A Motivational A – Z Guide to Success

07/14/2025 by

Looking for a guide to success?

We could all use one, right?

Well, here is a concise A-Z guide of the things you will need to bear in mind.

Perhaps it’s a little oversimplified, if I’m honest, but it does cover all the bases, of that I’m quite sure.

If you need a guide to success, print this list, pin it above your desk, and refer to it constantly.

And please pass it on.

Guide to Success
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A – Z Guide to Success:

  • (A) Achieve your dreams. Avoid negative people, things, and places.
  • (B) Believe in yourself and in what you can do.
  • (C) Consider every angle and look at things from both sides.
  • (D) Don’t give up and never give in.
  • (E) Enjoy. Motivation happens when you’re happy with life.
  • (F) Family and Friends. Never, ever lose sight of them.
  • (G) Give more than what you believe is enough.
  • (H) Hold on to your dreams. These should drive you onward and upward.
  • (I) Ignore those who belittle your ambition. If you believe you can, what they think is irrelevant.
  • (J) Just be you. The key to failure is trying to please everyone.
  • (K) Keep trying, no matter how hard life may seem.
  • (L) Learn to love yourself. You’re as good as anyone.
  • (M) Make things happen. The harder you work, the luckier you’ll get.
  • (N) Never lie, cheat, or steal. Always play a fair game.
  • (O) Open your eyes. Be aware of what’s going on around you.
  • (P) Practice makes perfect. Be a student of your craft and work towards mastery.
  • (Q) Quitters never win, and winners never quit. Be a winner, not a quitter.
  • (R) Ready yourself. Be prepared and be ready when opportunity strikes.
  • (S) Stop procrastinating. Get on with it. It’s later than you think.
  • (T) Take control of your life. Discipline and self-control are key to success.
  • (U) Understand others. Seek first to understand and then to be understood.
  • (V) Visualize it. What will success look like to you? How will you recognize it?
  • (W) Want it more than anything. It must matter to you if you’re to keep going when it gets hard.
  • (X) X-Factor is that little bit of magic that makes you different from all the other wannabes. When you’re truly motivated, you’ll deliver that extra something that will help you shine like a star. Shine like a star, and you’ll get noticed. Get noticed, and you’re on the way to achieving success.
  • (Y) You are unique. You have special qualities no one else has. So work to your strengths and do the things that only you can do. That way, you will begin to shine like a star.
  • (Z) Zero in on your dreams and go for it. Don’t stop until you get to where you want to be.
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Valuing people must take precedence in the modern age

07/13/2025 by

Valuing People:

Today, the theme is valuing people. This issue is much more important than you might think.

Valuing people
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Why Valuing People Matters:

One thing you’ll learn as you get older is the importance of valuing people.

We can all get so carried away with our work and careers that we can forget what matters most.

Now I’m sure that your work is important to you, and perhaps you even believe that you’re indispensable to your employer.

If you believe that, then all I can say is, dream on.

From experience, I can tell you that there’s no such thing as indispensable when it comes to being employed.

If you were to die tomorrow, your employer would replace you in a heartbeat, and the company would carry on without you. You won’t be missed for long, and in all probability, you’d be forgotten fairly quickly.

That’s why it’s essential to ensure that your life has balance.

Yes, of course, you need to work to earn an income to put a roof over your head and bread on the table. So in that sense, work’s essential.

It’s also a good thing to have a genuine sense of purpose. We all need that.

However, work shouldn’t be everything to you. Some things are much more important.

Don’t let time slip through your fingers without having spent some of it regularly with those that matter to you—the people closest to your heart. In other words, your loved ones.

Your employer may not miss you for very long should you pass away, but the family and friends you leave behind would feel a sense of loss for the rest of their lives.

For family and friends, you cannot be replaced.

It’s later than you think:

Work gives us a sense of purpose and identity, but only people truly matter. Therefore, valuing people must always take precedence over work and material things.

So make sure you enjoy some time with those that matter to you before it’s too late.

And, you never know, it could be later than you think.

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11 wise sayings about life lessons and what they mean

07/06/2025 by

Today, dear reader, I offer you 11 wise sayings about life lessons, along with some observations on what I believe they mean for your life.

I hope you find this valuable and interesting.

