The higher up you go, the more mistakes you are allowed. Right at the top, if you make enough of them, it’s considered to be your style.
-Fred Astaire, dancer, actor, singer, musician, and choreographer (1899-1987)
..towards uncharitable
The highest exercise of charity is charity towards the uncharitable. -J.S. Buckminster, clergyman and editor (1784-1812)
said in verse
If Galileo had said in verse that the world moved, the Inquisition might have let him alone.
-Thomas Hardy, novelist and poet (1840-1928)
telling the truth
There are many forms of patriotism and telling the truth is one of them.
-Anderson Cooper, journalist and commentator (b. 3 Jun 1967)
...some
Live a balanced life. Learn some and think some, and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
-Robert Fulghum, author (b. 4 Jun 1937)
escaping from old
The difficulty lies, not in the new ideas, but in escaping from the old ones.
-John Maynard Keynes, economist (1883-1946)
...brings inspiration
Just as appetite comes by eating, so work brings inspiration.
-Igor Stravinsky, composer (1882-1971)
...forgiveness
Life is an adventure in forgiveness.
-Norman Cousins, author, editor, journalist, and professor (1915-1990)
...silent cost
Every extra step is a silent cost.
Complexity accumulates quietly; value doesn't.
What feels insignificant once becomes expensive when repeated thousands of times.
What feels insignificant once becomes expensive when repeated thousands of times.
Victory & Defeat
Once you hear the details of victory, it is hard to distinguish it from a defeat.
-Jean-Paul Sartre, writer and philosopher (1905-1980)
All Quiet on the Western Front
This book is to be neither an accusation nor a confession, and least of all an adventure, for death is not an adventure to those who stand face to face with it. It will try simply to tell of a generation of men who, even though they may have escaped its shells, were destroyed by the war.
-Erich Maria Remarque, novelist (1898-1970), in "All Quiet on the Western Front"
...just play the hand
"We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand." |
— Randy Pausch |
Seeing beats reporting
Reports summarize problems after they happen; direct observation reveals reality as it is. Real understanding begins when you see the process with your own eyes.
create space, not pressure
Great leaders create space, not pressure
Pressure may increase activity, but space creates clarity and better thinking.
Strong leaders remove fear and noise so people can focus, learn, and improve.
Pressure may increase activity, but space creates clarity and better thinking.
Strong leaders remove fear and noise so people can focus, learn, and improve.
The teacher....
The mediocre teacher tells.
The good teacher explains.
The superior teacher demonstrates.
The great teacher inspires.
- William Arthur Ward
The good teacher explains.
The superior teacher demonstrates.
The great teacher inspires.
- William Arthur Ward
words left unsaid
The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone.
-Harriet Beecher Stowe, abolitionist and novelist (1811-1896)
light, shade, and
I never saw an ugly thing in my life: for let the form of an object be what it may, -- light, shade, and perspective will always make it beautiful.
-John Constable, painter (1776-1837)
...good at heart
I keep my ideals, because in spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart.
-Anne Frank, Holocaust diarist (1929-1945)
-Anne Frank, Holocaust diarist (1929-1945)
needs memories...
Everybody needs his memories. They keep the wolf of insignificance from the door.
-Saul Bellow, writer, Nobel laureate (1915-2005)
-Saul Bellow, writer, Nobel laureate (1915-2005)
...your and my business...
Live and let live, be and let be,
Hear and let hear, see and let see,
Sing and let sing, dance and let dance. ...
Live and let live and remember this line:
"Your bus'ness is your bus'ness and my bus'ness is mine."
-Cole Porter, composer and songwriter (1893-1964)
Hear and let hear, see and let see,
Sing and let sing, dance and let dance. ...
Live and let live and remember this line:
"Your bus'ness is your bus'ness and my bus'ness is mine."
-Cole Porter, composer and songwriter (1893-1964)
major decisions...
There are 3 major decisions in your life.
- What you do?
- Who you are with?
- Where do you live?
...must be earned
A Calm mind, Fit Body and a house full of love - these cannot be bought, they must be earned.
