Whosoever desires constant success must change his conduct with the times. – Niccolò Machiavelli What does that mean? What this quote says to me is that things are always changing, that nothing stays the same. If you wish to enjoy continued success, you will have to adapt to the changing circumstances that surround you. You will have…
“Life can be much broader once you discover one simple fact, and that is, everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you … the minute that you understand that you can poke life … that you can change it, you can mould it … that’s…
Experience is one thing you can’t get for nothing. – Oscar Wilde What does that mean? You might be able to bum a cigarette, invite yourself over to a friend’s house for a free lunch, or even get some free advice from a web site. But experience, it doesn’t come that cheap. Experience, by definition,…
The measure of a man is the way he bears up under misfortune. – Plutarch What does that mean? I would imagine most of us could put up with good fortune without too much trouble. Really good fortune might test us (look at the history of lottery winners to get an idea of what could…
If past history is all there was to the game, the richest people would be librarians. – Warren Buffett What does that mean? Like the disclaimer says, past performance is not an indicator of future returns. The person who said this quote is considered one of the brightest guys on the planet when it comes…
Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony. ― Mohandas Gandhi What does that mean? This is all about being congruent. Some people will say what they believe is expected, not what is actually going through their mind. Others will do what they think is expected, even though…
If we find we cannot help others, the least we can do is to desist from harming them. – Dalai Lama What does that mean? This is an old truism, crossing cultures and the ages, dating back to at least the 4th century BC. It is quoted in Latin (as “first, do no harm” or primum…
Politics have no relation to morals. – Niccolò Machiavelli What does that mean? Having grown up in the greater Chicago-land area, this quote really makes sense to me. Morals are about doing what is right for the right reasons. The definition of what is or isn’t moral is influenced by culture and environment, but there is…
Success is not built on success. It’s built on failure. It’s built on frustration. Sometimes it’s built on catastrophe. – Sumner Redstone What does that mean? This quote seems to be the story of my life! The quote implies that strings of successes are the exception, not the rule. Life tends to twist and turn…
I think of life as a good book. The further you get into it, the more it begins to make sense. – Harold S. Kushner What does that mean? To me, it sounds like the story of my life. When I started out, I knew nothing. 8) Since then I’ve learned a few things about…
Worry is a down payment on a problem you may never have. – Unknown What does that mean? To me, this says that we should quit worrying. The quote goes on to point out that the problem you are worrying about might not even happen. The quote implies that we should focus our time and energy…
Keeping score of old scores and scars, getting even and one-upping, always makes you less than you are. – Malcolm Forbes What does that mean? To me, this quote is full of fairly straight forward advice. The quote works from both a time perspective and an energy perspective. If you are busy keeping track of…
Silence is one of the great arts of conversation. – Cicero What does that mean? To me, it basically says “Shut up already!” We know that you can’t have a conversation with both (or all) of the people talking at the same time. So somehow we have to take turns. There are some social conventions…
Disturbing emotions not only disturb our own state of mind, they also disturb the minds of others. – Dalai Lama What does that mean? Our lives intersect the lives of others. When we are with others, if we have any empathy at all (most of us do, to some extent), we can get a sense of how…
One change always leaves the way open for the establishment of others. – Niccolò Machiavelli What does that mean? While this quote is almost certainly about political change, and how a ruler might use this to their advantage, I believe it also works well for us as individuals. When you change one habit, what happens…