WISE SAYINGS ABOUT LIFE LESSONS
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Wise sayings about life lessons:

1. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. ~English Proverb

When visiting a foreign country with a different culture from your own, the best way to get along with the local people is to respect their culture and customs.

Essentially, it’s all about respecting and adhering to their way of life, as far as reasonably possible.

Respect people and they’ll appreciate it.

Learn a little bit of their language and you’ll connect with them. They won’t mind if you don’t get all the words and pronunciation completely correct. It’ll probably make them smile a little, and they’ll appreciate your effort.

Treat people with respect and they’ll treat you with respect. It’s that simple.

2. Be contrary and be known. ~Arab Proverb

If you want to get noticed, a ‘me too’ approach to life is unlikely to take you very far. When you’re just like everyone else, how can you stand out in the crowd?

If you want to get noticed, then you need to offer something a bit different, surely?

To stand out in the crowd, you’ll need to dress differently, have an unusual hairstyle or offer something new.

Go against the accepted thinking of the day and you’ll get noticed.

Suggest something that goes against the received wisdom of the day, and people might listen if you back up your observation with a reasoned argument.

Be different, be contrary, and you’ll get noticed.

Back it up with real substance, and you will make a permanent impression on public consciousness.

Elvis Presley was like nothing that went before him; neither were The Beatles.

These were people who had a look, style and approach all of their own. They made a genuine impact, and they changed people’s outlook on life permanently.

In other words, they made their mark, and you can too.

3. A beautiful thing is never perfect. ~Egyptian Proverb

There’s no such thing as perfect, certainly not when it comes to people.

We’re all imperfect in some way.

However, that’s what makes us interesting as individuals. It’s also what makes it easier for other people to live with us because no matter how good we are in some way, there are also ways in which we are not quite so good.

So accept your imperfections. Work to your strengths, minimise your weaknesses and do the best you can with whatever you have at your disposal. If you do that, you can succeed.

4. There’s no shame in not knowing; the shame lies in not finding out. ~Russian Proverb

How often do people refrain from asking a question for fear that they might look a little stupid? Does that ring a bell with you, dear reader?

We’ve probably all done it at some point in our lives, wouldn’t you agree?

However, it’s rather silly if you think about it.

None of us can know everything, can we? There will always be gaps in our knowledge, that’s for sure.

So if you don’t know something, surely it’s better to find out? It’s better to ask a question, even if you appear foolish momentarily.

People might laugh, but so what?

Intelligent people ask questions, and it’s better to look like a fool momentarily than proceed in ignorance. You may look like a fool for not knowing but you’ll look like an even bigger fool if you screw up because you didn’t ask.

Never, ever be afraid to ask a question if you don’t know.

That way you’ll learn. In any other way, and you’ll never learn. Remember: Intelligent people ask questions.

5. Experience is not always the kindest of teachers, but it’s surely the best. ~Spanish Proverb

Education is a wonderful thing, I’m sure you’ll agree.

However, the best teacher by a country mile is the School of Hard Knocks at the University of Life.

Making mistakes and getting your fingers burned teaches you lessons you’ll never forget. And those lessons are invaluable.

That’s what they call experience, and experience is indeed a valuable commodity.

Experience is the basis of all wisdom.

It’s also an essential element in finding out what you’re good at and what you enjoy.

And if you can find that sweet spot where what you’re good at coincides with what you enjoy doing, then you really will begin to shine. So shine on, my friend.

6. Having two ears and one tongue, we should listen twice as much as we speak. ~Turkish Proverb

How often are we so keen to get our point across that we don’t listen to what the other person has to say? That’s a mistake.

Listening is one of the most important skills you can develop.

To quote Stephen R. Covey, “Seek first to understand and then to be understood.”

To understand someone else’s point, you must listen first.

Listening is not the same as hearing.

Hearing is simply being aware of the sounds going on around you.

Listening is absorbing what is being said and considering it carefully.

Listening requires both your ears and your brain to be engaged simultaneously.

Naturally, you want to feel that your perspective matters.

If you listen to people first, not only will they appreciate it, but they’ll also start listening to you. If you’re showing them respect, then they’ll do the same to you.

By listening to each other, we can begin to understand each other.

And if we understand each other, we have the basis for getting along together.

So listen more and talk less.

In this way, the world might just become a better place. Let’s hope so anyway.

7. It’s better to die than to live on with a bad reputation. ~Vietnamese Proverb

Some time ago, a friend of mine was working for a retailer and foolishly did something dishonest. The result was that he lost his job and damaged his reputation in the process.

