I am a big fan of timeless and true success quotes and the sheer power they wield. The ten quotes on success that follow are ones that I deem truly worthy of both contemplation and assimilation. Here goes:
➀ The Power Of Your Thoughts
"You become what you think about all day long."
It only seems appropriate to start us off with this success quote in particular. Here’s why.
The year was 1986. I was fresh out of High School and ready to embark on the next chapter of my life—college.
I remember the day I received the solicitation in the mail for a 6-cassette audio program called Lead the Field. As a highly driven individual who always felt destined for BIG things, I was fascinated. I bought it.
Lead the Field was my first exposure to anything from the self-help genre, let alone the late, great Earl Nightingale. This is where and when I first heard this success quote, and I continue to heed its truth today.
And as crazy as it may sound, I still have those cassettes. Stranger still, I maintain an old tape recorder just so that I can continue to listen to them. I know—I can get them in a more modern format; however, these hold a particular sentimental value for me. Yes, they were and still are that powerful!
➁ The Change Agent For Success
"Change your thoughts and you change your world."
What you think determines how you feel.
How you feel determines what you do.
What you do determines what happens in your world.
Yes, your thoughts are that powerful! They act as a spark to your reality.
So do yourself (and the rest of us, for that matter) a huge service and be conscious of your thoughts.
Do you want more? Start by changing your thoughts to align with the result you wish to see.
➂ Keep The Weeds Out Of Your Mind
"I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet."
Who knew? Mom was right. As kids, I remember how she would constantly pound into our heads that if you hang around with bad kids, you will become one.
How so? If for no other reason, we would be exposed to and possibly influenced by their way of thinking—stinkin’ thinkin’!
We would become followers, not leaders. And yes, each of the Mercado brothers had their fair share of run-ins here. But, thankfully, we all turned out okay. Thank you, Mom!
➃ Questions That Spark True Success
"For true success ask yourself these four questions: Why? Why not? Why not me? Why not now?"
I pose these four questions to my small business coaching clients, especially when we either clarify their Company Vision or level up their Mindset.
I have to say; it never ceases to amaze me how many small business owners get incredibly uncomfortable and, for the most part, stumped when I drill down with these.
Mind you; these are really smart business owners. Ones that most would deem as genuinely successful.
There is a fundamental difference between surface success and true success, though. On the surface, all may look great. The company is profitable. However, true success comes from happiness, as I’ll get into in a moment.
➄ The Key To Success
"Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful."
How often do we hear the person’s story who seemed to ‘have it all’ suddenly committing suicide? Unfortunately, this is a very real and frequent occurrence.
Success does not ensure happiness. I know many seemingly successful small business owners who, deep down, are miserable. Somewhere along the line, they have lost the passion for what they do—or worse yet, for who they do it for.
Now I’m not saying that you need to be passionate about your business for it to succeed in the eyes of others. Surface success is much easier to attain than true success.
What I can tell you is that if you find yourself in a position where you truly ‘love’ what you do and who you do it for and can live the life you desire simultaneously, wow… you are truly successful!
➅ Action Breeds Success
"Whatever you can do or dream, begin it."
For years, many in the self-help genre suggested that all you need to do is think, and ‘poof’ it will appear.
Sorry to put a damper on this one for you; however, it is simply not true.
Yes, they had part of the success equation correct. Your thoughts are critical to your results. However, they left off a critical piece of that equation– action.
It’s in mobilizing those thoughts that they can become a reality.
So whatever it is that you pine for, get started immediately. Nothing happens until something moves!
➆ Modeling Success For All
"Be the change you want to see in the world."
So many capable people sit idly by on the sidelines and wonder why no one is doing anything. “Someone ought to do something,” they say.
Worse yet is when it progresses into a victim mentality where they allow stinkin’ thinkin’ to control their activity (or inactivity).
These are recipes for failure.
Then there are the other, more malicious people that love pointing fingers and placing blame for their lot in life. Why? It’s easier. Dare I say, some actually get of on it.
Don’t be that person!
You want something better?
Get off the bench and get in the game. Don’t just think about it, do it. Be the change agent!
➇ You Reap What You Sow
"Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."
I guess you can say I love gardening—vegetable gardening, to be precise. Each year, I enjoy amending the soil, choosing what to plant and where, fertilizing, pruning, and nurturing—and ultimately enjoying the fruits of my several months-long labors. Oh, the pleasure of picking and eating that first slicing tomato! You’ll likely know what I mean if you’ve ever grown your own garden.
Why do I share this with you? We reap what we sow! Action creates a reaction. And better yet, the more love we put into it, the more we get out of it; This goes for businesses, personal relationships, growing vegetables, and much more.
Hey, I didn’t make this stuff up; I just leveraged it.
➈ How To Properly Frame Success
"Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens."
What strikes me as so powerful here is that we get to define what ‘true success‘ means for ourselves. Our perception of reality and our attitude toward it are what truly matter.
Remember, what you think determines how you feel.
How you feel determines what you do.
What you do determines what happens in your world.
The best part, you get to choose your thoughts. That’s where success begins. Your mindset is the ultimate thermometer for your success.
➉ The Importance of Character on Success
"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."
Let’s get right to the point here. Life will always present challenges—some are the result of our choices while others were through no fault of our own. Some are pleasant, and some flat-out suck.
It’s those challenges, though, that reveals our character. So learn to embrace them as they shape our growth.
The best part about it is you get to choose how you will think about each specific challenge or controversy; You get to choose how you will show up when they occur—and they will occur.
As Dr. King pointed out, it’s easy to ride the wave when all is going your way. It’s how you deal with the tough stuff, though, that reveals your true self.
Let's Wrap It Up
Well, that’s my list of 10 inspirational success quotes. Fond of any other famous (or maybe not so famous) quotes on success that inspires you? I’d love to hear them. Feel free to share them in the comments below!
10 Powerful Company Vision Quotes You Need To Know
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We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
