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Stephen Covey

Stephen Covey Quotes

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Famous Stephen Covey Quotes

“If I really want to improve my situation, I can work on the one thing over which I have control-myself. I can stop trying to shape up my wife and can work on my own weaknesses. I can focus an being a great marriage partner, a source of unconditional love and support. Hopefully, my wife will feel the power of proactive example and respond in kind. But, whether she does or doesn't, the most positive way I can influence my situation is to work on myself, on my being.”

IfsWayWantFeelsTryingKindDoeI CanMy OwnSituationSupportFocusWifeOne ThingInfluenceExampleSourceShapesWeaknessMy WifePartnersHopefullyUnconditional LoveUnconditionalStop TryingProactiveGreat MarriageControl Myself
Author:Stephen Covey
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“You have to decide what your highest priorities are and have the courage—pleasantly, smilingly, nonapologetically, to say “no” to other things. And the way you do that is by having a bigger “yes” burning inside. The enemy of the “best” is often the “good.”

WayInspirationalMotivationalChangeEnemyCourageTrustHighestBiggerPrioritiesBurningTop Priorities7 HabitsPut First Things FirstPriorities In LifeBurning Inside
Book:The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change
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“We simply assume that the way we see things is the way they really are or the way they should be. And our attitudes and behaviors grow out of these assumptions.”

WayShouldMotivationalGrowsAttitudeHumilityPerspectiveBehaviorAssumingIntelligenceAssumptionPositive Behavior
Book:The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change Interactive Edition
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“I believe that a life of integrity I the most fundamental source of personal worth. I do not agree with the popular success literature that says that self-esteem is primarily a matter of mind set, of attitude-that you can psych yourself into peace of mind. Peace of mind comes when your life is in harmony with true principles and values and in no other way.”

WayMindBelieveSelfMatterLife IsValuesLiteratureI BelieveAttitudePrinciplesSelf EsteemSourceIntegrityHarmonyAgreeFundamentalsEsteemPeace Of MindMind Set7 HabitsPsychPersonal WorthPrinciples And Values
Book:The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change
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“Lose/Win people bury a lot of feelings. And unexpressed feelings come forth later in uglier ways. Psychosomatic illnesses often are the reincarnation of cumulative resentment, deep disappointment and disillusionment repressed by the Lose/Win mentality. Disproportionate rage or anger, overreaction to minor provocation, and cynicism are other embodiments of suppressed emotion. People who are constantly repressing, not transcending feelings toward a higher meaning find that it affects the quality of their relationships with others.”

PeopleWayFeelingsWinningLosesEmotionQualityHigherIllnessDisappointmentRageMentalityResentmentCynicismMinorsReincarnationEmbodimentDisillusionmentRepressedProvocationTranscendingCumulativeRelationships With OthersOverreactionDeep Disappointment
Book:Daily Reflections for Highly Effective People: Living THE SEVEN HABITS OF HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE Every Day
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“Writing is another powerful way to sharpen the mental saw. Keeping a journal of our thoughts, experiences, insights, and learnings promotes mental clarity, exactness, and context.”

WayWritingPowerfulSawsInsightClarityOur ThoughtsJournalExactnessKeeping A Journal
Book:The Stephen R. Covey Interactive Reader - 4 Books in 1: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, First Things First, and the Best of the Most Renowned Leadership Teacher of our Time
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“The most effective way I know to begin with the end in mind is to develop a personal mission statement or philosophy or creed. It focused on what you want to be (character) and to do (contributions and achievements) and on the values or principles upon which being and doing are based.”

KnowsWayWantMindEndsPhilosophyCharacterValuesPrinciplesFocusAchievementMissionsFocusedWhat You WantStatementsContributionCreedsMission StatementPersonal MissionPersonal Mission Statement
Book:Daily Reflections for Highly Effective People: Living THE SEVEN HABITS OF HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE Every Day
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“Fulfilling the four needs in an integrated way is like combining elements in chemistry. When we reach a "critical mass" of integration, we experience spontaneous combustion - an explosion of inner synergy that ignites the fire within and gives vision, passion, and a spirit of adventure to life.”