Only when he began to realise how much damage he’d done to his reputation did he begin to realise how foolish he’d been.

Damaging your reputation can have serious consequences, and you can often feel the impact of that for many years after the original indiscretion.

So, protect and value your reputation.

It’s one of the most important commodities you have to offer.

Whether you’re in employment or self-employed, you’ll always be judged on your reputation. A bad reputation can lead to harsh judgment.

8. A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in. ~Greek Proverb

Your legacy in life will be based on what you’ve done for other people, regardless of whether you’ve benefitted from it yourself.

That’s how you’ll be remembered.

A civilised society depends on each of us making a contribution toward the greater good. We cannot just leave it all to someone else.

If you want your grandchildren and their children to enjoy a well-ordered and civilised society, then you must be prepared to do something the result of which you may never see. The payoff for you will simply be the knowledge that future generations will benefit from your altruism.

Leaving something that enriches the lives of future generations would be a real and genuine legacy, wouldn’t you agree?

9. God gives the nuts, but he doesn’t crack them. ~German proverb

You can’t expect everything to be done for you.

At some point, you have to do something for yourself.

If everything is done for you, you’ll never learn; you’ll never develop new skills, and you’ll never be able to deal with life.

So don’t try to avoid the chore, embrace it with enthusiasm and recognise that it’s in your own best interests to act.

10. A wise man makes his own decisions; an ignorant man follows public opinion. ~Chinese Proverb

Criticism can be uncomfortable, so it’s easy to be swayed by the majority view. However, how can we be sure that the majority view is correct? Perhaps they’re all wrong.

Just because a lot of people think something is so, it doesn’t mean that they have a monopoly on knowledge and common sense.

Rather than simply following the herd, it’s much better to consider a situation carefully, weighing the various possibilities, and then form your own opinion or make an informed decision.

Think for yourself; don’t allow the herd to impose their thinking on you.

11. Every ass loves to hear himself bray. ~Proverb of Unknown Origin

As the old saying goes, empty vessels make the most sound.

However, just because someone can talk a good game doesn’t mean they can play a good game.

People who are truly skilled at something will demonstrate it through their actions, not their words. They’ll leave the talking to other people.

You’ll never impress anyone by singing your own praises.

However, you’ll win them over if you can demonstrate your effectiveness through the results you deliver.

So go on, show people what you can do.

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Here’s why the only disability in life is a bad attitude

07/05/2025 by

It has been said that the only disability in life is a bad attitude. For me, that rings true, at least to some degree.

Let’s explore the idea.

Have you faced numerous challenges in your life, dear reader?

Maybe you’re feeling a little bit sorry for yourself?

Life hasn’t been fair to you recently, possibly?

If life’s unfair, you might feel that you’re entitled to have a bad attitude. Everyone’s doing fine but you, so why shouldn’t you let the world know that you’re not happy, right? We all feel that way occasionally, don’t we? I do, that’s for sure.

However, if you’re trying to get people on your side with a negative attitude, then you should reconsider. No one will be joining you at the pity party. You won’t find anyone sympathetic to a bad attitude, I assure you.

If there’s one genuine disability in life, it’s a bad attitude.

It’s a fact that negativity never impresses anyone, ever. Other people have enough problems of their own.

It doesn’t win people over; it will simply alienate them. You’ll be pushing them away rather than gathering their support and winning hearts and minds.

Life isn’t fair. If it has never been, and it never will be. That’s a fact, unfortunately.

You’ll find that life doesn’t care about what you want. It doesn’t care about what anyone wants.

It doesn’t care about any sense of entitlement you may have.

Nor does life care that you feel that you should have a bigger piece of the pie.

In my experience, life is what you make it. Nothing happens by accident unless you’re very, very lucky. And no one is consistently that lucky.

Your attitude will define the life you enjoy or don’t enjoy.

It’s not about what happens to you. Stuff happens to everyone.

Yes, it’s true, some people bear a greater share of life’s challenges than others. However, ultimately, your life will be defined by how you respond to everything that happens to you.

the only disability in life is a bad attitude
Attitude is everything
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Positive beats negative:

No matter how tough life gets, a positive attitude will take you further than a negative one ever will.

A positive attitude is the most powerful response to life’s misfortunes.

