrying about the future! Have you forgotten that I am your very present help in tight places? Your worry and fear imply that I am no longer here or that I have become impotent and out of touch. But I am not indifferent. Nothing has escaped My panoramic gaze and powerful control. I’m not like the swallows that flutter away in the winter, to return only when the weather clears.” ~Charles R. Swindoll

Because God is our refuge, we will not fear. ~Charles R. Swindoll

If the foundations are in place, if the Lord our God is your refuge and strength, then you can cease striving and know that He is God. He is not moved. He is not distant or disinterested. Those who trust in Him stop worrying, as fear is sent packing. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. ~1 Peter 5:8 NIV

We can resist the enemy even battle him and be victorious. ~Charles R. Swindoll

We are facing hardships, conflicts, terror, and worldwide disruptions like none of us would have ever imagined, because we are encountering our adversary on his turf. Everything God’s people love, he hates. For instance, he hates your lifelong commitment to your marriage. Chances are good that more marriages are in conflict in these fearful days than in times past. Chances are you’ve got more troubles than usual in your family, troubles rooted in anxiety and its kissing cousin, fear. ~Charles R. Swindoll

We should expect enemy attacks in any number of areas. While we ought not to live in fear of them, we’re not to be ignorant of them either. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Ready for some good news? It’s found in Scripture. We can resist the enemy – even battle him – and be victorious! ~Charles R. Swindoll

Look closely and read carefully the opening line of 1 Peter 5:9: “But resist him, firm in your faith.”
The enemy’s attacks may be directed toward the vulnerable part of your life, but the shield of faith will protect you from them like a firewall. Trust the scriptural promise. You can resist him. ~Charles R. Swindoll

The shield of faith will protect you . . . like a firewall. ~Charles R. Swindoll
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time ~1 Peter 5:6 NIV

The Lord’s direction for us in these perilous times is “humble yourselves.” ~Charles R. Swindoll
We need to understand – this isn’t human strategy based on human strength that requires human giftedness to lead to human accomplishments. This is altogether contrary to what any of us would imagine. The Lord’s direction for us in these perilous times is “Humble yourselves.” Peter paints a picture of falling on your face before God in submission and trust. Trace “humble yourself” back as far as possible, and you will find people literally on their faces before God. ~Charles R. Swindoll

God commands us to humble ourselves under His hand. This means you and I don’t get our own way. It isn’t about getting what we want. When you humble yourself under the Master’s hand, you humble yourself to the Master. It’s about doing what He wishes. It’s what He plans that matters. You hardly need to be told that everything in our culture works against that simple, clear direction. No matter. The command stands: “Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time” (1 Peter 5:6). ~Charles R. Swindoll

Keep in mind that God has shaped a plan that will lead to victory, hope, peace, and joy. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. ~1 Corinthians 16:13
Be alert! Stand alone! Grow up! Get tough! ~Charles R. Swindoll

In the end, God wins. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Allow the Lord to transform those long-held negative attitudes that do nothing to advance His cause. ~Charles R. Swindoll

If you’re a preacher or otherwise engaged in communicating biblical truth, you proclaim what needs to be proclaimed, not what others want you to proclaim. You stand tough even if you don’t want to hear it and even if they run you off. Being tough, you stand like a steer in a blizzard. ~Charles R. Swindoll

The times in which we live are tough, so they require tough-minded maturity. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Now is the time for a courage transfusion. We must remain alert against the enemy. We must stand alone against the evil, even if others choose not to do so. We must grow up as people with convictions – stand tall, act like mature men and women. And we must be strong – not mean, not paying bank evil for evil – but strong in character and stout in convictions. Meet the challenge. Face the flames with faith, not fear. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Let all that you do be done in love. ~1 Corinthians 16:14

It is love that compels us into the flame. ~Charles R. Swindoll

There’s a final command in 1 Corinthians 16:14: “Let all that you do be done in love.”

We are compelled to love everyone – even our enemies. Yes, our enemies. ~Charles R. Swindoll
Love is the ultimate offense. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Let me tell you who needs your love the most – those who are out of touch with God. ~Charles R. Swindoll

The lost need the Savior’s redeeming love to touch them deeply and to hold them close and to draw them to Himself, to change them from within. ~Charles R. Swindoll

“Do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness, forbearance, and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? ~Romans 2:4 NIV

If it was God’s wonderful kindness that brought us to repentance, then that same kindness ought to be our ultimate strategy. ~Charles R. Swindoll

It is remarkable how potent a weapon love is against the enemy’s fierce and relentless tactics. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Lost people are not the enemy. They are victims of the enemy. ~Howard G. Hendricks

Remember the wholesome fruit that comes from Him? Love (there’s our word), joy, peace, patience, kindness (there it is again), goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). And here is the kicker: against such things there is no defense! We render the enemy virtually powerless when we move toward lost people with these qualities – which, by the way, cannot be mustered from the flesh. ~Charles R. Swindoll

One person, one family at a time, as they encounter in us and in our families the irresistible kindness of Christ. His love initially shocks them, then ultimately, it transforms them. ~Charles R. Swindoll

It’s Christ’s all-conquering love that wins the ultimate battle – not anger or hate or retaliation. ~Charles R. Swindoll

Let us pause in the calm for prayer. ~Charles R. Swindoll

I hope you will read this great book. It may be short, but it is packed with great truths!