- Naval Ravikant
One...
Kindness starts with one.
One smile.
One compliment.
One cup of coffee.
One person.
~ Orly Wahba
...how that government treats
The moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; and those who are in the shadows of life -- the sick, the needy, and the handicapped.
-Hubert Horatio Humphrey, US Vice President (1911-1978)
Flow is built by removing, not adding
Flow improves when delays, approvals, and unnecessary complexity are eliminated from the process.
Lean creates speed through simplification, not through adding more activity.
Lean creates speed through simplification, not through adding more activity.
Great leaders create space, not pressure
Pressure may increase activity, but space creates clarity and better thinking.
Strong leaders remove fear and noise so people can focus, learn, and improve.
Strong leaders remove fear and noise so people can focus, learn, and improve.
...acceptance
We love those who know the worst of us and don't turn their faces away.
-Walker Percy, author (1916-1990)
...mirrors are forgotten
How simple life becomes when things like mirrors are forgotten.
-Daphne du Maurier, novelist (1907-1989)
...false & true ones
The difference between false memories and true ones is the same as for jewels: it is always the false ones that look the most real, the most brilliant.
-Salvador Dali, painter (1904-1989)
...only kindness can
Neither genius, fame, nor love show the greatness of the soul. Only kindness can do that.
-Jean Baptiste Henri Lacordaire, preacher, journalist, and activist (1802-1861)
...you see more in yourself
When you re-read a classic, you do not see more in the book than you did before; you see more in yourself than there was before.
-Clifton Fadiman, editor and critic (1904-1999)
-Clifton Fadiman, editor and critic (1904-1999)
...wear your amateurism
‘Forget about being an expert or a professional, and wear your amateurism (your heart, your love) on your sleeve. Share what you love, and the people who love the same things will find you’.
- Austin Kleon, Show Your Work (2014)
- Austin Kleon, Show Your Work (2014)
...more surprising
Most creativity is a transition from one context into another where things are more surprising. There’s an element of surprise, and especially in science, there is often laughter that goes along with the ‘Aha’. Art also has this element. Our job is to remind us that there are more contexts than the one that we’re in -- the one that we think is reality.
-Alan Kay, computer scientist (b. 17 May 1940)
-Alan Kay, computer scientist (b. 17 May 1940)
Patience & Persistence
Knowing trees, I understand the meaning of patience. Knowing grass, I can appreciate persistence.
-Hal Borland, author and journalist (1900-1978)
...waste is growing
“Lean moves. Waste waits.”
- Lean creates continuous movement of value through the process. Whenever work, material, or decisions are waiting, waste is growing.
- Lean creates continuous movement of value through the process. Whenever work, material, or decisions are waiting, waste is growing.
...from the desk
“You can’t see waste from a desk.”
- Real problems become visible only where the work actually happens. Distance creates assumptions; observation creates understanding.
- Real problems become visible only where the work actually happens. Distance creates assumptions; observation creates understanding.
...hear reason
Neither great poverty nor great riches will hear reason.
-Henry Fielding, author (1707-1754)
-Henry Fielding, author (1707-1754)
...renewed in the spending
One must not be mean with the affections; what is spent of the fund is renewed in the spending itself.
-Sigmund Freud, neurologist, founder of psychoanalysis (1856-1939)
How we spend...
How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.
-Annie Dillard, author (b. 30 Apr 1945)
-Annie Dillard, author (b. 30 Apr 1945)
....victory for humanity
Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity.
-Horace Mann, educational reformer (1796-1859)
-Horace Mann, educational reformer (1796-1859)
Intelligence of a ruler
The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.
-Niccolo Machiavelli, political philosopher and author (1469-1527)
..will settle international differences?
Though I have been trained as a soldier, and participated in many battles, there never was a time when, in my opinion, some way could not be found to prevent the drawing of the sword. I look forward to an epoch when a court, recognized by all nations, will settle international differences.
