10 Quotes All Entrepreneurs Should Memorize

Joel Peterson

Chairman, JetBlue Airways. Stanford Business School

Life can be tough. As my mother used to wryly remind me, “No one gets out alive.” We all have plenty of less-than-perfect moments. Not even the most gifted, telegenic and charming people live every day in the sunshine.

The same is true for entrepreneurs. Just as “bad things happen to good people,” every great entrepreneur regularly stares down the barrel of failure.

Graham Weaver, the founder of Alpine Investors and a frequent visitor to my business classes, reminds would-be entrepreneurs that the only failures they should fear are the ones of character and effort. It’s an uncertain world, and there are only so many things you can control. Even when you’re giving 100% and doing your best to be an honorable and ethical leader, things go wrong.

What you can control is how you deal with those setbacks. However stressful failure can be, if you pick yourself up and get back on the horse, you’ve passed the real test.

And when you do, you’ll start to see more silver linings than you expected. In pushing through failure, you’ll learn who your real friends are – the ones who know what you’re made of and believe in what you’ll do next. You’ll discover reserves of energy, persistence and confidence that you didn’t know you had. And you’ll feel a new sense of creativity, the ingenuity to solve hard problems, that might have remained fallow without the challenges.

One way I’ve prepared for my own unanticipated, but nonetheless certain, failures is by memorizing these 10 quotes:

1. "What does not destroy me, makes me stronger." – Friedrich Nietzsche, 1844-1900 (wat ne dood maak, maak vet!)
2. "Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance." Samuel Johnson 1709-84.
3. "Sweet are the uses of adversity." – William Shakespeare, 1564-1616
4. "When it’s darkest, men see the stars." – Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1803-1882
5. "Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom." – General George S. Patton, 1885-1945
6. "When the well’s dry, we know the worth of water." – Benjamin Franklin, 1706-1790
7. "A certain amount of opposition is a great help to a man. Kites rise against, not with the wind." – John Neal, 1793-1876
8. "Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm." – Anon
9. "He knows not his own strength that hath not met adversity." – Ben Jonson, c. 1573-1637
10. "Life is not always a matter of holding good cards, but sometimes playing a poor hand well." – Jack London, undated

One last quote I always keep nearby is this one from Theodore Roosevelt -- about the value of “daring greatly”. It's an excerpt of a speech he gave at Paris’s Sorbonne in April, 1910:

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

It’s nice to remind yourself that anyone who fails at trying to do something great is in pretty good company. This group knew that the best dreams can often temporarily disguise themselves as nightmares – better to press forward and leave the fear behind.

Referron sponsoring Untold Secrets of Industry Rockstars in Sydney on 27-28 July so you can go gor free

Referron is  proud to be sponsoring Universal Stars "Untold Secrets of Industry Rockstars" - it should be great!

Below is an invitation from Karen:-

Great News!

We’ve just finalised an exciting new sponsorship arrangement with Referron, the iPhone and Android app that is taking Australian businesses by storm.

What this means for you, Ken, is that you can now get Standard Seating at the Untold Secrets of Industry Rockstars event coming up in Sydney on 27-28 July for Free!

If you are a coach, consultant, business owner or anyone who knows you could be bringing in a lot more business, but instead you find yourself feeling “stuck” wondering where your next client is coming from…

… you are going to love the step by step system Kane Minkus has for helping you to:

• Build your profile

• Become recognised as an expert in your chosen field

• Attract high-paying clients and strategic partners

• Create a 6 to 7 figure Income easily and quickly (even in difficult times or in market that are highly competitive.

Go Here To Claim Your Complimentary Tickets Now

All Standard Seating tickets are now sponsored and available to you at no cost, for a limited time, thanks to our Event Sponsor, Referron.

And, you can upgrade to VIP for an extra special set of exclusive benefits including VIP-Only additional training sessions, lunch with Kane, priority seating and green room access all weekend, including catering and networking opportunities.

Go here to secure your place now
(with this new announcement of free tickets, remaining seats are sure to go fast).

 
Plus, everyone gets Kane’s brand new bonus printed book “Industry Rockstar” when they attend… that’s a further $49 bonus!

To your success,

Karen Corban
Managing Director
Universal Stars (formerly Universal Events)

PS Special thanks to our Event Sponsor, Referron, for making this free ticket offer a possibility.

Referron is an app for iPhones and Android phones. It lets you refer people to anyone in your phone’s contact list at the push of a button.