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The Mister Rogers Effect: 7 Secrets to Bringing Out the Best in Yourself and Others from America's Beloved Neighbor by Anita Knight Kuhnley

 

The Mister Rogers Effect: 7 Secrets to Bringing Out the Best in Yourself and Others from America's Beloved Neighbor by Anita Knight Kuhnley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Mister Rogers Effect is one of the best books I have read in several months. I highly recommend it. Dr. Anita Knight Kuhnley is an excellent author. The book covers the following seven Secrets that Mister rogers taught throughout his life.

7 Secrets to bring out the best in yourself and others from America’s Beloved Neighbor (Mr. Rogers)
Secret 1: Listen First – Listen with more than your ears!
Secret 2: Validate Feelings – Feelings are mentionable and manageable!
Secret 3: Pause and Think – Take time to discover what is inside!
Secret 4: Show Gratitude – Be kind and be thankful!
Secret 5: Develop Empathy – Be with people where they are!
Secret 6: Practice Acceptance – Who you are right now is acceptable!
Secret 7: Establish Security – People need to know they are cared for!

I hope you will find the quotes below helpful, encouraging, and challenging.

Shared joy is doubled, and sorrow shared is halved. Sharing has a healing impact. ~An old proverb
Here is my secret. It’s quite simple: One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes. ~Antoine de Saint-Exupery, “The Little Prince”

The words “thank you” are probably the greatest words in any language. ~ Fred Rogers

There isn’t anyone you couldn’t love once you’ve heard their story. ~Sister Mary Lou Kownacki, director, Monasteries of the Heart

Demonstrating and communicating with empathy is the healthy relational glue that helps us stick together and cooperative relationships. ~Dr. Anita Knight Kuhnley

When we love a person, we accept him or her exactly as is: the lovely with the unlovely, the strong with the fearful, the true mixed in with the façade, and of course, the only way we can do it is by accepting ourselves that way. ~Fred Rogers

It’s not the honors and the prizes and the fancy outsides of life which ultimately nourish our souls; it is the knowing that we can be trusted, that we never have to fear the truth, that the bedrock of our lives, from which we make our choices, is very good stuff. There is a neighborhood song that is meant for the in each of us. “It’s You I Like.” ~Fred Rogers

It's you I like,
It's not the things you wear,
It's not the way you do your hair
But it's you I like
The way you are right now,
The way down deep inside you
Not the things that hide you,
Not your toys
They're just beside you.

But it's you I like
Every part of you.
Your skin, your eyes, your feelings
Whether old or new.
I hope that you'll remember
Even when you're feeling blue
That it's you I like,
It's you yourself
It's you.
It's you I like. ~Fred Rogers

It's a beautiful day in this neighborhood,
A beautiful day for a neighbor.
Would you be mine?
Could you be mine?

It's a neighborly day in this beauty wood,
A neighborly day for a beauty,
Would you be mine?
Could you be mine?

I have always wanted to have a neighbor just like you!
I've always wanted to live in a neighborhood with you.
So let's make the most of this beautiful day,
Since we're together we might as well say,
Would you be mine?
Could you be mine?
Won't you be my neighbor?
Won't you please,
Won't you please?
Please won't you be my neighbor? ~Fred Rogers

People are just as wonderful as sunsets if I can let them be. . . . When I look at a sunset, as I did the other evening, I don’t find myself saying, “Soften the orange a bit on the right-hand corner. . . .” I don’t try to control a sunset. I watch with awe as it unfolds. ~Carl Rogers

We typically don’t accept influence from people who don’t accept us. ~Dr. Anita Knight Kuhnley

Love is at the root of everything. All learning. All parenting. All relationships. Love or the lack of it. ~Fred Rogers

Self-acceptance is a prerequisite for other-acceptance. We must start there. ~Dr. Anita Knight Kuhnley

Gratitude is incredibly good for our health and relationships. ~Dr. Anita Knight Kuhnley

As human beings, our job in life is to help people realize how rare and valuable each one of us really is, that each of us has something that no one else has – or ever will have – something inside that is unique to all time. It’s our job to encourage each other to discover that uniqueness and to provide ways of developing its expression. ~Fred Rogers

