Quotes About Self-improvement

Attend to the matter before you, whether it is an opinion or an act or a word. You suffer this justly: for you choose rather to become good tomorrow than to be good today.

When you are offended at any man's fault, immediately turn to yourself and reflect in what manner you yourself have erred:

Dig inside yourself. Inside there is a spring of goodness ready to gush at any moment if you keep digging.

And he cares nothing for their praise—men who can't even meet their own standards.

What progress, you ask, have I made? I have begun to be a friend to myself. That was indeed a great benefit; such a person can never be alone. You may be sure that such a man is a friend to all mankind.

No longer wander at hazard; for neither wilt thou read thy own memoirs, nor the acts of the ancient Romans and Hellenes, and the selections from books which thou wast reserving for thy old age. Hasten then to the end which thou hast before thee, and throwing away idle hopes, come to thy own aid, if thou carest at all for thyself, while it is in thy power.

How cruel it is not to allow a man to strive after the things which appear to them to be suitable to their nature and profitable! And yet in a manner thou dost not allow them to do this, when thou art vexed because they do wrong. For they are certainly moved towards things because they suppose them to be suitable to their nature and profitable to them - But it is not so - Teach them, then, and show them without being angry.

External things are not the problem. It's your assessment of them. Which you can erase right now. If the problem is something in your own character, who's stopping you from setting your mind straight?

You've seen that. Now look at this. Don't be disturbed. Uncomplicate yourself. Someone has done wrong … to himself. Something happens to you. Good. It was meant for you by nature, woven into the pattern from the beginning. Life is short. That's all there is to say. Get what you can from the present—thoughtfully, justly. Unrestrained moderation.

Es ridículo no intentar evitar tu propia maldad, lo cual es posible, y, en cambio, intentar evitar la de los demás, lo cual es lo imposible.

Remember that to change your mind and to accept correction are free acts too. The action is yours, based on your own will, your own decision—and your own mind.

If any man can convince and show me that I do not think or act right, I will gladly change; for I seek truth, by which no man was ever injured. But he is injured who abides in his error and ignorance.

Do, soul, do; abuse and contemn thyself; yet a while and the time for thee to respect thyself, will be at an end.

Yes, you can—if you do everything as if it were the last thing you were doing in your life, and stop being aimless, stop letting your emotions override what your mind tells you, stop being hypocritical, self-centered, irritable.

Write off your hopes, and if your well-being matters to you, be your own savior while you can.

Give up your thirst for books so that you do not die a grouch.

Never wilt your soul, never be just good, simple or unpolished. Manifest more then the body that surrounds yourself.

It is ridiculous not to escape from one's own vices, which is possible, while trying to escape the vices of others, which is impossible.

Seek what is conformable to thy nature, and strive towards this, even if it brings no reputation.

It should be a man's task, says the Imitation, 'to overcome himself, and every day to be stronger than himself.

Don't waste the rest of your time here worrying about other people— unless it affects the common good. It will keep you from doing anything useful. You'll be too preoccupied with what so-and-so is doing, and why, and what they're saying, and what they're thinking, and what they're up to, and all the other things that throw you off and keep you from focusing on your own mind.

Be concerned only that your own thoughts, words, and actions are just and generous. In the race of life, stay in your own lane and focus on the finish line; don't gawk at the missteps of others.

It should be a man's task, says the Imitation, 'to overcome himself, and every day to be stronger than himself.

Do not waste the balance of life left to you in thoughts about other persons...for why do you rob yourself of something else which you might do?