It says you can knock me down as many times as you like, but you won’t keep me down. I will get up, and I will keep getting up until I reach my destination.

Now, that sort of attitude does impress people.

Life responds positively to those with a positive attitude. I can tell you that from personal experience.

You’ll find that a positive attitude will always win people over. Show them that you can rise above everything life throws at you, and you’ll have their respect.

In the embedded video below, Matthew Jeffers, a senior acting major at Towson University in Maryland, shares an inspiring message with the letter he wrote to the Baltimore Ravens, his favourite NFL team.

The letter was entitled “A Reason to Win,” and it’s all the more impressive when considered against Matthew’s struggles with Skeletal Dysplasia.

The ultimate lesson is that life won’t cut you any slack just because you’re feeling sorry for yourself.

Attitude is everything:

Yes, it’s true. Attitude is everything. If you believe you can, you will; if you believe you can’t, you won’t. It’s that simple.

Many people experience tough lives, and however hard your life is, there’ll be plenty of people out there whose lives are far tougher than yours. Many people experience disabilities of varying degrees of severity, but, as Matthew Jeffers observes, the only real disability in life is a bad attitude.

So if you’re feeling a bit dispirited right now, take a good, hard look at yourself and think about the positives you have in your life, rather than constantly focusing on the negatives.

This video will inspire you, so take a look at it now. It’s well worth a few minutes of your time.

The only disability in life is a bad attitude:

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Either way, was this article interesting and valuable, dear reader?

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15 inspirational quotes about travel to get you thinking

07/04/2025 by

Today I offer you some quotes about travel.

Travel can be an education, and indeed, it broadens the mind. Wouldn’t you agree, dear reader?

I have had the privilege of travelling to more than 70 countries. I’ve been fortunate enough to live and work in many of them. And I can say this: I’m not the same person I was once, quite simply because of those experiences.

I see the world differently now. I know from real experience that people are the same wherever you go.

There may be superficial cultural differences, of course, but at their core, people are all just people. We eat; we sleep; we laugh; we cry; we’re happy; we’re sad; we all have dreams; we all have fears; we love our families, even when they drive us mad; and we want the best for our children. And of course, we all share feelings of vulnerability at times, too.

There are good people in this world, and there are not-so-good people too, but most people are honest and decent, and they’re just trying to get through life as best they can. Treat them with respect, and they’ll reciprocate. Well, certainly that has been my experience, anyway.

So travel as often as you can, but remember this: there’s a difference between travel and tourism.

Tourism is simply taking in the sights and a little sunshine, perhaps.

Travel is a much more enlightening experience. It goes beyond the superficial, and it’s about trying to understand people and the reality of life as it is for them.

Here are 15 inspirational quotes about travel to inspire your thoughts.

QUOTES ABOUT TRAVEL
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Quotes About Travel (1–10):

  1. It is better to travel well than to arrive. ~Buddha
  2. To travel is to take a journey into yourself. ~Danny Kaye
  3. Never go on trips with anyone you do not love. ~Ernest Hemingway
  4. Exploration is really the essence of the human spirit. ~Frank Borman
  5. A good traveller has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving. ~Lao Tzu
  6. One travels more usefully when alone because he reflects more. ~Thomas Jefferson
  7. Travel can be one of the most rewarding forms of introspection. ~Lawrence Durrell
  8. To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries. ~Aldous Huxley
  9. The traveller sees what he sees; the tourist sees what he has come to see. ~Gilbert K. Chesterton
  10. If all difficulties were known at the outset of a long journey, most of us would never start out at all. ~Dan Rather

Quotes About Travel (11–15):

  1. Tourists don’t know where they’ve been; travellers don’t know where they’re going. ~Paul Theroux
  2. Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living. ~Mary Ritter Beard
  3. The use of travelling is to regulate imagination by reality and, instead of thinking how things may be, to see them as they are. ~Samuel Johnson
  4. People who don’t travel cannot have a global view. All they see is what’s in front of them. Those people cannot accept new things because all they know is where they live. ~Martin Yan
  5. Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all people cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends. ~Maya Angelou

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25 astute quotes by Napoleon Bonaparte to inspire you

07/02/2025 by
25 Quotes by Napoleon Bonaparte

Today, I am exploring quotes by Napoleon Bonaparte.

For any readers unfamiliar with European history, Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led several successful campaigns during the Revolutionary Wars.

