Catalyst Quotes

“Know Yourself and Be Better”

 

“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.”   (Aristotle)

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“There are and will be times in our lives when our self-esteem will be called up and challenged.  Such times are critical opportunities.  They are structured so that who we are in terms of the vital themes of competence and worthiness are put in our hands in a way that can lead to either their increase or decrease.  Additionally, such an outcome depends largely on the degree of work, (i. e., struggle and awareness) that one does.  When the three factors – vulnerability, possibility and work – are taken up together, they constitute the underlying hope of self-esteem.”   (Dr. Chris Mruk)

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“The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.”   (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

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“Every act of conscious learning requires the willingness to suffer an injury to one’s self-esteem.  That is why young children, before they are aware of their own self-importance, learn so easily.  (Thomas Szasz)

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“A speaker began a seminar, pulling a crisp, new bill from his pocket, and asked, ‘Who would like this $20 bill?’

Hands started going up.  He said, ‘I’m going to give this $20 bill to one of you, but first let me do this.’  He proceeded to crumple up the bill.  He then asked, ‘Who still wants it?’  Still the hands were up in the air.

‘Well,’ he replied, ‘what if I do this?’  He dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor, so now the bill was not only crumpled, but also dirty.  ‘Now who still wants it?’  Still the hands went into the air.

‘My friends, you have all learned a valuable lesson.  No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value.  It was still worth $20.  Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way.  We feel as though we are worthless.  But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value in the eyes of those who love you.  You are special – don’t ever forget it.’”  ( Anonymous)

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“Always dream and shoot higher than you know you can do.  Do not bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors.  Try to be better than yourself.”   (William Faulkner)

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“Every day ask yourself, ‘What would I do today if I were a better person?’”  (Robert Brault)

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