Like bodies of water change the lands they run through over time, we are shaped and impacted by those who love us. ~Dr. Anita Knight Kuhnley

What is most significant in your interpersonal history is not the events but how you talk about them. ~Dr. Anita Knight Kuhnley

Many have said, “We need a Mr. Rogers in our world today.” I believe that if you can’t find a Mr. Rogers, you can certainly be one. Internalize his message and be a healing, calming presence. I fail miserably, but
I’m trying. ~comment on YouTube video “Remembering Mr. Rogers,” a video with Charlie Rose, televised in 1994

It helps to be loved in order to work in this life. ~Fred Rogers

We speak with more than our mouths. We listen with more than our ears. ~Fred Rogers

Being heard feels so similar to being loved that for many people the distinction goes unnoticed. ~ Dr. Anita Knight Kuhnley

People have said, “Don’t cry” to other people for years and years, and all it has ever meant is “I’m too uncomfortable when you show your feelings: Don’t cry.” I’d rather have them say, “Go ahead and cry. I’m here to be with you.” ~Fred Rogers

If we make it clear that feelings are mentionable and manageable, we will have done a great service for mental health. ~Dr. Anita Knight Kuhnley

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A Generous Life: 10 Steps to Living a Life Money Can't Buy

 

A Generous Life: 10 Steps to Living a Life Money Can't Buy by David Green Sr.
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Quotes from A Generous Life: 10 Steps to Living a Life Money Can’t Buy by David Green
David Green has written a wonderful, encouraging, practical, and challenging book. There are some great personal stories about Green and his company, Hobby Lobby. There is several quotes from each chapter that I have shared below:
• A true legacy . . . is conceived in wisdom, nurtured by principle, and sustained by character.
• The questions we ask at the end of life are the ones we should begin with.
• Generosity and legacy happen only when we return everything to the rightful owner [God].
• Wealth can be a hindrance if it’s seen as something you own rather than steward.
• I sensed God saying to me, “This company [Hobby Lobby] beongs to me. Don’t you touch it. It’s mine.”
• I knew who controlled my fate no matter what those justices decided. And peace reigned. (This was when his company was being judge by The Supreme Court over the health issue).
• Choose the eternal in the everyday mundane.
• Honoring the people in your life, respecting them, doing what’s right, acting with integrity. This is true virtue, and it begins with people.
• Valuing the eternal means putting people first.
• The first thing that will help your children is to show them a marriage they want to emulate.
• Whether it is in your marriage, your parenting, or your work ethic, integrity always wins.
• The greatest blessings are the ones that can never be lost.
• Having money does not equal being blessed. Money can actually be a curse if it is not handled the right way.
• Blessing carries a purpose that goes beyond ourselves, and even beyond this lifetime.
• Beyond Christ, everything else is just frosting.
• Every journey requires a destination.
• Generosity can start ever so small, but eventually have massive impact for God’s kingdom.
• To invest in eternal things is the most important thing we can do with our lives, our energies, and our resources.
• If we don’t use Hobby Lobby’s earnings to touch people for the Lord, I really don’t see the reason for me to be in business at all.
• Through giving, we join God in His divine work.
• Those who plan to give, do.
• Let your mind play a bit, and see whether God ignites your heart with the fire of generosity.
• Ask, “Is this going to matter a thousand years from now?” If not, it might be a good thing, but it’s not a great thing.
• Don’t underestimate the power of making a plan and writing it down.
• What you know, you can change. What you don’t know controls you.
• One of the great needs in families is to talk with one another about money and the responsibility it brings.
• You can spend your life either on the eternal or on things that aren’t going to matter.
• Work is not a curse. It is our calling.
• We simply must raise kids and grandkids to be independent. Otherwise we make cripples out of them.
• No family member, of whatever generation, must ever view Hobby Lobby as his or her source of well-being for all of life. God is our source!
• Give even when it seems impossible.
• You won’t know whether you can out-give God until you try.
• It settled permanently inside of me that God had a purpose for a businessman. He had called me.
• The more this business gives, the more God blesses us to keep giving.
• When to give? I humbly suggest always.
• Passing on wealth means passing on all forms of wealth.
• It doesn’t matter if you’re a wealthy business owner, a rookie entrepreneur, or a couple planning their family and the next five years – breaking up your family’s vision is never a good thing.
• We want [Hobby Lobby] to continue for decades, perhaps even centuries, as an ongoing source of financial fuel for God’s work around the world.
• Stockpile treasure in Heaven!
• Legacy is not just what we leave behind, but what we send ahead.
• Don’t hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or – worse! – stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being” (Matthew 6:19-21).
• I want to be remembered more for the size of my soul than for the size of my bank account.

As you can see from the quotes above, this is an excellent book. If you are a believer than I highly recommend this book. It is an easy read, but has eternal principles

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