-Ulysses S. Grant, military commander, 18th US President (1822-1885)
...to improve together
“Exceptional teams don’t just happen—they’re forged through shared purpose, mutual respect, and a relentless drive to improve together.”
- Reflects Toyota’s emphasis on developing cohesive teams.
- Reflects Toyota’s emphasis on developing cohesive teams.
...solve problems at the source
“Great leaders don’t create followers; they inspire others to live the vision, solve problems at the source, and lead by example.”
- Echoes Toyota’s focus on growing leaders who embody the philosophy
- Echoes Toyota’s focus on growing leaders who embody the philosophy
...no matter which side
The enemy is anybody who's going to get you killed, no matter which side he's on.
-Joseph Heller, novelist (1923-1999)
-Joseph Heller, novelist (1923-1999)
war, finally...
War, at first, is the hope that one will be better off; next, the expectation that the other fellow will be worse off; then, the satisfaction that he isn't any better off; and, finally, the surprise at everyone's being worse off.
-Karl Kraus, writer (1874-1936)
-Karl Kraus, writer (1874-1936)
...deadline
I don't need time. What I need is a deadline.
-Duke Ellington, jazz pianist, composer, and conductor (1899-1974)
Art of life
The art of life is to know how to enjoy a little and to endure much.
-William Hazlitt, essayist (1778-1830)
for the first time...
We understand death for the first time when he puts his hand upon one whom we love.
-Madame De Stael, writer (1766-1817)
Cost of one day
Did you know that the worldwide food shortage that threatens up to five hundred million children could be alleviated at the cost of only one day, only ONE day, of modern warfare.
-Peter Ustinov, actor, writer, and director (1921-2004)
...spend minutes thinking
"If I had an hour to solve a problem I’d spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem."
~ Albert Einstein
...for a few
I do not want art for a few, any more than education for a few, or freedom for a few.
-William Morris, poet and novelist (1834-1896)
-William Morris, poet and novelist (1834-1896)
,,,can be driven out
Devils can be driven out of the heart by the touch of hand on hand, or mouth on mouth.
-Tennessee Williams, dramatist (1911-1983)
-Tennessee Williams, dramatist (1911-1983)
...more artistic than
The more I think it over, the more I feel that there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people.
-Vincent van Gogh, painter (1853-1890)
-Vincent van Gogh, painter (1853-1890)
...of vast eternity
But at my back I always hear
Time's winged chariot hurrying near;
And yonder all before us lie
Deserts of vast eternity.
-Andrew Marvell, poet (1621-1678)
Time's winged chariot hurrying near;
And yonder all before us lie
Deserts of vast eternity.
-Andrew Marvell, poet (1621-1678)
...one can, one must
A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is to be ultimately at peace with himself. What one can be, one must be.
-Abraham Maslow, psychologist (1908-1970)
-Abraham Maslow, psychologist (1908-1970)
...asked to dance
Diversity is being invited to the party; inclusion is being asked to dance.
-Verna Myers, author and speaker (b. 5 Apr 1960)
...more than one
Never bear more than one trouble at a time. Some people bear three kinds -- all they have had, all they have now, and all they expect to have.
-Edward Everett Hale, author (1822-1909)
-Edward Everett Hale, author (1822-1909)
...bring some
You see, war is not the answer
For only love can conquer hate.
You know we've got to find a way
To bring some lovin' here today.
-Marvin Gaye, singer and songwriter (1939-1984)
For only love can conquer hate.
You know we've got to find a way
To bring some lovin' here today.
-Marvin Gaye, singer and songwriter (1939-1984)
...colors from
We take our colors, chameleon-like, from each other.
-Nicolas de Chamfort, writer (1741-1794)
-Nicolas de Chamfort, writer (1741-1794)
...deeply responsive
One cannot be deeply responsive to the world without being saddened very often.
-Erich Fromm, psychoanalyst and author (1900-1980)
-Erich Fromm, psychoanalyst and author (1900-1980)
..at least one
Look into any man's heart you please, and you will always find, in every one, at least one black spot which he has to keep concealed.