Ultimately defeated at the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815, he was subsequently exiled by the British to the remote island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic, where he died in 1821 at the age of 51.

Nevertheless, he was a major influence on European history, and many of the quotations attributed to him are certainly thought-provoking.

Here are 25 quotes by Napoleon Bonaparte to illustrate my point. They’re worth reading, and my personal favourite is the first one. However, number 5 is also a pretty accurate reflection of what most of us now know to be true.

Quotes by Napoleon Bonaparte
Quote-by-Napoleon-Bonaparte
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Quotes by Napoleon Bonaparte (1-12):

  1. A leader is a dealer in hope.
  2. Imagination rules the world.
  3. An army marches on its stomach.
  4. History is a set of lies agreed upon.
  5. In politics, stupidity is not a handicap.
  6. Victory belongs to the most persevering.
  7. Glory is fleeting, but obscurity is forever.
  8. The best cure for the body is a quiet mind.
  9. If you want a thing done well, do it yourself.
  10. The surest way to remain poor is to be an honest man.
  11. There is no such thing as accident; it is fate misnamed.
  12. Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich.

Quotes by Napoleon Bonaparte (13-25):

  1. Men are moved by two levers only: fear and self-interest.
  2. Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.
  3. A soldier will fight long and hard for a bit of coloured ribbon.
  4. Impossible is a word to be found only in the dictionary of fools.
  5. Death is nothing, but to live defeated and inglorious is to die daily.
  6. I can no longer obey; I have tasted command, and I cannot give it up.
  7. Four hostile newspapers are more to be feared than a thousand bayonets.
  8. If you wish to be a success in the world, promise everything, deliver nothing.
  9. History is the version of past events that people have decided to agree upon.
  10. Nothing is more difficult, and therefore more precious than to be able to decide.
  11. You must not fight too often with one enemy, or you will teach him all your art of war.
  12. There are only two forces in the world, the sword and the spirit. In the long run, the sword will always be conquered by the spirit.
  13. Great ambition is the passion of a great character. Those endowed with it may perform very good or very bad acts. All depends on the principles which direct them.
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21 Quotes by Maya Angelou to inspire you

07/01/2025 by

Today I am exploring quotes by Maya Angelou.

If you’re unfamiliar with the late Maya Angelou, she was an American poet, writer, and civil rights activist.

She has published numerous autobiographies, books of essays, and books of poetry and was credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning over 50 years.

For me, she was an inspiring thinker, and I admire her work.

Here are 21 quotes by Maya Angelou to illustrate why I believe she was an inspiration to us all.

Quotes-by-Maya-Angelou
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Quotes by Maya Angelou (1-11):

  1. Nothing will work unless you do.
  2. All great achievements require time.
  3. We may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated.
  4. If you have only one smile in you, give it to the people you love.
  5. There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.
  6. When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.
  7. If you find it in your heart to care for somebody else, you will have succeeded.
  8. A wise woman wishes to be no one’s enemy; a wise woman refuses to be anyone’s victim.
  9. If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.
  10. You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.
  11. The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.

Quotes by Maya Angelou (12-21):

  1. Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future, and renders the present inaccessible.
  2. Whatever you want to do, if you want to be great at it, you have to love it and be able to make sacrifices for it.
  3. Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with deeper meaning.
  4. Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.
  5. I learned a long time ago the wisest thing I can do is be on my own side, be an advocate for myself and others like me.
  6. My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humour and some style.
  7. I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
  8. It is impossible to struggle for civil rights, equal rights for blacks, without including whites. Because equal rights, fair play, justice, are all like the air: we all have it, or none of us has it. That is the truth of it.
  9. You are the sum total of everything you’ve ever seen, heard, eaten, smelled, been told, forgot; it’s all there. Everything influences each of us, and because of that, I try to make sure that my experiences are positive.
  10. I’m convinced of this: Good done anywhere is good done everywhere. For a change, start by speaking to people rather than walking by them like they’re stones that don’t matter. As long as you’re breathing, it’s never too late to do some good.
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1 question to ask: Why is my life so bad right now?

06/29/2025 by

Why is my life so bad right now? Have you ever asked yourself that question?

Perhaps you feel you deserve something better from life? Perhaps your life isn’t all you’d like it to be. Do you want more, possibly?

