Motivational quotes for the day (Self-esteem)

Trust yourself, then you will know how to live.
~Johann Wolfgang Van Goethe

The will to do springs from the knowledge that we can do.
~James Allen

To establish true self-esteem we must concentrate on our successes and forget about the failures and the negatives in our lives.
~Denis Waitley

A person's worth in this world is estimated according to the value they put on themselves.
~Jean De La Bruyere

Respect yourself if you would have others respect you.
~Baltasar Gracian

Too many people overvalue what they are not and undervalue what they are.
~Malcolm S. Forbes

Whatever games are played with us, we must play no games with ourselves.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Motivational quote for the day (Choice/Choices)

It's choice - not chance - that determines your destiny.
~Jean Nidetch

You are the person who has to decide. Whether you'll do it or toss it aside; You are the person who makes up your mind. Whether you'll lead or will linger behind. Whether you'll try for the goal that's afar. Or just be contented to stay where you are.
~Edgar A. Guest

Instead of looking at life as a narrowing funnel, we can see it ever widening to choose the things we want to do, to take the wisdom we've learned and create something.
~Liz Carpenter

What we call the secret of happiness is no more a secret than our willingness to choose life.
~Lou Buscaglia

Man’s power of choice enables him to think like an angel or a devil, a king or a slave. Whatever he chooses, mind will create and manifest.
~Fredrick Bailes

Motivational quotes for the day (Enthusiasm)

Every great and commanding movement in the annals of the world is the triumph of enthusiasm.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Be ENTHUSIASTIC as a leader. You can't light a fire with a wet match!
~Unknown

Life's blows cannot break a person whose spirit is warmed at the fire of enthusiasm.
~Norman Vincent Peale

Catch on fire with enthusiasm and people will come for miles to watch you burn.
~John Wesley

Zeal is a volcano, the peak of which the grass of indecisiveness does not grow.
~Kahlil Gibran

If you are not getting as much from life as you want to, then examine the state of your enthusiasm.
~Norman Vincent Peale

THE WILMA RUDOLPH STORY

Wilma Rudolph was born into a poor home in Tennessee. At age four, she had double pneumonia with scarlet fever, a deadly combination which left her paralyzed with polio. She had to wear a brace and the doctor said she would never put her foot on the earth. But her mother encouraged her; she told Wilma that with God-given ability, persistence and faith she could do anything she wanted. Wilma said, "I want to be the fastest woman on the track on this earth." At the age of nine, against the advice of the doctors, she removed the brace and took the first step the doctors had said she never would. At the age of 13, she entered her first race and came way, way last. And then she entered her second, and third and fourth and came way, way last until a day came when she came in first. At the age of 15 she went to Tennessee State University where she met a coach by the name of Ed Temple. She told him, "I want to be the fastest woman on the track on this earth." Temple said, "With your spirit nobody can stop you and besides, I will help you."
The day came when she was at the Olympics and at the Olympics you are matched with the best of the best. Wilma was matched against a woman named Jutta Heine who had never been beaten. The first event was the 100-meter race. Wilma beat Jutta Heine and won her first gold medal. The second event was the 200-meter race and Wilma beat Jutta a second time and won her second gold medal. The third event was the 400-meter relay and she was racing against Jutta one more time. In the relay, the fastest person always runs the last lap and they both anchored their teams. The first three people ran and changed the baton easily. When it came to Wilma's turn, she dropped the baton. But Wilma saw Jutta shoot up at the other end; she picked the baton, ran like a machine, beat Jutta a third time and won her third gold medal. It became history: That a paralytic woman became the fastest woman on this earth at the 1960 Olympics.

*Adapted from Star Ledger, November 13, 1994.

What a lesson to be learnt from Wilma. It teaches us that successful people do it in spite of, not in absence of, problems. When we hear or read stories of people who have turned adversity into opportunity, doesn't it motivate us? If we regularly read biographies and autobiographies of such people, won't we stay motivated?

DIFFERENT THINGS MOTIVATE DIFFERENT PEOPLE

There was a young boy who used to come for regular practice but always played in the reserves and never made it to the soccer eleven. While he was practicing, his father used to sit at the far end, waiting for him.

The matches had started and for four days, he didn't show up for practice or the quarter or semifinals. All of a sudden he showed up for the finals, went to the coach and said, "Coach, you have always kept me in the reserves and never let me play in the finals. But today, please let me play." The coach said, "Son, I'm sorry, I can't let you. There are better players than you and besides, it is the finals, the reputation of the school is at stake and I cannot take a chance." The boy pleaded, "Coach, I promise I will not let you down. I beg of you, please let me play." The coach had never seen the boy plead like this before. He said, "OK, son, go, play. But remember, I am going against my better judgment and the reputation of the school is at stake. Don't let me down." The game started and the boy played like a house on fire. Every time he got the ball, he shot a goal. Needless to say, he was the best player and the star of the game. His team had a spectacular win. When the game finished, the coach went up to him and said, "Son, how could I have been so wrong in my life. I have never seen you play like this before. What happened? How did you play so well?" The boy replied, "Coach, my father is watching me today." The coach turned around and looked at the place where the boy's father used to sit. There was no one there. He said, "Son, your father used to sit there when you came for practice, but I don't see anyone there today." The boy replied, "Coach, there is something I never told you. My father was blind. Just four days ago, he died. Today is the first day he is watching me from above."

