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Purpose Quotes

    “Often he who does too much does too little.” ~ Italian Proverb

      “It is doubtful anyone of us will ever have it all figured out, knowing exactly what is right and wrong in each and every circumstance. But this life is too vast, too open, and too messy to be so easily deciphered and conquered. What we can hope for, and what we can accomplish, is to garner a deeper understanding and appreciation for this life, and through continued questioning and investigation live honorably.” ~ Jacob M. Held, Dr. Seuss and Philosophy

        “Most people didn’t pursue their passions simply because of the promise of a paycheck. They pursued them because they couldn’t imagine doing anything else with their lives.” ~ Ken Robinson, The Element

          “Adhere to your purpose and you will soon feel as well as you ever did. On the contrary, if you falter, and give up, you will lose the power of keeping any resolution, and will regret it all your life.” ~ Abraham Lincoln

            “Sport is where an entire life can be compressed into a few hours, where the emotions of a lifetime can be felt on an acre or two of ground, where a person can suffer and die and rise again on six miles of trails through a New York City park. Sport is a theater where sinner can turn saint and a common man become an uncommon hero, where the past and the future can fuse with the present. Sport is singularly able to give us peak experiences where we feel completely one with the world and transcend all conflicts as we finally become our own potential.” ~ Dr. George Sheehan

              “I am here for a purpose and that purpose is to grow into a mountain, not to shrink to a grain of sand. Henceforth will I apply all my efforts to become the highest mountain of all and I will strain my potential until it cries for mercy.” ~ Og Mandino

                “I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet. The proper function of a man is to live, not to exist.” ~ Jack London

                  “For centuries, dreams have been used to communicate instruction and direction to people of purpose – great men and women.  God used dreams to prepare Joseph for his future as a leader of nations.  He gave battle plans to Gideon in a dream.  Joan of Arc, Jacob, George Washington, Marie Curie, and the apostle Paul were all guided by their dreams.”

                  Andy Andrews, The Traveler’s Gift

                      “My philosophy of life is that if we make up our mind what we are going to make of our lives, then work hard toward that goal, we never lose – somehow we win out.” ~ Ronald Reagan

                      What Will Matter

                        Ready or not, some day it will all come to an end.

                        There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days.

                        All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else.

                        Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance.

                        It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed.

                        Your grudges, resentments, frustrations and jealousies will finally disappear.

                        So too, your hopes, ambitions plans and to-do lists will expire.

                        The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.

                        It won’t matter where you came from or what side of the tracks you lived on at the end.

                        It won’t matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant.

                        Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant.

                        So what will matter?  How will the value of your days be measured?

                        What will matter is not what you bought by what you build,

                        not what you got but what you gave.

                        What will matter is not your success but our significance.

                        What will matter is not what you learned but what you taught,

                        What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example.

                        What will matter is not your competence but your character.

                        What will matter is not how many people you knew,

                        but how many will feel a lasting loss when you’re gone.

                        What will matter is not our memories but the memories of those who loved you.

                        What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what.

                        Living a life that maters doesn’t happen by accident.

                        It’s not a matter of circumstance but of choice.

                        Choose to live a life that matters.

                         

                        ~ Michael Josephson

                          “How do I define success? Let me tell you, money’s pretty nice. But having a lot of money does not automatically make you a successful person. What you want is money and meaning. You want your work to be meaningful, because meaning is what brings the real richness to your life.” ~ Oprah Winfrey

                            “When I was younger I thought success was something different. I thought, ” When I grow up, I want to be famous. I want to be a star. I want to be in movies. When I grow up I want to see the world, drive nice cars. I want to have groupies.” But my idea of success is different today. For me, the most important thing in your life is to live your life with integrity and not to give into peer pressure, to try to be something that you’re not. To live your life as an honest and compassionate person. To contribute in some way.” ~ Ellen DeGeneres

                              “The leaders we revere and the businesses that last are generally not the result of a narrow pursuit of popularity or personal advancement, but of devotion to some bigger purpose. That’s the hallmark of real success. The other trapping of success might be the by product of this larger mission, but it can’t be the central thing.” ~ Barack Obama

                                “That’s what building a body of work is all about. It’s about the daily labor, the many individual acts, the choices large and small that add up over time, over a lifetime to a lasting legacy. It’s about not being satisfied with the latest achievement, the latest gold star, because the one thing I know about a body of work is that it’s never finished. It’s cumulative. It deepens and expands with each day you give your best. You may have setbacks and you may have failures, but you’re not done. You haven’t even started.” ~ Barack Obama

                                  “If your success is not on your own terms, if it looks good to the world but does not feel good in your heart, it is not success at all.” ~ Anna Quindlen

                                    “I don’t want to have lived in vain like most people. I want to be useful or bring enjoyment to all people, even those I’ve never met. I want to go on living even after my death!” ~ Anne Frank

                                      “We all live with the objective of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same.” ~ Anne Frank

                                        “At the end of life we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done.  We will be judged by ‘I was hungry and you gave me food to eat, I was naked and you clothed me, I was homeless and you took me in.’  Hungry not only for bread — but hungry for love. Naked not only for clothing — but naked for human dignity and respect. Homeless not only for want of a room of bricks — but homeless because of rejection.” ~ Mother Teresa

                                          “Owning a business is NOT about working your ass off for the sake of trying to squeeze out a living.  It is NOT about making tons of money at the expense of losing tons of life.  It IS about maximizing life, bettering your life and the lives of others, which, not so ironically, fattens your purse.” ~ Mike Michalowicz