A Collection of Good Business and Life Quotes I Have Enjoyed

This is a collection of quotes, advice and thoughts that I have enjoyed over the years. Please share your personal favorites as well in the comments. Thanks!

Written Mar 22, 2010, read 6306 times since then.

"Adversity is a fact of life. It can't be controlled. What we can control is how we react to it."
~Unknown

Frank Lloyd Wright:
"I know the price of success: dedication, hard work, and an unremitting devotion to the things you want to see happen."

Set clear written goals and live by them. 3% of Harvard Students completely set the curve for the other 97%. The only difference? The 3% had clearly written goals.

EXCELLENCE: is the result of caring more than others think is wise, risking more than others think is safe, dreaming more than others think is practical and expecting more than others think is possible
~Unknown

A fool is someone who keeps on doing the same thing, yet expects to get different results.
~Unknown

Even when times get hard, press on.
-Philippians | three-twelve

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
-James 1: 2-4

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler.
-Henry David Thoreau

Do the things you want to do least, first.
~My mentor used to say this to me when I was growing up.

Think First. Act Immediately.
~unknown

"If You Think You Can't You Are Right. If You Think You Can You Are Right."
-Henry Ford

The Difference between successful people and unsuccessful people is what they do with their time.
-Brian Tracy

If a man loves his job, he never works a day in his life and if the love of what you're doing exceeds the labor in doing it, your success is inevitable.
~On the wall of Southlake Pizza in Lake Stevens. :-)

Singleness of purpose is one of the chief essentials for success in life, no matter what may be one's aim.
-John D. Rockefeller

I know of nothing more despicable and pathetic than a man who devotes all the hours of the waking day to the making of money for money's sake.
-John D. Rockefeller

When it comes to what you want, NEVER GIVE UP.
~Unknown

"Motivation is what gets you started; habit is what keeps you going.
-Jim Ryan"

"The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles, exploding like spiders across the stars."
"On The Road" -Jack Kerouac

In spite of your fear, do what you have to do.
-Chin-Ning Chu

The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.
-Walt Disney

What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

It has been my observation that most people get ahead during the time that others waste time.
-Henry Ford

You only get out of it what you put into it. If you are a sheep in this world, you're not going to get much out of it.
-Greg Norman

I don't care how much power, brilliance or energy you have, if you don't harness it and focus it on a specific target, and hold it there you're never going to accomplish as much as your ability warrants.
-Zig Ziglar

The major difference between the big shot and the little shot is the big shot is just a little shot who kept on shooting.
-Zig Ziglar

Leaders are made, they are not born. They are made by hard effort, which is the price which all of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile. -Vince Lombardi

Some of us will do our jobs well and some will not, but we will be judged by only one thing. the result.
-Vince Lombardi

One of the marks of excellent people is that they never compare themselves with others. They only compare themselves with themselves and with their past accomplishments and future potential.
-Brian Tracy

Learn more about the author, Robert Muller.

Posted by Laura Dodson, CPA, Seattle, Washington | Mar 22, 2010
My fav:

Everyone has 24 hours in a day. It your choice to work at McDonalds or to be a millionaire.
- anon
Tax Preparation and QuickBooks Training
Posted by Kelley St. Germain, West Jefferson, North Carolina | Mar 22, 2010

My favorite quote is from General "Vinegar Joe" Stillwell...Illigitimus Non Carborundum!
Posted by Nadir Zulqernain, Ph.D., Kirkland, Washington | Mar 23, 2010

I love quotes. Here is one.

The greatest achievement of the human spirit is to live up to one's opportunities, and to make the most of one's resources. - Vauvenargues

Become a better worker, friend, spouse and parent.
Posted by Robert Muller, Seattle, Washington | Mar 23, 2010

Nadir, I like it!
Posted by Robert Muller, Seattle, Washington | Mar 23, 2010

Kelley, I had to look it up http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illegitimi_non_carborundum Good stuff!
Posted by Robert Muller, Seattle, Washington | Mar 23, 2010

Laura, it is all up to us. :-)
Posted by Susan Rolfe, Seattle, Washington | Mar 23, 2010

"Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now." Goethe
Posted by Nadir Zulqernain, Ph.D., Kirkland, Washington | Mar 23, 2010
Judgment comes from experience, and great judgment comes from bad experience.
- Robert Packwood
Become a better worker, friend, spouse and parent.
Posted by Beth Buelow, Tacoma, Washington | Mar 23, 2010

