October | 2012 | Catalyst Quotes

Archive for the month “October, 2012”

09 Oct 2012

YOU

“People travel to wonder at the height of the mountains, at the huge waves of the seas, at the long course of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars, and yet they pass by themselves without wondering.” (St. Augustine)

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” (Leo Buscaglia)

“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” (William James)

Be who you really are, show the world your uniqueness and share with everyone. ~ GMUniverse

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09 Oct 2012

1 Comment

Be Like Children

“You can understand and relate to most people better if you look at them – no matter how old or impressive they may be – as if they are children. For most of us never really grow up or mature all that much – we simply grow taller. Oh, to be sure, we laugh less and play less and wear uncomfortable disguises like adults, but beneath the costume is the child we always are, whose needs are simple, whose daily life is still best described by fairy tales.” (Leo Rosten)

“The great enemy of creativity is fear. When we’re fearful, we freeze up … . Creativity has a lot to do with a willingness to take risks. Think about how children play. They run around the playground without thinking about where they’re going. They trip, they fall down, and then they get back up again and run some more. They have a wonderful belief: that everything will be all right. They feel capable; they let go; they play … . No matter how many facts and figures you have, you can’t predict the future. There will always be surprises … . Creativity helps us realize that we don’t have to understand everything. We can enjoy something – feel it and use it – without ever fully comprehending it.” (Faith Ringgold, Fast Company, April 2000)

“All I really need to know about how to live and what to do and how to be I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sand pile …. These are the things I learned:

Share everything.
Play fair.
Don’t hit people.
Put things back where you found them.
Clean up your own mess.
Don’t take things that aren’t yours.
Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody.
Wash your hands before you eat.
Flush.
Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
Live a balanced life – learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
Take a nap every afternoon.
When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together.
Be aware of wonder.
And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned – the biggest word of all – LOOK.

Everything you need to know is in there somewhere. The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation. Ecology and politics and equality and sane living.” (All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten by Robert Fulghum)

Posted in Attitude, Inspiration, Life, Perception

09 Oct 2012

“Why Not Be Great?”

“Dreams are really the thoughts that you have hidden in your heart. When you start a brand new day, let your heart show you the way and make a dream or two come true.” (‘Land of Make Believe’ by Chuck Mangione)

“You can choose beliefs that limit you, or you can choose beliefs that support you.” (Anthony Robbins)

“The thing is, we still live in a world that’s filled with opportunity. In fact, we have more than an opportunity – we have an obligation. An obligation to spend our time doing great things. To take risks and to make the world better by being amazing. You get to make a choice. You can remake that choice every day, in fact. It’s never too late to choose optimism, to choose action, to choose excellence. The best thing is that it only takes a moment — just one second — to decide. … you have the power to change everything that’s to come. And you can do that by asking yourself (and your colleagues) the one question that every organization and every individual needs to ask today: Why not be great?” (Seth Godin, Fast Company, June 2003)

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08 Oct 2012

Be Awesome Today

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08 Oct 2012

Leadership – “Is Anybody Better Because of You?”

“The ripple effect of a leader’s enthusiasm and optimism is awesome. So is the impact of cynicism and pessimism. Leaders who whine and blame engender those same behaviors among their colleagues. I am not talking about stoically accepting organizational stupidity and performance incompetence with a ‘what, me worry?’ smile. I am talking about a gung-ho attitude that says ‘we can change things here, we can achieve awesome goals, we can be the best!’” (Colin Powell)

“You cannot build a team or organization that believes in different things from you. You can’t make them into something you’re not. Leadership isn’t just a job; it is a commitment to other people’s excellence. As an illustration, think of the movie, ‘Remember the Titans.’ One of the highlights of that film was the heated exchange between the white captain and one of the black players, who had experienced firsthand the captain’s lack of acceptance and support. When the captain confronted the player for deliberately missing a play, the player retorted, ‘attitude reflects leadership, captain.’ We must remember that, unfortunately, too many managers and supervisors who are responsible for developing others haven’t learned the basics of good leadership and development, even for themselves. They are trying to build organizations or provide services based on a different value system. It doesn’t work. Employees quickly observe the disconnect between words and deeds.” (Don Ritz)

“If you want to know whether or not you’re a leader, your title may or may not give some clues. The real clue is in the answer to this question: Is anybody better because of you? Do the people you work with say, because of him or her, I’m a better person or I’ve been able to find skills and talents I didn’t know I had, or develop skills that were latent.” (Mark Sanborn)

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07 Oct 2012

“Heroes and Fools”

“If one of us could ascend to the heavenly realm and for a few hours accompany the Divine on His daily rounds, he would see below millions of his fellow humans busily hurling themselves into the passions, sports, (work) and actions of the moment – all the while seemingly oblivious of those around him.

