Category Archives: improve

There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, learning from failure.

There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, learning from failure. – Colin Powell What does that mean? Well, this one pretty much says it on the level. People are always looking for the magic bullet, … Continue reading

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If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid.

If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid. – Epictetus What does that mean? I like this quote, because I have lived it so many times. While we can learn a lot from books, the internet, and … Continue reading

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Rightly defined philosophy is simply the love of wisdom.

Rightly defined philosophy is simply the love of wisdom. – Cicero What does that mean? This quote is about the motivation and underlying reason why people pursue philosophy. And, quite simply, it is, as the quote says, the simple love of wisdom. … Continue reading

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A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials.

A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials. – Seneca What does that mean? Back in the time of this quote, gemstones were polished by grinding. Cutting and cleaving, as we know them today, had … Continue reading

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Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I’m going to be happy in it.

Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I’m going to be happy in it. – Groucho Marx What does that mean? A slightly longer version of the quote is as follows: “Each morning when I … Continue reading

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We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.

We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak. – Epictetus What does that mean? Somehow, I imagine this was an old saying before Epictetus latched on to it. It certainly survives … Continue reading

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Don’t wait for something big to occur. Start where you are with what you have and that will lead you into something greater.

Don’t wait for something big to occur. Start where you are with what you have and that will lead you into something greater. – Mary Manin Morrissey What does that mean? While there is some baggage associated with the author of … Continue reading

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Human happiness depends on taking others into account.

Human happiness depends on taking others into account. – Dalai Lama What does that mean? To me, this quote talks about two things at the same time. First, it addresses our personal happiness. It also addresses the happiness of all human-kind at the … Continue reading

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Whatever is well said by another, is mine.

Whatever is well said by another, is mine. – Seneca What does that mean? Well, this is an interesting quote. One way to take it is to presume that he is taking other people’s quotes. In short, plagiarism. While I would … Continue reading

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Most people dabble their way through life, never deciding to master anything in particular.

Most people dabble their way through life, never deciding to master anything in particular. – Tony Robbins What does that mean? This is the longer version of the quote: “One reason so few of us achieve what we truly want is … Continue reading

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A problem is a question you haven’t yet answered to a level that has fulfilled you.

A problem is a question you haven’t yet answered to a level that has fulfilled you. – Tony Robbins and here What does that mean? This quote is about being done. As long as you aren’t fulfilled, as long as you are not satisfied, … Continue reading

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Practice yourself, for heaven’s sake in little things, and then proceed to greater.

Practice yourself, for heaven’s sake in little things, and then proceed to greater. – Epictetus What does that mean? This quote is also stated in a slightly older English, but with better punctuation (see 2nd link at bottom of this … Continue reading

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I have striven not to laugh at human actions, not to weep at them, nor to hate them, but to understand them.

I have striven not to laugh at human actions, not to weep at them, nor to hate them, but to understand them. – Baruch Spinoza What does that mean? I like this quote, and have tried to live by it even … Continue reading

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Most of our problems are related to the mind, so we have to work to reduce our destructive emotions.

Most of our problems are related to the mind, so we have to work to reduce our destructive emotions. – Dalai Lama What does that mean? This quote attempts to take aim at the most easily understood difficulty humans have, the mind. … Continue reading

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The good things of prosperity are to be wished; but the good things that belong to adversity are to be admired.

The good things of prosperity are to be wished; but the good things that belong to adversity are to be admired. –  Seneca What does that mean? To me, this quote is about our focus and about what is truly … Continue reading

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