Does today’s question resonate with you, dear reader?

You look around and see people enjoying the sort of life you’d like, and you can’t help but wonder how it’s all working out for them but not for you.

Why is my life so bad right now?

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Who’s at fault?

If you feel this way, then you’re not alone; that much is certain.

However, if you do feel this way, do you ever wonder who’s at fault for your life failing to meet your expectations?

Perhaps you feel the fault lies with your parents or the teachers you had at school?

Maybe you feel the fault lies with your boss or your employer.

They didn’t provide you with the proper training, or you didn’t get the breaks when there was an opportunity for promotion? Someone else got the promotion simply because they were well in with the boss, right? Perhaps you feel that you were a better candidate than them, and yet they got the job? Life can be so unfair, right?

Well, my friend, I have to tell you that if your life sucks, there’s only one person you can blame. Just look in any mirror, and you will see that person staring right back at you.

We’re responsible for our own lives, and our lives will always be what we choose to make of them.

Yes, you may have had a few bad breaks in life. Yes, perhaps your parents and/or teachers could have been better. So what? Life’s still what you choose to make it.

I’m not suggesting that anything is easy, and, of course, there will always be challenges. Nevertheless, there will always be opportunities for the enterprising and fleet-footed, too. And you can choose to take some of them or not.

You have to decide what it is you want. You have to work out how to get what you want. Then, it requires determination and a lot of hard work on your part to achieve your ultimate goal.

An endless stream of opportunities:

Life is truly an endless stream of opportunities that you can choose to take or not. Look for ways to add value to the lives of others, and you’ll soon see that there are opportunities there for the taking every single day.

By providing a service and adding value to others’ lives, there’s always money to be made.

Continue to educate yourself and acquire new skills, and you’ll be able to add more value to others.

Add more value, and you’ll get paid more.

Manage the money you make wisely, and you can build your wealth over time. It can be done, and people do. So, why not you?

However, there are no shortcuts. Nothing ever happens by chance.

On rare occasions, you might get lucky, and something will fall into your lap. However, mostly you’ll have to work very hard to get what you want. You have to go out and make things happen, I’m afraid. That’s life, unfortunately.

Life and relationships:

It’s the same with relationships, too.

Find someone whom you’d be happy to have as a friend, even without intimacy, and you’ll have the basis for a healthy relationship.

Friendship and trust are essential to a good relationship. As does commitment and a willingness to put in as much as you take out.

It all starts with really knowing what you want.

Know your ‘Why?’

If you know your ‘Why?’ then that will give you the motivation you need to keep going until you get to where you want to be.

If you want it badly enough, you’ll find a way to make it happen.

That said, you have to be positive. You have to be prepared to make a few mistakes. You must also be ready to learn from those mistakes.

Never fear mistakes:

On the road to success, a few mistakes are inevitable.

However, as learning opportunities, mistakes are truly invaluable. You’ll learn much more from any mistakes you make than you will from any successes you enjoy.

That said, never allow yourself to be driven too far off course. Keep your eye on the prize you want. And never accept an answer unless it’s the one that you want.

Don’t be discouraged:

Above all, never, ever let people discourage you from pursuing your dreams and ambitions.

It doesn’t matter what other people think; the only thing that matters is what you think. It doesn’t matter whether they believe you can do it, as long as you feel you can do it.

You can be whatever you want to be, as long as you want whatever it is you think you want.

Everything is possible for those who never give up until they reach their desired destination. Life is what you make it. I can tell you that from my own experience.

You must also remember this, though: life’s not a rehearsal.

You only get to go around just once. Well, as far as we know.

So, make your life the best it can be and make the most of being you. Remember this: you’re as good as anyone and better than most.

There’s a price to be paid:

You can have the life you want, but not without hard work and commitment. There’s a price to be paid, and that price will be paid in blood, sweat, and tears. You don’t get anything for nothing, and the price must always be paid first.

If you don’t want to pay the price, then the life you lead will always fall short of your expectations. Sorry if that bothers you, but it’s a fact.

Where to start?

Don’t ask yourself, why is my life so bad right now?

A better question is, what actions do I need to take to start improving my life?

Start by making a list, setting some goals, and then you must get going.

It’s never too late to improve your situation. It’s never too late to improve your life. And it’s never too late to be all that you could be.

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So please share this post now.

