“The experience of reading a book shouldn’t be about what we’re taught in school. The point is not to know what happened– it’s to respond emotionally and philosophically to the plot, characters and dialogue. A good novel transforms your worldview and informs the decisions you make in your daily life, both conscious and unconscious. Savor each page rather than trying to blaze through the book as if it’s some sort of competition. Some books are meant to be skimmed (often textbooks, interestingly enough), but if you’re reading a classic try to really enjoy it rather than focusing on the goal of being done with it. Focus on the value of each word, fragment, and sentence rather than ‘getting it’ or trying to digest a work in its entirety.” ~ Unknown, The Daily Zen
“I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You’re doing things you’ve never done before, and more importantly, you’re doing something. So that’s my wish for you, and all of us, and my wish for myself. Make new mistakes. Make glorious, amazing mistakes. Make mistakes nobody’s ever made before. Don’t freeze, don’t stop, don’t worry that it isn’t good enough, or it isn’t perfect, whatever it is: art, or love, or work or family or life. Whatever it is you’re scared of doing, do it. Make your mistakes, next year and forever.” ~ Neil Gaiman
“Be the calm center in the raging flow of life.” ~ Leo Babauta, Zen Habits
“There are no uninteresting things; there are only uninterested people.” ~ Stephen M. R. Covey, The Speed of Trust
“Unless you’re continually improving your skills, you’re quickly becoming irrelevant.” ~ Stephen M. R. Covey, The Speed of Trust
“Always surround yourself with people who are even more talented and competent than you.” ~ Stephen M. R. Covey, The Speed of Trust
“When you make a commitment to yourself, do so with the clear understanding that you’re pledging your integrity.” ~ Stephen M. R. Covey, The Speed of Trust
“Being humble does not mean being weak, reticent, or self-effacing. It means recognizing principle and putting it ahead of self. It means standing firmly for principle, even in the fact of opposition.” ~ Stephen M. R. Covey, The Speed of Trust
“How does humility manifest itself in leadership and in life? A humble person is more concerned about what is right than about being right, about acting on good ideas than having the ideas, about embracing new truth than defending outdated position, about building the team than exalting self, about recognizing contribution than being recognized for making it.” ~ Stephen M. R. Covey, The Speed of Trust
“Over time, I have come to this simple definition of leadership: Leadership is getting results in a way that inspires trust.” ~ Stephen M. R. Covey, The Speed of Trust
“If you think the problem is out there, that very thought is the problem.” ~ Stephen M. R. Covey, The Speed of Trust
“One of the fastest ways to restore trust is to make and keep commitments – even very small commitments – to ourselves and to others.” ~ Stephen M. R. Covey, The Speed of Trust