Ah, the Vinegar Joe quote sounded familiar, so I'm glad, Robert, that you provided the Wikipedia link... my awareness comes from Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale and U2's song Acrobat :-)

I am a lover and collector of quotes, so too many to call out here. The Henry Ford "If you think you can..." has always been a favorite. Here are two more to add that have informed my biz development:

Start by doing what’s necessary; next do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible. ~St. Francis of Assisi

Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Oh, one more, can't resist: [Luke:] I can’t believe it. [Yoda:] That is why you fail.
Posted by Megan Glover, Lynnwood, Washington | Mar 25, 2010

Hehe, I just found a good one today: "Remember, experience is what you get when you didn't get what you thought you wanted." ~ David Schomer, Espresso Vivace (near the Space Needle)
Posted by Judy Soccio, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Mar 25, 2010

Do or do not. There is no "try". - Yoda

Fun list.
Posted by Paule Nzekio, Baltimore, Maryland | Mar 25, 2010

Shark Boy and lava Girl (you'll be surprised at the inspiring quotes these kids shows/movies have)

max the main character acknowledges the fact that his dreams are always faulty and come to reality in the wrong way, and Shark Boy replies:

"Build a better dream, then work to make it real"
Posted by Tim Hamilton, Lexington, Kentucky | Mar 25, 2010

I love the big shot quote from Ziglar!
Posted by Nadir Zulqernain, Ph.D., Kirkland, Washington | Mar 25, 2010

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. - William Morrow

Become a better worker, friend, spouse and parent.
Posted by Kellie Batali, Maple Valley, Washington | Mar 25, 2010

Always a great way to start the day; looking at some positive words! Thanks
Posted by Luay Rahil, Euless, Texas | Mar 25, 2010

I love them, thanks for sharing, you have some quotes for Zig Zigglar, and how can you wrong with that, I love Zig Zigglar. If you have a chance read over the top, It will change you life.
Posted by Ellen Clark, Bellingham, Washington | Mar 25, 2010
Thank you Robert for sharing your collection. I love collecting too. One of my recent favorites:

"It is said that invisible forces control our world, but personally I just don't see it."
```
- Swami Beyondanada
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from the book Spontaneous Evolution
Posted by Lyle Hubbard, Portland, Oregon | Mar 25, 2010

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Albert Einstein German, Physicist Quotes
Posted by Susan Brooks, Gig Harbor, Washington | Mar 25, 2010

I love Zig Ziglar too. I am reading his "Secrets of Closing the Sale" now. I like what he says about: "You can get everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want"

This is an important component in networking I think.
Posted by cynthia smith, Kirkland, Washington | Mar 25, 2010
Great quotes! Here's one of my favorites...

"The less you know, the more you believe."
- Bono, U2
Posted by Jennifer Bowen, Gig Harbor, Washington | Mar 25, 2010

Robert - FANTASTIC post! I'm a collector of quotes and motivational phrases and I'll certainly be adding these to my collection. Here's a couple of my favorites:

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind." - Dr. Seuss

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." - Eleanor Roosevelt
Posted by Susan Rolfe, Seattle, Washington | Mar 26, 2010

Confidence comes not from always being right but from not fearing to be wrong. - Peter T. Mcintyre
Posted by David Giannini, Seattle, Washington | Mar 26, 2010

Robert,

Great article, I enjoyed many of the quotes.

Jennifer, the "Be who you are ... " quote is one of my favorites although I have heard it attributed to Bernard Beruch

"Only when the tide goes out do you discover who's been swimming naked” Warren Buffett
Posted by Robert Muller, Seattle, Washington | Mar 26, 2010

Thanks everyone for all the quotes. They are great! :-) I am really liking all the feedback.
Posted by Rachel Sheard, Oregon City, Oregon | Mar 28, 2010

Failure? I never encountered it. All I ever met were temporary setbacks. --Dottie Walters
Posted by Wesley Clark, Bellevue, Washington | Apr 01, 2010

Money is better than poverty, if only for financial reasons. -- Woody Allen
Posted by Rachel Sheard, Oregon City, Oregon | Apr 01, 2010

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. - William Morrow"

--There's a poster in my office that attributes this to Ralph Waldo Emerson. ??