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25 quotes by George Bernard Shaw to get you thinking

06/16/2025 by
25 quotes by George Bernard Shaw

Today, I thought it would be interesting to explore some of the many quotes by George Bernard Shaw.

George Bernard Shaw was an Irish playwright, critic, and political activist.

His influence on Western theatre, culture, and politics extended from the 1880s to his death and indeed beyond.

Shaw was born in Dublin but moved to London in 1876, at the age of 20.

While he struggled to establish himself as a writer and novelist, he embarked on a rigorous process of self-education.

Views publicly expressed by Shaw were often contentious, and he courted unpopularity by denouncing both sides in the First World War (WW1).

Though not a Republican, he was also critical of British policy on Ireland in the post-WW1 period.

Shaw continued to write prolifically until shortly before his death, at the age of 94, and he left us with a legacy of interesting observations.

So, today I offer you 25 such observations in the form of quotes by George Bernard Shaw, all of which will make you think, I’m sure.

Take a few minutes to read these quotes and be inspired.

And please feel free to share them.

And if you’re on the move, take a look at the video version of the quotes below.

Quotes by George Bernard Shaw
Photo Credit: Alfred Stieglitz Collection
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Quotes by George Bernard Shaw (1-15):

  1. Youth is wasted on the young.
  2. Lack of money is the root of all evil.
  3. All great truths begin as blasphemies.
  4. He who can, does. He who cannot, teaches.
  5. The golden rule is that there are no golden rules.
  6. A perpetual holiday is a good working definition of hell.
  7. Science never solves a problem without creating ten more.
  8. Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it.
  9. Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.
  10. There is only one religion, though there are a hundred versions of it.
  11. Take care to get what you like, or you’ll be forced to like what you get.
  12. We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.
  13. The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.
  14. A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.
  15. You see things and you say, ‘Why?’ But I dream things that never were, and I say, ‘Why not?’

Quotes by George Bernard Shaw (16-25):

  1. The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it.
  2. Success does not consist in never making mistakes, but in never making the same one a second time.
  3. A life spent making mistakes is not only more honourable but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.
  4. Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.
  5. Choose silence of all virtues, for by it you hear other men’s imperfections and conceal your own.
  6. When I was young, I observed that nine out of ten things I did were failures. So, I did ten times more work.
  7. The only way to avoid being miserable is not to have enough leisure to wonder whether you are happy or not.
  8. The moment we want to believe something, we suddenly see all the arguments for it and become blind to the arguments against it.
  9. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can’t find them, make them.
  10. The only service a friend can really render is to keep up your courage by holding up to you a mirror in which you can see a noble image of yourself.

Video with audio commentary:

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11 top tips for improving quality of life now

06/08/2025 by

Searching for some tips for improving your quality of life, dear reader?

Life’s never been easy, but it seems to get tougher with each passing year, doesn’t it?

We’re all constantly juggling the conflicting demands of work and family, trying to squeeze in a little ‘me time’ whenever possible.

It’s that elusive thing known as work-life balance. Most of us aspire to it, but few manage to achieve it.

How would you describe the quality of your life right now?

This is a question we all ask ourselves from time to time.

A reader recently asked me if I could offer some tips for improving the quality of life. It’s a subject close to my heart, so I am only too happy to oblige.

So here are 11 memorable tips which I hope will help you improve the quality of your life:

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Top tips for improving quality of life:

1. Keep it simple

There really is a lot to be said for simplicity. Complexity can be stressful. So keep everything in life as simple as possible. Ditch the clutter, buy only what you really need and can actually use, and learn to appreciate what you have rather than fretting about things you think you’d like to have but don’t right now.

Nothing matters much, and actually, very few things really matter at all.

If you’re lucky enough to have family and a handful of genuine friends, plus food on your table and a roof over your head, then what more do you need?

Keeping life simple will reduce your stress levels, and that’s important.

2. Treat people with respect

I believe that only people matter.

Yes, having a nice house and a decent car is excellent, but as human beings, we’re social animals.

People are not solitary animals like cats. We live in groups, and we need other people in our lives. And the key to having friends is being a friend and treating other people with respect.

Treat everyone as you’d prefer them to treat you.

Not everyone will appreciate that approach, of course, but the ones that matter most will, and surely that’s what counts.

Treat people with respect, and generally, other people will treat you with respect. And if we could all treat each other with respect, then the world would be a better place, I’m sure.