But if our observer had the power … he would also feel and sense, pulsing through and vibrating from every one of us here below a desperate and unending plea …. ‘Notice me! I want to be known, admired, and loved by the whole world!’

And it is this; this glorious weakness, this dependence of us on each other that makes some of us heroes and some of us fools – and most of us heroes and fools at the same time!” (Rev. Michael Burry)

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

“Everybody can be great … because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” (Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.)

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06 Oct 2012

“It’s Fun To Do the Impossible”

“You’re good, but you’re going to be great. You’re the best, but you’re going to get better. Sometimes the paths we take are long and hard, but remember: those are always the ones that lead to the most beautiful views. Challenges come along, inevitably; how you respond to them determines who you are deep down inside – and everything you’re going to be. Increase the chances of reaching your goals by working at them gradually. The very best you can do is all that is asked of you. Realize that you are capable of working miracles of your own making. Remember that opportunities have a reason for knocking on your door, and the right ones are there for the taking. You don’t always have to win, but you do need to know what it takes to be a winner. It’s up to you to find the key that unlocks the door to a more fulfilling life. Understand that increased difficulty brings you nearer to the truth of how to survive it – and get beyond it. Cross your bridges. Meet your challenges. Reach out for your dreams, and bring them closer and closer to your heart. Get rid of the “if only’s,” and get on with whatever you need to do to get things right. Go after what you want in life, with all the blessings of all the people who care about you. And find out what making your wishes come true really feels like.” (Unknown)

“If we did the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves.” (Thomas A. Edison)

“It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.” (Walt Disney)

Whenever you are faced with a challenge or you believe that something is impossible, think of the words above and you will rise above your challenges. ~ GMUniverse

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05 Oct 2012

Escape

I took this photo of a book on my desk next to the keyboard. Get the connection?

Always pay attention to what’s around you; it could be telling you something.

I believe it’s time for me to get into the moment and escape. ~ GMUniverse

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05 Oct 2012

“If You Can Dream It …”

“Our ordinary mind always tries to persuade us that we are nothing but acorns and that our greatest happiness will be to become bigger, fatter, shinier acorns; but that is of interest only to pigs. Our faith gives us knowledge of something much better: that we can become oak trees.” (E. F. Schumacher)

“We are what we think.

All that we are arises with our thoughts.

With our thoughts, we make the world.” (The Buddha)

“If you can imagine it, you can achieve it.

If you can dream it, you can become it.” (William Arthur Ward)

Open your eyes and realize what you can do. To repeat a quote stated in an earlier post, “Control your own destiny or someone else will.” (Jack Welch)

Whether it is at work or at home, you have the power inside of you to determine what you can do positively and not let outside negative forces stop you. Use that power wisely or as a great ‘philosopher’ once said “Use the Force, Luke.” ~ GMUniverse

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05 Oct 2012

THINK and Make It Happen!

It’s early in the morning and you are just arriving at work. You get to your office or your workstation and you begin thinking, “How in the heck am I supposed to feel good, be motivated and do a good job when it seems that everything around me is going bad? There are too many changes going on in the company, there are issues at home, the economy is topsy-turvy, and there are some things that I just don’t understand!” With all those thoughts in your head, your mind begins spinning and you feel woozy, and then all of a sudden …

(Background music begins … harp playing … a dream-like state begins)

… you find yourself sitting on a chair in the middle of a large room. You see a line of people coming towards you. You can’t move. As a key floats down to you, you hear a booming voice that says, “Do not worry; you already have the keys to your success.” Then, one by one, each person in line comes to you, gives you a key and says:

“Change your thoughts and you change the world. How you think about a problem is more important than the problem itself – so always think positively.” (Norman Vincent Peale)

“Make no small plans for they have no power to stir the soul.” (Niccolo Machiavelli)

“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.” (Colin Powell)

“Trust is enormously powerful in a corporation. The only way I know how to create that kind of trust is by laying out your values and then walking the talk. You’ve got to do what you say you’ll do, consistently, over time.” (Jack Welch)

“We have a ‘strategic’ plan. It’s called doing things.” (Herb Kelleher)

“Essentially there are two actions in life – performance and excuses. Make a decision as to which you will accept for yourself.” (Stephen Brown)

“In the last analysis, what we are communicates far more eloquently that anything we say or do.” (Stephen Covey)

And then poof! …. All of a sudden, you begin to wake up, your mind becomes clearer and you look around your work area and realize it was all a dream. Or was it? “But it made sense,” you say. “I’ve heard those sayings before but I never paid too much attention to them. Could those statements be some of the keys to success?”

It’s now become clear to you that, in order to be successful and create a positive and fun environment at work, (and at home), it all begins with you – the way you perceive events or issues, and the image you project to your employees, your costumers, your friends and your family. As you go back to work, you can’t help but start singing James Brown’s song, “I Feel Good!”

Now, what can YOU do to “think and make it happen?” ~ GMUniverse