In short, it automates the process of referring people and providing feedback. We think it’s very cool indeed!

Help needed - looking for my why?

Gurus are saying that if you have your "why sussed" and you have a clear sense of purpose... you will be more effective, and achieve the nirvana (whatever that may be) .... Its interesting... working on my “why” ....

I do not have a “Why” as such.... what I do is (I suppose) in my DNA... sort of - why does a fish swim or a lion roar or a monkey swings on trees?..... it just is!

Maybe its helping others achieve their “why" ?    

What is your "WHY"? 

Notes inspired by "Lessons from Toby" by Ari Gelper

Ari has a Down Syndrome child, Toby. and has written a book on the 52 Lessons he has learned from this amazing child.


Toby is physically healthy, except for low muscle tone, and he learns and does things more slowly than others.

1. Live in the present moment – when you are with Toby, be present. Don’t think of anything besides what you are doing at that time. Focus on Toby and on the task at hand… if you don’t you will lose that connection. When you are in the present moment, you can share in the moment, the delights, the opportunities, the excitement, that feeling of connection. when communicating with someone – be present, stay connected… extract the value from that interaction. Be in the zone. Your goal should be to live in the moment for as much as possible. Living in the moment – only good things can happen… In the moment is the only reality.

2. Treat others the way you and yours would like to be treated. If one can do this, the world would be a better place! Treat everyone like family – show your whole self to people you interact with on a daily basis.

3. Slow Down and Focus - Listen and pay close attention to what Toby says. Don’t speed ahead or you will lose that connection. Don’t multitask when dealing with Toby… Stay focused on the task at hand.

4. Don’t let things get you down – be happy – Toby rarely gets upset and laughs at everything. He takes people at face value.. if they are nice to him, they are rewarded with unconditional love and affection.

5. Don’t Judge – no-one is perfect, everyone has issues. Make the best of what you have got. Be the best you can be. Don’t have preconceived ideas.

6. Look for best Qualities in others and yourself - Everyone is unique with special qualities. Find that uniqueness in each person you meet – let that person know that you are in awe of that special quality. People love to be appreciated and acknowledged. Great inspiration comes from your ability to find the best in others. Everyone views the world in a different way. Listen carefully to their views on how they see the world – listen to understand – don’t listen to respond. When the person you are really listening to feels understood by you, they become open to understanding your perspective.

7. Say only good things about others. People who focus on the good things in people are usually nmore successful in life. If you talk badly of someone , the other person will think “ what will he say about me to others?” Talk nicely of people and rise to another level./

8. Relax your mind – be present – focus on task at hand and people around you. Stop listening to your “self talk” . When feeling out of control, stressed, overwhelmed – take a deep breath, stay present at the task at hand – remember your uniqueness and strengths, and start fixing the problem, one step at a time! Shit happens, its how you deal with it that makes you successful or a better person

9. Listen to yourself – trust your gut – read “Blink” by Mlcolm Gladwell. Your first impressions are invariably right

10. Acknowledge and take care of your “Inner Circle” – Make a list of these people. This is the people who care most about you – and want to see you succeed. Make sure they know that you care and know that they are around and that you appreciate them. Do this regularly! Say hello to your fellow work mates, take your receptionist out to lunch , write a letter congratulating them on a job well done.

11. Out of every negative a positive comes. Toby has brought so much joy to us and to so many other people. Businesses that have failed – they failed because of a factor or a number of factors… people learned from these failures and built better businesses with more solid foundations. For every ying there is a yang! When you come across a problem, accept it, focus on it and solve it. keep a positive attitude and outlook.

12. Be thankful – don’t take life or other people for granted. Acknowledge the things that you should be thankful for on a daily basis.

13. Be a role model for those you care about – “the law of the picture.” People will follow what you do.

14. Keep a diary of all the appreciation/ acknowledgements good things that people have had to say about you… this will give you inspiration from how others appreciate you. Be able to tap into that good feeling

15. Make your world a better place to live in – stand by what you think is right

16. Be empathetic, truthful and authentic – be your true self. Be genuine to others – this will draw good people around you. Lower your mask…. Your true self will always be revealed anyway! The key to any relationship is trust.

17. Find meaning in your work – your work is an extension to yourself. If you can’t connect with it, or find meaning in it , change it

18. Find role models and mentors who exemplify your values

19. Focus on what means most to you… you will probably find that this is not what you are spending most of your time on.

20. Let go of the past – don’t hold grudges .. they are like a cancer. Focus on the future and how you can build from your lessons. Learn to forgive, it will free your mind to be positive.

