Quotes from Stephen R. Covey

The only person I know, is the person I want to be

people have character strength but they lack communication skills, and that undoubtedly affects the quality of relationships as well.

We must look at the lens through we see the world, as well as the world we see, and that the lens itself shapes how we interpret the world.

Make small commitments and keep them. Be a light, not a judge. Be a model, not a critic. Be part of the solution, not part of the problem.

The undisciplined are slaves to moods, appetites and passions

We are not our feelings. We are not our moods. We are not even our thoughts. The very fact that we can think about these things separates us from them and from the animal world. Self-awareness enables us to stand apart and examine even the way we "see" ourselves—our self-paradigm, the most fundamental paradigm of effectiveness. It affects not only our attitudes and behaviors, but also how we see other people.

The core of any family is what is changeless, what is going to be there??shared vision and values.

Be patient with yourself. Self-growth is tender; it's holy ground. There's no greater investment.

Attending church does not necessarily mean living the principles taught in those meeting. You can be active in a church but inactive in its gospel.

Each of us guard a gate of change that can only be opened from the inside.

we're responsible for our own lives.

We hear a lot about identity theft when someone takes your wallet and pretends to be you and uses your credit cards. But the more serious identity theft is to get swallowed up in other people's definition of you.

But borrowing strength builds weakness.

Motivation is a fire from within. If someone else tries to light that fire under you, chances are it will burn very briefly.

Effective leadership is putting first things first. Effective management is discipline, carrying it out

people are working harder than ever, but because they lack clarity and vision, they aren't getting very far. They, in essence, are pushing a rope...with all of their might.

Interdependence is a choice only independent people can make

Our ultimate freedom is the right and power to decide how anybody or anything outside ourselves will affect us.

If we do not teach our children, societ will. And they-and we-will live with the results.

In the space between stimulus (what happens) and how we respond, lies our freedom to choose. Ultimately, this power to choose is what defines us as human beings. We may have limited choices but we can always choose. We can choose our thoughts, emotions, moods, our words, our actions; we can choose our values and live by principles. It is the choice of acting or being acted upon.

Albert Einstein observed, "The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.

To Retain those who are present, be loyal to those who are absent.

It's sometimes a painful process. It's a change that has to be motivated by a higher purpose, by the willingness to subordinate what you think you want now for what you want later.

You can buy a person's hand, but you can't buy his heart. His heart is where his enthusiasm, his loyalty is. You can buy his back, but you can't buy his brain. That's where his creativity is, his ingenuity, his resourcefulness.