Quotes from Stephen R. Covey

The proactive approach to a mistake is to acknowledge it instantly, correct and learn from it. This literally turns a failure into a success. "Success," said IBM founder T. J. Watson, "is on the far side of failure.

it's psychological.

We not me. True greatness will be achieved through the abundant mind that works selflessly, with mutual respect, and for a mutual benefit.

In the words of Thoreau, "For every thousand hacking at the leaves of evil, there is one striking at the root.

It's not what happens to us, but our response to what happens to us that hurts us. Of course

A thousand-mile journey begins with the first step and can only be taken one step at a time.

This is one of the greatest insights in the field of human motivation: Satisfied needs do not motivate. It's only the unsatisfied need that motivates. Next to physical survival, the greatest need of a human being is psychological survival—to be understood, to be affirmed, to be validated, to be appreciated.

other half of which had the image of the old woman on page 53. He passed

It's not what happens to us, but our response to what happens to us that hurts us.

People can't live with change if there's not a changeless core inside them. The key to the ability to change is a changeless sense of who you are, what you are about and what you value.

self-initiated and feeds upon itself. You will develop your abilities faster by learning to make and keep promises or commitments. Start by making a small promise to yourself; continue fulfilling that promise until you have a sense that you have a little more control over yourself. Now take the next level of challenge.

The single most significant factor, he realized, was a sense of future vision—the impelling conviction of those who were to survive that they had a mission to perform, some important work left to do.1 Survivors of POW camps in Vietnam and elsewhere have reported similar experiences: a compelling, future-oriented vision is the primary force that kept many of them alive.

And leadership is even more lacking in our personal lives. We're into managing with efficiency, setting and achieving goals before we have even clarified our values.

From the foundation of character, we build and maintain Win/Win relationships. The trust, the Emotional Bank Account, is the essence of Win/Win. Without trust, the best we can do is compromise; without trust, we lack the credibility for

Tu actitud determina tu altitud», «La sonrisa hace más amigos que el entrecejo fruncido» y «La mente humana puede lograr todo lo que concibe y cree».

Treat a man as he is and he will remain as he is. Treat a man as he can and should be and he will become as he can and should be." –Goethe

if "success" were important in any area of life, it was supremely important in our role as parents.

challenge is not to manage time, but to manage ourselves.

Our security comes from knowing that, unlike other centers based on people or things which are subject to frequent and immediate change, correct principles do not change. We can depend on them.

Anytime we think the problem is "out there," that thought is the problem.

Remember that quick fix is a mirage. Building and repairing relationships takes time. If you become impatient with his apparent lack of response or his seeming ingratitude, you may make huge withdrawals and undo all the good you've done. "After all we've done for you, the sacrifices we've made, how can you be so ungrateful? We try to be nice and you act like this. I can't believe it!

It simply makes no difference how good the rhetoric is or even how good the intentions are; if there is little or no trust, there is no foundation for permanent success.

But borrowing strength builds weakness. It builds weakness in the borrower because it reinforces dependence on external factors to get things done.

If there is one message to glean from this wisdom, it is that a meaningful life is not a matter of speed or efficiency. It's much more a matter of what you do and why you do it, than how fast you get it done.