Quotes from Andy Andrews

experience is not the best teacher. Other people's experience is the best teacher. By reading about the lives of great people, you can unlock the secrets to what made them great.

don't believe that being Jewish or Aryan or African has any bearing on what one can become. Greatness does not care if one is a girl or a boy. If, in fact, it is what's inside us that makes all the difference, then the difference is made when we choose what goes inside.

remember that life itself is a privilege, but to live life to its fullest— well, that is a choice!

A wise man will cultivate a servant's spirit, for that particular attribute attracts people like no other. As I humbly serve others, their wisdom will be freely shared with me. Often, the person who develops a servant's spirit becomes wealthy beyond measure. Many times, a servant has the ear of the king, and a humble servant often becomes a king, for he is the popular choice of the people. He who serves the most grows the fastest.

THE FIFTH DECISION FOR SUCCESS Today I will choose to be happy.

No matter how long it takes or how desperately a person battles or denies, the truth always — always — makes itself known.

I realize today that it is impossible to fight an enemy living in my head. By forgiving myself, I erase the doubts, fears, and frustration that have kept my past in the present. From this day forward, my history will cease to control my destiny. I have forgiven myself. My life has just begun. I will forgive even those who do not ask for forgiveness. I will forgive those who criticize me unjustly. I will forgive myself. I will greet this day with a forgiving spirit.

opportunities and encouragement finds more and more opportunities and encouragement, and success becomes inevitable.

negative, complaining, and disagreeable, other people stay away. And that person receives less encouragement and fewer opportunities — because no one wants to be around him.

My God has bestowed upon me many gifts, and for these I will remember to be grateful. Too many times I have offered up the prayers of a beggar, always asking for more and forgetting to give thanks.

A committed heart does not wait for conditions to be exactly right. Why? Because conditions are never exactly right. Indecision limits the Almighty and His ability to perform miracles in your life. He has put the vision in you—proceed! To wait, to wonder, to doubt, to be indecisive is to disobey God.

Almost every result that your life produces from this moment forward — good or bad — will depend upon how you choose.

Never give in to a feeling of despair, fear, or defeat. Lead your negative emotion. Never allow those emotions to lead you. Always lead them by quickly moving in the opposite direction those emotions insist you should go!

The culture you live in today is the culture you have allowed. That is true of your family, and it is true of your country. "Never forget that you will shape the culture in which you exist, or the culture you allow will determine how and - maybe someday - if you are allowed to exist.

Power in the hands of a good person is like a cool drink of water on a hot summer day. It refreshes everyone with whom it comes in contact.

you will never please everyone, nor should pleasing everyone be your goal. For example, to seek the approval of someone who is lazy or jealous is to cast your pearls before swine. You will find that God rarely uses a person whose main concern is what others are thinking.

Proper perspective about every facet of your existence is only everything.

we are always and forever influenced by those with whom we associate. If a man keeps company with those who curse and complain—he will soon find curses and complaints flowing like a river from his own mouth. If he spends his days with the lazy—those seeking handouts—he will soon find his finances in disarray. Many of our sorrows can be traced to relationships with the wrong people.

Learning's purest form," Jones replied, "is realized by the individual who continues a quest beyond the classroom, fueled by a passion to discern wisdom. Wisdom—genuine truth—holds the key to refining one's thinking.

There is a thin thread that weaves from only you to hundreds of thousands of lives

Despite the ebb and flow of our feelings, we can control the way we act. Patience, for instance, is not a feeling. Patience is the description of a behavior. One can choose to act patiently even while the feeling of frustration tempts him to choose inappropriate behavior. It is impossible to feel frustrated and feel patient at the same time, but one can be inundated with feelings of frustration and still display patience. Patience is a discipline. It is an action. Patience is a chosen response.

THE FOURTH DECISION FOR SUCCESS I have a decided heart.

When we set out to accomplish something without a specific, agreed upon result, that lack of a common target yields results that are unpredictable at best.

When a king begins to act like a king, it is not long before someone else is king! Serving is a way we can place value on one another. A wise man is a server.