Quotes About Initiative

I present a reconciliation initiative... whose essence is our commitment to stop operations against all (European) countries if they promise not to be aggressive towards Muslims or interfere in their affairs.

The only way to become a doer is to find something worth doing.

We have to take the first step as though there were no God. It is no use to wait for God to help us, He will not: but immediately we arise we find He is there.

We have to get into the habit of carefully listening to God about everything, forming the habit of finding out what He says and heeding it. If, when a crisis comes, we instinctively turn to God, we will know that the habit has been formed in us. We have to take the initiative where we are, not where we have not yet been.

The remarkable thing about spiritual initiative is that the life and power comes after we "get up and get going." God does not give us overcoming life—He gives us life as we overcome. When the inspiration of God comes, and He says, "Arise from the dead," we have to get ourselves up; God will not lift us up.

The Inspiration of Spiritual Initiative

A saint is not to take the initiative toward self-realization, but toward knowing Jesus Christ. A spiritually vigorous saint never believes that his circumstances simply happen at random, nor does he ever think of his life as being divided into the secular and the sacred. He sees every situation in which he finds himself as the means of obtaining a greater knowledge of Jesus Christ, and he has an attitude of unrestrained abandon and total surrender about him.

The aim of a spiritually vigorous saint is "that I may know Him." Do I know Him where I am today? If not, I am failing Him. I am not here for self-realization, but to know Jesus Christ. In Christian work our initiative and motivation are too often simply the result of realizing that there is work to be done and that we must do it. Yet that is never the attitude of a spiritually vigorous saint. His aim is to achieve the realization of Jesus Christ in every set of circumstances.

Once we lose sight of God, we begin to be reckless. We cast off certain restraints from activities we know are wrong. We set prayer aside as well and cease having God's vision in the little things of life. We simply begin to act on our own initiative. If we are eating only out of our own hand, and doing things solely on our own initiative without expecting God to come in, we are on a downward path.

When it comes to taking the initiative against drudgery, we have to take the first step as though there were no God. There is no point in waiting for God to help us--He will not. But once we arise, immediately we find He is there.

The best kind of charity is to help those who are willing to help themselves.

Fortune always favors the brave, and never helps a man who does not help himself.

There is no guarantee that starting a small conversation will lead to something larger. But the failure to take any step at all, no matter how small, comes with an ironclad guarantee that we will not be part of helping change happen.

You can't wring your hands and roll up your sleeves at the same time.

We must clearly do something.

In short, if we wish to see anything sensible done about the situation, we will clearly have to do it ourselves.

Nike's snappy logo "Just do it" reminds us that it's unnecessary to be motivated, get ourselves together, or even feel like doing it. The key is to get up and go.

to spur themselves into action, procrastinators have to want to do something.

Motivation follows action, yet most of us are seeking motivation that creates action.

What determines whether you hit it off with someone? It's not circumstantial; rather, it's a matter of you taking charge and setting the tone to be friendly and open. Most people treat others like strangers and thus won't become friends. So change that script from the very beginning, put people at ease and let them be comfortable around you.

So go. Run with it. Make trouble.

Never mind manoeuvres, always go at them.

You didn't do it, and the sooner you understand that, the better it will be for you and your marriage. You couldn't have done it. You're simply not that powerful and not that wise. You and I like to think that it was all our initiative, but it wasn't. When you face the fact that your marital story is all about the wisdom and will of Another, your understanding of marriage completely changes forever.

And if there is one thing I've learned, it's if you don't put it out there, they won't put it in there.