-Henrik Ibsen, playwright (1828-1906)
-Henrik Ibsen, playwright (1828-1906)
...twice a fool
A wise man fights to win, but he is twice a fool who has no plan for possible defeat.
-Louis L’Amour, novelist (1908-1988)
-Louis L’Amour, novelist (1908-1988)
...can sometimes count
You can sometimes count every orange on a tree but never all the trees in a single orange.
-A.K. Ramanujan, poet (1929-1993)
-A.K. Ramanujan, poet (1929-1993)
25,000 of my favorite
On stage, I make love to 25,000 different people, then I go home alone.
-Janis Joplin, singer-songwriter (1943-1970)
...transplanted into another mind
Many ideas grow better when transplanted into another mind than in the one where they sprang up.
-Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., US Supreme Court Justice (1841-1935)
-Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., US Supreme Court Justice (1841-1935)
do it in a way....
Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.
-Ruth Bader Ginsburg, US Supreme Court justice (1933-2020)
-Ruth Bader Ginsburg, US Supreme Court justice (1933-2020)
...endangered spices
We are not an endangered species ourselves yet, but this is not for lack of trying.
-Douglas Adams, author (1952-2001)
-Douglas Adams, author (1952-2001)
...been reading all my life
Don't ask me who's influenced me. A lion is made up of the lambs he's digested, and I've been reading all my life.
-Giorgos Seferis, writer, diplomat, Nobel laureate (1900-1971)
-Giorgos Seferis, writer, diplomat, Nobel laureate (1900-1971)
How to be a good writer?
Anyone who wishes to become a good writer should endeavour, before he allows himself to be tempted by the more showy qualities, to be direct, simple, brief, vigorous, and lucid.
-H.W. Fowler, lexicographer (1858-1933)
-H.W. Fowler, lexicographer (1858-1933)
...best time
"The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now."
~ Chinese Proverb
...of superfluities
Beauty is the purgation of superfluities.
-Michelangelo Buonarroti, sculptor, painter, architect, and poet (1475-1564)
...heaven is close by
Sometimes they seem like living shapes,
The people of the sky,
Guests in white raiment coming down
From heaven, which is close by.
The people of the sky,
Guests in white raiment coming down
From heaven, which is close by.
-Lucy Larcom, teacher and author (1824-1893)
...a pearl
A raindrop, dripping from a cloud,
Was ashamed when it saw the sea.
"Who am I where there is a sea?" it said.
When it saw itself with the eye of humility,
A shell nurtured it in its embrace.
-Saadi of Shiraz (c. 1200 AD)
"Who am I where there is a sea?" it said.
When it saw itself with the eye of humility,
A shell nurtured it in its embrace.
-Saadi of Shiraz (c. 1200 AD)
....by bitter experience
The theory of democratic government is not that the will of the people is always right, but rather that normal human beings of average intelligence will, if given a chance, learn the right and best course by bitter experience.
-W.E.B. Du Bois, educator, civil rights activist, and writer (1868-1963)
-W.E.B. Du Bois, educator, civil rights activist, and writer (1868-1963)
....the work at hand
Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun's rays do not burn until brought to a focus.
-Alexander Graham Bell, inventor (1847-1922)
Creativity -- like human life itself -- begins in darkness. We need to acknowledge this. All too often, we think only in terms of light: "And then the lightbulb went on and I got it!" It is true that insights may come to us as flashes. It is true that some of these flashes may be blinding. It is, however, also true that such bright ideas are preceded by a gestation period that is interior, murky, and completely necessary.
-Julia Cameron, artist, author, teacher, filmmaker, composer, and journalist (b. 4 Mar 1948)
-Julia Cameron, artist, author, teacher, filmmaker, composer, and journalist (b. 4 Mar 1948)
...cares a whole awful lot
Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.
-Dr. Seuss, author and illustrator (1904-1991)
-Dr. Seuss, author and illustrator (1904-1991)
Opposite of two?
What is the opposite of two?
A lonely me, a lonely you.