21. Choose the people you want to work with – get rid of negative energy. Create a positive and productive life from people around you

22. Know that there will always be someone worse off than you and better off than you…. He who is wealthy is “happy with his lot”

23. Always keep an open mind and be willing to learn, At any moment wo only know what we know: there is also much more to know

24. Embrace your uniqueness – don’t be afraid to be different . Most f us want to be accepted – that is how one connects. Don’t give up our uniqueness to fit in. Stay true to yourself. Be proud of what makes you different, because that makes you unique

25. Things take care of themselves. Don’t worry about things that haven’t happened that you have no control over. Focussing on the present will prevent us from anxious thoughts.;

26. Measure success by how you have impacted others not necessarily by the money you make.

27. Have quiet time -Balance your life

28. Have time to unwind

29. Reward yourself on a job well done.

30. Business deals may fail but relationships last forever!

AABCFFFGGHHJMMOPPQRRRRTTTTUUWY


Acknowledge, appreciation, balance, choose, focus, focus, focus, good, grudges, happy, happy, judge, meaning, measure, open, present, positive, qualities, rolemodel, reward, relationships, treat, thankful, things trust,unique, unwind, world, ying

Great article on what makes the great entrepreneurs tick - thanks stevetobak!

by Steve Tobak  www.inc.com

What have the great entrepreneurs such as --Mayer, Page, Zuckerberg--have in common, that makes them better than all the rest.

jdlasica, Gobierno de Chile, Giorgio Montersino, Red Innova [4]/Flickr; Getty

From left: Mark Zuckerberg, Marissa Mayer, Jack Dorsey, Phil Libin, Alberto Perlman

2,586
inShare

Super Succesful Entrepreneurs seem to have  unique  qualities, some more eccentric than others. Marissa Mayer is a high-fashion workaholic. Mark Zuckerberg is obsessed with the product. Larry Page is a geeky introvert. Larry Ellison and Richard Branson are adrenaline freaks that race yachts, fly planes, and buy entire islands.

All that may be true, but it’s a big mistake to think that defines them.

Successful entrepreneurs seem to have  7 traits in common.

1.They all have a process. It’s the strangest thing but every single one of them seems to have their own process for thinking things through, making decisions, whatever. They’re very process-oriented. Sometimes they don’t even know it. 

2.They trust their gut. It seems they’ve spent their entire lives being self-absorbed or self-sufficient. As a result, they’re extremely self-confident when it comes to trusting their own instincts and following whatever it is that inspires them. They will listen to others -- a trusted few -- but they’ll still make the final call in the end.

3.They have a passion for what they do. That’s why they do it. Whether it’s writing software code or coming up with the next hot gadget, they love it. It inspires them. It makes them feel safe, comfortable. It draws them like a powerful magnet. They feel at home doing it. And there’s nothing else they’d rather do. Nothing.

4. They’re unusually quick on the uptake. They can assimilate data, come to grips with a situation, or grasp something that took you two hours to understand in what seems like a heartbeat. It goes without saying that they’re unusually smart.  

  

5. They’re born problem solvers. To them, problem solving is a fantastic game. They get off on it. They live for it. And they’re the best at it. Once they understand the problem, they revel in bringing their intellect, inspiration, and observations to bear in coming up with the right solution, plan, decision, whatever’s appropriate for the situation.

6. They’ve got something to prove. It’s not usually clear -- to you or to them -- who they need to prove it to, but I really don’t think it matters. They all just seem to have this relentless need to achieve, to make things happen, to do great things. It drives them and motivates them.

7. They work their tails off. Their work is, to a great extent, their life. That’s sort of an obvious result when you consider how passionate they are about what they do and how driven they are to accomplish great things. And you won’t always see them working, either. Day or night, at work or at home, they usually have a hard time turning it off.

One more thing. If you end up working with some of these folks, the worst thing you can do is be in awe of them. They don’t generally like yes-men and are quite impatient with folks who don’t add value. They have you around for a reason. Do what you do best and be straight with them. That’s generally the way to go.

Sungha Jung Playing "WOnderful Tonight - Eric Clapton

This kid is an inspiration... a gift from the Universe!!
THOUGHT YOU MIGHT LIKE!!


WHAT DO YOU THINK?