Motivational quotes for the day (Positive thinking)

Little minds attain and are subdued by misfortunes; but great minds rise above them.
~Washington Irving

Miracles happen to those who believe in them.
~Bernhard Berenson

A person is limited only by the thoughts the he chooses.
~James Allen

There is nothing that cannot be achieved by firm imagination.
~Japanese Proverb

Success is a state of mind. If you want success, start thinking of yourself as a success.
Dr. Joyce Brothers

Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.
~Chinese Proverb

Motivational quotes for the day (Counting your blessings/ Gratitude)

It is always wise to stop wishing for things long enough to enjoy the fragrance of those now flowering.
~Patrice Gifford

Count your joys instead of your woes; count your friends instead of your foes.
~Irish Proverb

God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say "thank you?"
~William A. Ward

If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice.
~Meister Eckhart

Appreciation is fertilizer for the soul.
~Valynnda Slack

He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has. ~Epictetus

WE ARE ALL MOTIVATED - EITHER POSITIVELY OR NEGATIVELY

This is a story of two brothers. One was a drug addict and a drunker who frequently beat up his family. The other one was a very successful businessman who was respected in society and had a wonderful family. Some people wanted to find out why two brothers from the same parents, brought up in the same environment, could be so different. The first one was asked, "How come you do what you do? You are a drug addict, a drunk, and you beat your family. What motivates you?" He said, "My father." They asked, "What about your father?" The reply was, "My father was a drug addict, a drunk and he beat his family. What do you expect me to be? That is what I am." They went to the brother who was doing everything right and asked him the same question. "How come you are doing everything right? What is your source of motivation?" And guess what he said? "My father. When I was a little boy, I used to see my dad drunk and doing all the wrong things. I made up my mind that that is not what I wanted to be."

Both were deriving their strength and motivation from the same source, but one was using it positively and the other negatively.

Negative motivation brings the desire to take the easier way which ends up being the tougher way.

LUCK FAVORS THOSE WHO HELP THEMSELVES

A flood was threatening a small town and everyone was leaving for safety except one man who said, "God will save me. I have faith." As the water level rose a jeep came to rescue him, the man refused, saying "God will save me. I have faith." As the water level rose further, he went up to the second storey, and a boat came to help him. Again he refused to go, Belying, "God will save me. I have faith." The water kept rising and the man climbed on to the roof. A helicopter came to rescue him, but he said, "God will save me. I have faith." Well, finally he drowned. When he reached his Maker he angrily questioned, "I had complete faith in you. Why did you ignore my prayers and let me drown?" The Lord replied, "Who do you think sent you the jeep, the boat, and the helicopter?"

The only way to overcome the fatalistic attitude is to accept responsibility and believe in the law of cause and effect rather than luck.

It takes action, preparation and planning rather than waiting, wondering or wishing, to accomplish anything in life.

HOW THEY CATCH MONKEYS IN INDIA

Monkey-hunters use a box with an opening at the top, big enough for the monkey to slide its hand in. Inside the box are nuts. The monkey grabs the nuts and now its hand becomes a fist. The monkey tries to get its hand out but the opening is big enough for the hand to slide in, but too small for the fist to come out. Now the monkey has a choice, either to let go off the nuts and be free forever or hang on to the nuts and get caught. Guess what it picks every time? You guessed it. He hangs on to the nuts and gets caught.

We are no different from monkeys. We all hang on to some nuts that keep us from going forward in life. We keep rationalizing by saying, "I cannot do this because . . ." and whatever comes after "because" are the nuts that we are hanging on to which are holding us back. Successful people don't rationalize. Two things determine if a person will be a success: reasons and results.
Reasons don't count while results do...

WHERE DOES IT END?

There is a story about a wealthy farmer who was once offered all the land he could walk on in a day, provided he came back by sundown to the point where he started. To get a new start, early the next morning the farmer started covering ground quickly because he wanted to get as much land as he could. Even though he was tired, he kept going all afternoon because he didn't want to miss this once in a lifetime opportunity to gain more wealth.

Late in the afternoon he realized the condition he had to fulfill to get the land was to get back to the starting point by sundown. His greed had gotten him far enough. He started his return journey, keeping an eye on how close he was to sundown. The closer it got to sundown, the faster he ran. He was exhausted, out of breath and pushed himself beyond the point of endurance. He collapsed upon reaching the starting point and died. He did make it before sundown. He was buried and all the land he needed was a small plot.

There is a lot of truth in this story and a lesson to be learned. Whether the farmer was wealthy or not, any greedy person would have ended the same way.