-Richard Wilbur, poet and translator (1921-2017)
-Richard Wilbur, poet and translator (1921-2017)
Rhythm instead of chaos
The Amazing Day Blueprint:
- a no-phone first hour protocol
- create a schedule that deletes hustle
- use notebooks to become happier
- build a world-class work architecture
- use the recovery rituals of famous athletes
- use the focus elimination tools of top designers
If you want rhythm instead of chaos each day and to feel far more optimistic, then be focused, grounded and happy.
- Robin Sharma
Lack of daily design
Plateaus don't happen from lack of ambition. They happen from lack of daily design.
Most driven, high-energy producers:
• wake up reactive
• rush through their mornings
• overcheck their phones
• overwork and push too hard
• neglect mental and physical recovery
• end their days depleted and stressed
That cycle quietly limits growth. And over time, erodes a human's assets of genius.
- Robin Sharma
...lot of scum
Society is like a stew. If you don't keep it stirred up you get a lot of scum on the top.
-Edward Abbey, naturalist and author (1927-1989)
...of a free people
Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough.
-Franklin D. Roosevelt, 32nd US President (1882-1945)
...a little madness
A man needs a little madness, or else he never dares cut the rope and be free.
-Nikos Kazantzakis, poet and novelist (1883-1957)
...improvisation of
There's nothing that makes you so aware of the improvisation of human existence as a song unfinished. Or an old address book.
-Carson McCullers, writer (1917-1967)
..to save the environment
It is horrifying that we have to fight our own government to save the environment.
-Ansel Adams, photographer (1902-1984)
...takes longer than
Hofstadter's Law: It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter's Law.
-Douglas Hofstadter, professor of cognitive science (b. 15 Feb 1945)
...place of birth
I see too plainly custom forms us all. Our thoughts, our morals, our most fixed belief, are consequences of our place of birth.
-Aaron Hill, dramatist and writer (1685-1750)
Own reasons...
The animals of the world exist for their own reasons. They were not made for humans any more than black people were made for whites or women for men.
-Alice Walker, poet and novelist (b. 9 Feb 1944)
Let it World America
Let America be America again. /
Let it be the dream it used to be. ... /
Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed - /
Let it be that great strong land of love /
Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme /
That any man be crushed by one above.
Let it be the dream it used to be. ... /
Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed - /
Let it be that great strong land of love /
Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme /
That any man be crushed by one above.
-Langston Hughes, poet and novelist (1902-1967)
..gets to be a drag
Jobs are like going to church: it's nice once or twice a year to sing along and eat something and all that, but unless you really believe there's something holy going on, it gets to be a drag going in every single week.
-Thomas Michael Disch, science fiction author and poet (1940-2008)
without ____ is...
Life without industry is guilt, industry without art is brutality.
-John Ruskin, author, art critic, and social reformer (1819-1900)
...divided into 2
Writers, like teeth, are divided into incisors and grinders.
-Walter Bagehot, journalist and businessman (1826-1877)
unknown & unseen
The tragedy in the lives of most of us is that we go through life walking down a high-walled lane with people of our own kind, the same economic situation, the same national background and education and religious outlook. And beyond those walls, all humanity lies, unknown and unseen, and untouched by our restricted and impoverished lives.
-Florence Luscomb, architect and suffragist (1887-1985)
-Florence Luscomb, architect and suffragist (1887-1985)
...free man?
A hungry man is not a free man.
-Adlai Stevenson II, lawyer, politician, and diplomat (1900-1965)
Sum of small efforts
"Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out." ~ Robert Collier |
...the narrow prejudices
I am so convinced of the advantages of looking at mankind instead of reading about them, and of the bitter effects of staying at home with all the narrow prejudices of an islander, that I think there should be a law amongst us to set our young men abroad for a term among the few allies our wars have left us.
-Lord Byron, poet (1788-1824)
-Lord Byron, poet (1788-1824)
..because your goal demands
Leaders Are Warriors
- "It's about being a warrior… This is your path and you will pursue it with excellence. You face your fear because your goal demands it."
