The word mantra comes from two Sanskrit words man, (“to think”) and tra (“tool”). So the literal translation is “a tool of thought”. And that’s how mantras are used in Buddhist and Hindu practices, as tools that clear your mind of distractions. Because when you focus on repeating that mantra over and over again, soon the noise will die down and all you will hear is your inner voice.
—Russell Simmons (b.1957) American Music Promoter
It is necessary for us to understand that the only Active Principle is Spirit.
—Ernest Holmes (1887–1960) American New Thought Writer, Teacher
When you realize that suffering and discomfort are the call to inquiry, you may actually begin to look forward to uncomfortable feelings. You may even experience them as friends coming to show you what you have not yet investigated thoroughly enough.
—Byron Katie (b.1942) American Speaker, Author
You must have absolute faith in your own perceptions of truth. Never act in haste or hurry; be deliberated in everything; wait until you know the true way.
—Wallace Wattles (1860–1911) American New Thought Author
Success is a matter of understanding and religiously practicing specific, simple habits that always lead to success.
—Robert Ringer (b.1979) American Entrepreneur, Motivational Speaker, Author
I’m not a big believer in long-term planning and far-off goals. In fact, I generally set 3-month and 6-month dreamlines. The variables change too much and in-the-future distance becomes an excuse for postponing action.
—Tim Ferriss (b.1977) American Self-help Author
The key to every man is his thought. Sturdy and defying though he look, he has a helm which he obeys, which is the idea after which all his facts are classified. He can only be reformed by showing him a new idea which commands his own.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
Aristotle said, ‘Time does not exist except for change.’ The origin of the word change is the Old English cambium, which means “to become”. In other words, time does not exist except for becoming something new. What, exactly, are you choosing to become?
—Robert K. Cooper (b.1957) American Author, Psychologist
To sin is to be off the mark, that is, to inhibit development, contracting backward into regression rather than expanding forward into growth.
—Connie Zweig (b.1949) American Author, Psychotherapist
The factory of the future will have only two employees, a man and a dog. The man will be there to feed the dog. The dog will be there to keep the man from touching the equipment.
—Warren Bennis (1925–2014) American Business Academic, Author
Determine what you want on your life and act on it.
—Susan Jeffers (1938–2012) American Psychologist, Self-Help Author
I’ve always believed in magic. When I wasn’t doing anything in this town, I’d go up every night, sit on Mulholland Drive, look out at the city, stretch out my arms, and say, “Everybody wants to work with me. I’m a really good actor. I have all kinds of great movie offers”. I’d just repeat these things over and over, literally convincing myself that I had a couple movies lined up. I’d drive down that hill, ready to take the world on, going, “Movie offers are out there for me, I just don’t hear them yet”. It was like total affirmations, antidotes to the stuff that stems from my family background.
—Jim Carrey (b.1962) Canadian Actor, Comedian, Producer
The truth is more important than the facts.
—Frank Lloyd Wright (1867–1959) American Architect
Now, having seen the differences between where you are and where you want to be, begin to change—consciously change—your thoughts, words, and actions to match your grandest vision.
—Neale Donald Walsch (b.1943) American Spiritual Writer
Self-realization is not complete until it lives in action.
—Byron Katie (b.1942) American Speaker, Author
I ask you, what is the use of having your “cake” if you can’t eat it? What exactly are you supposed to do with it? Put it on your mantel and look at it? Cake is meant to be eaten and enjoyed.
—T. Harv Eker (b.1954) American Motivational Speaker, Lecturer, Author
Decide upon your major definite purpose in life and then organize all your activities around it.
—Brian Tracy (b.1944) American Author, Motivational Speaker
Both renunciation of action and the performance of action lead to Nirvana (Liberation); but these performance of action is superior to renunciation of action. The action of today becomes the destiny of tomorrow.
—Swami Chinmayananda (1916–93) Indian Hindu Spiritual Teacher
In the end, the overriding factor in whether or not you realize your dreams is going to be you. Not the world. YOU.
—Russell Simmons (b.1957) American Music Promoter
Always act as if success was guaranteed.
—Unknown
As electricity is a great power in the world, so the inner mind is the greatest power available to you. Neither operates independently; both depend upon a separate agency to ignite them to action, and both bring helpful or harmful results according to the wisdom or ignorance with which they are directed.
—Roger McDonald (b.1941) Australian Novelist, Poet, Screenwriter
We can’t control the world, but we can control our reactions to it.
—Susan Jeffers (1938–2012) American Psychologist, Self-Help Author
Alternating periods of activity and rest is necessary to survive, let alone thrive.
—Tim Ferriss (b.1977) American Self-help Author
I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practice resignation, unless it was quite necessary.
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–62) American Philosopher
All infractions of love and equity in our social relations are speedily punished—by fear…be honest with a man and you have no fear. Try to deceive and the relationship deteriorates.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
These people are often authoritarian and rigid in their views, exerting power over others in an effort to keep others from having power over them. Persecutors may act grandiose and self-righteous to mask their own insecurity.
—David Emerald
When we let someone be who they are without trying to change them, that is giving away love. When we trust that someone can handle his or her own life, and act accordingly, that is giving away love.
—Susan Jeffers (1938–2012) American Psychologist, Self-Help Author
Thus the sovereign voluntary path to cheerfulness, if cheerfulness be lost, is to sit up cheerfully and to act and speak as if cheerfulness were already there.
—William James (1842–1910) American Philosopher, Psychologist, Physician
The commitments we make to ourselves and to others, and our integrity to those commitments, is the essence and clearest manifestation of our proactivity.
—Stephen Covey (1932–2012) American Self-help Author
In like manner the effect of every action is measured by the depth of the sentiment from which it proceeds. The great man knew not that he was great. It took a century or two for that fact to appear. What he did, he did, he did because he must; it was the most natural thing in the world, and grew out of the circumstances of the moment.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
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