WayNeedsGivingSpiritualSpiritPassionSocialVisionFireFourAdventureElementsMassCriticalChemistryFulfillingSpontaneousIntegrationExplosionsIntegratedCombiningIgniteSynergyCombustionCritical MassSpirit Of AdventureFire WithinSpontaneous Combustion
Author:Stephen Covey
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“Ineffective people live day after day with unused potential. They experience synergy only in small, peripheral ways in their lives. But creative experiences can be produced regularly, consistently, almost daily in people's lives. It requires enormous personal security and openness and a spirit of adventure.”

PeopleWaySpiritCreativeSecurityAdventureEnormousOpennessConsistentlyEfficiencyEffectivenessSynergySpirit Of AdventurePersonal Security
Book:Daily Reflections for Highly Effective People: Living THE SEVEN HABITS OF HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE Every Day
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“To focus on technique is like cramming your way through school. You sometimes get by, perhaps even get good grades, but if you don't pay the price day in and day out, you'll never achieve true mastery of the subjects you study or develop an educated mind.”

IfsWayMindSometimesSchoolLeadershipPayStudyFocusAchieveSubjectsTechniqueEducatedGradesMasteryPay The PriceGood GradesCrammingEducated Mind
Book:The Stephen R. Covey Interactive Reader - 4 Books in 1: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, First Things First, and the Best of the Most Renowned Leadership Teacher of our Time
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“When life does not go our way or we inadvertently make a mistake, it is so easy to make excuses, place blame on others, or argue that circumstances were against us. But we only progress in life to the extent that we take responsibility for our actions and attitudes, and put forth the initiative necessary to create our own circumstances.”

WayDoeActionEasyFreedomMistakeAttitudeResponsibilityProgressCircumstancesSelf ImprovementEmpowermentBlameExcuseArguingImprovementInitiativeTaking ResponsibilityOur ActionsProgress In Life
Author:Stephen Covey
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“Humility is the mother of all virtues. Humility says we are not in control, principles are in control, therefore we submit ourselves to principles. Pride says that we are in control, and since our values govern our behavior, we can simply do life our way.”

WayMotherValuesPrinciplesVirtueHumilityPrideBehaviorPersonal DevelopmentSubmit
Book:The Stephen R. Covey Interactive Reader - 4 Books in 1: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, First Things First, and the Best of the Most Renowned Leadership Teacher of our Time
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“If you don't know yourself, if you don't control yourself, if you don't have mastery over yourself, it's very hard to like yourself, except in some short-term, psych-up, superficial way.”

IfsKnowsWayHardTermLike YouPersonal DevelopmentOver YouMasterySuperficialKnow YourselfShort TermLike YourselfPsych
Book:The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change Interactive Edition
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“An empowering mission statement has to become a living document, part of our very nature, so that the criteria we've put into it are also in us, in the way we live our lives day by day.”

WayPurposeOur LivesMissionsStatementsEmpoweringDocumentsCriteriaMission Statement
Book:First Things First Every Day: Daily Reflections- Because Where You're Headed Is More Important Than How Fast You Get There
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“What difference would a clear vision of my principles, values, and ultimate objectives make in the way I spend my time?”

WayValuesDifferencesVisionPrinciplesClearUltimateObjectivesMy TimeClear Vision
Book:The Stephen R. Covey Interactive Reader - 4 Books in 1: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, First Things First, and the Best of the Most Renowned Leadership Teacher of our Time
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“To me, the essence of keeping the soul nourished is obedience to one's conscience. I don't think that the soul can be nourished unless people have a strong sense of conscience that they have educated and developed and soaked in the universal and timeless principles of integrity and service. This way, the individual's soul becomes part of the universal soul of service, contribution, and making a difference.”

PeopleThinkingWaySoulCharacterIndividualStrongDifferencesPrinciplesIntegrityConscienceEssenceUniversalEducatedObedienceContributionMaking A DifferenceTimeless
Author:Stephen Covey
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