Quotes from Stephen R. Covey

responsibility—"response-ability"—the ability to choose your response.

The key to growth is to learn to make promises and to keep them

Ironically, you'll find that as you care less about what others think of you, you will care more about what others think of themselves and their worlds, including their relationship with you. You'll no longer build your emotional life on other people's weaknesses. In addition, you'll find it easier and more desirable to change because there is something—some core deep within—that is essentially changeless.

Most believe that the key to influence is communication—getting your point across clearly and speaking persuasively. In fact, if you think about it, don't you find that, while others are speaking to you, instead of really listening to understand, you are often busy preparing your response?

The clock represents our commitments, appointments, schedules, goals, activities—what we do with, and how we manage our time.

compass represents our vision, values, principles, mission, conscience, direction—what we feel is important and how we lead our lives.

Look at the word responsibility—"response-ability"—the ability to choose your response. Highly proactive people recognize that responsibility. They do not blame circumstances, conditions, or conditioning for their behavior.

In fact, "grow or die" is the moral imperative of all existence.

Changing a planning tool or a method won't create significant change in the results we're getting in our lives—although the implied promise is that it will. It's not a matter of controlling things more, better, or faster; it's questioning the whole assumption of control.

Few of us can do great things, but all of us can do small things with great love. MOTHER TERESA

What you alone can contribute, no one else can contribute. Viktor Frankl said we don't invent our mission; we detect it. It's within us waiting to be realized.

It is our willing permission, our consent to what happens to us, that hurts us far more than what happens to us in the first place.

In the words of both Peter Drucker and Warren Bennis, "Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things." Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall.

It is possible to be busy—very busy—without being very effective.

love is a verb. Reactive people make it a feeling. They're driven by feelings.

Search your own heart with all diligence for out of it flow the issues of life.

Did you ever consider how ridiculous it would be to try to cram on a farm—to forget to plant in the spring, play all summer and then cram in the fall to bring in the harvest? The farm is a natural system. The price must be paid and the process followed. You always reap what you sow; there is no shortcut.

If I am intellectually interdependent, I realize that I need the best thinking of other people to join with my own.

Whatever you can do, or dream, begin it! For boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.

Nothing fails like success.

To judge someone before understanding that person is a form of human rejection and feeds upon itself. It intensifies personal insecurities, necessitating more judgment (prejudice) and less understanding. The processes continue in this vicious cycle.

in relationships, the little things are the big things.

Happiness can be defined, in part at least, as the fruit of the desire and ability to sacrifice what we want now for what we want eventually.

If you knew you couldn't fail, what would you give your life to? If you knew you didn't have to work for a living, what would you give your life to?