...step up
There Is A Fine Line Between Success And Failure
- "It's just two tiny points of contact that keep you from falling. And when you step up there's only one."
- "It's just two tiny points of contact that keep you from falling. And when you step up there's only one."
...love a changed person
We are not the same persons this year as last; nor are those we love. It is a happy chance if we, changing, continue to love a changed person.
-William Somerset Maugham, writer (1874-1965)
...step outside their fear
Leaders Step Outside Their Fear
- "You're not controlling your fear. You're stepping outside of it."
...doing what they love
Leaders Are The Ones Earning A Living Doing What They Love
- "It's the best thing in life to take the one thing you love most and have it work out so that you can make a living that way."
- "It's the best thing in life to take the one thing you love most and have it work out so that you can make a living that way."
Focus on only...
Leaders Focus On Only One Or Two Things And Then Obsess Over Those One Or Two Things
– They are not distracted by other pursuits.
– They are not distracted by other pursuits.
A man and only then
If I knew of something that could serve my nation but would ruin another, I would not propose it to my prince, for I am first a man and only then a Frenchman ... because I am necessarily a man, and only accidentally am I French.
-Montesquieu, philosopher, lawyer, and writer (1689-1755)
Traditional Values
I stand for honesty, equality, kindness, compassion, treating people the way you want to be treated, and helping those in need. To me those are traditional values.
-Ellen DeGeneres, comedian, TV host, actor, and writer (b. 26 Jan 1958)
Long Live Republic
I love my country too much to be a nationalist.
-Albert Camus, writer, philosopher, Nobel laureate (1913-1960)
...can win a war
The only way human beings can win a war is to prevent it.
-George Marshall, US Army Chief, Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, Nobel laureate (1880-1959)
The Art of pretends
Everyone discusses my art and pretends to understand, as if it were necessary to understand, when it is simply necessary to love.
-Claude Monet, painter (1840-1926)
Raindrop - eye of humility
A raindrop, dripping from a cloud,
/ Was ashamed when it saw the sea.
/ "Who am I where there is a sea?" it said.
/ When it saw itself with the eye of humility,
/ A shell nurtured it in its embrace.
/ Was ashamed when it saw the sea.
/ "Who am I where there is a sea?" it said.
/ When it saw itself with the eye of humility,
/ A shell nurtured it in its embrace.
-Saadi of Shiraz (c. 1200 AD)
..take a joke, not make one
It is the ability to take a joke, not make one, that proves you have a sense of humor.
-Max Eastman, journalist and poet (1883-1969)
same sky, but...
We all live under the same sky, but we don't all have the same horizon.
-Konrad Adenauer, statesman (1876-1967)
...feel your bare feet
Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.
-Kahlil Gibran, mystic, poet, and artist (1883-1931)
...accomplice of liars
He who does not bellow the truth when he knows the truth makes himself the accomplice of liars and forgers.
-Charles Peguy, poet and essayist (1873-1914)
...memories are fuel
People's memories are maybe the fuel they burn to stay alive.
-Haruki Murakami, writer (b. 12 Jan 1949)
...humor & mockery
Sometimes laughter hurts, but humor and mockery are our only weapons.
-Cabu (pen name of Jean Cabut), cartoonist and co-founder of Charlie Hebdo (1938-2015)
...look the other way
Never, never be afraid to do what's right, especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake. Society's punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way.
-Martin Luther King Jr., civil-rights leader (1929-1968)
...unconscious cruelty
We must fight against the spirit of unconscious cruelty with which we treat the animals. Animals suffer as much as we do. True humanity does not allow us to impose such sufferings on them.
-Albert Schweitzer, philosopher, physician, musician, Nobel laureate (1875-1965)
safe comfort
I tore myself away from the safe comfort of certainties through my love for truth -- and truth rewarded me.
-Simone de Beauvoir, author and philosopher (1908-1986)
-Simone de Beauvoir, author and philosopher (1908-1986)
...can alter
The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind.
-William James, psychologist and philosopher (1842-1910)
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