3. Actions speak louder than words

We’re judged by what we do, not by what we say.

Anyone can talk a good game, but not everyone can deliver real results and do so effectively.

If you want to impress people, then it is only your actions that will count. If you excel at what you do, then you will be well on your way to achieving success.

4. Ask questions

Intelligent people ask questions.

Never be afraid to ask a question or to request clarification about something.

If something doesn’t sound quite right, then don’t be afraid to challenge it.

Ask questions and you’ll learn; fail to ask questions, and a life of ignorance lies ahead of you. And only a fool would proceed in ignorance.

5. Look forward; never back

The past has gone, and it is important only insofar as the lessons it has taught us and the memories it has given us.

The future’s where we’ll spend the rest of our lives. Therefore, we should always be living in the present and looking to the future. And above all our focus should be on forging the future we really want.

Live your life by looking through the windshield, not the rearview mirror.

Remember, the future has yet to be written, but you’ve got the pen.

6. Create your own future:

We can’t change the past, but we can influence our future.

We can have a vision of what we want to achieve and how we’d like our lives to be. We don’t have to accept what is given to us. We can go out and get the things we really want.

It takes hard work, of course, as well as determination and discipline, but it can be done, and lots of people do. So why not you?

Create the future you really want, and don’t just settle for anything that comes along.

7. Don’t be afraid to change direction if necessary

There will be times in your life when you head off in a particular direction only to find that it doesn’t turn out to be quite what you imagined it would be.

There’s nothing wrong with that, as no one gets it right every time.

From time to time, you’ll make mistakes, or perhaps you’ll misjudge a situation. However, once you realize something is not quite right for you, then don’t be afraid to change direction, if necessary.

Just take it on the chin, change direction, and move on.

Don’t worry about what others might think. They’ll think whatever it is they think, but who cares? It’s your life, not theirs.

It’s only what you think that really matters.

If you’re not happy with a situation, then it’s better to take action than to live a life that’s a miserable existence because you’re worried about what other people might think.

8. Face your fear and just do it

From time to time, we all face challenges in our lives.

They can often seem daunting and more than a little scary.

However, if our lives were easy, we’d never grow as people.

By facing up to a challenge, we learn and grow. That’s how we build our character. That’s how we toughen up.

Yes, we’ll make mistakes, but it’s always better to have a go and fail than not have a go at all.

Face a challenge and achieve a result, and you’ve done something of which you can be truly very proud.

Face a challenge and get an outcome you didn’t want, and at least you’ve learned a valuable lesson. That’s how you build experience. And if nothing else, you can be proud that at least you had a go.

Fear is the body’s natural way of warning us to proceed with caution. It’s natural to feel fear, but courage is our ability to act despite feeling that fear.

Have courage and face every challenge as it comes. However hard it might appear at first, you’ll be glad you did.

9. Look after your own well being

You can’t enjoy life to the full if you have health problems, can you?

So take care of yourself and look after your health. Eat sensibly, drink in moderation, get plenty of exercise and avoid things like tobacco and other recreational stimulants.

You might think it doesn’t matter, but it does.

One puff on a cigarette won’t kill you, but the effect of regular smoking will have a cumulative, detrimental effect on your health.

You might think ‘you can handle drugs,’ but that’s the wisdom of a fool.

Regular use of recreational drugs will affect you over time. And it is only a matter of time, trust me.

If you don’t look after yourself, then no one else will.

10. Learn to manage your time effectively

Time is our most precious resource.

And we all have exactly the same amount of time, 168 hours each week. It’s how we choose to use that time that matters most.

Just because someone wants a piece of your time, it doesn’t follow that you should just give it to them. Allocate your time very, very carefully.

If something doesn’t need to be done, don’t do it. If someone else can do it, let them do it. If it can wait, let it wait. And if it absolutely must be done now, then get on with it.

It is all about your priorities and those actions where you and only you can add the most value. Identify those things that will allow you to be most effective, and they will form the basis of your priorities.

11. Have fun; life’s too short

We all need to ensure that we take time out for ourselves occasionally.

We all need a little ‘me’ time; time to recharge our batteries and relax.

Work is important, of course, as it gives you a sense of purpose in your life. However, it’s essential that you relax and have a little fun too.

Life’s far too short to be constantly working.

So, having a hobby or pleasurable pursuit is a very good idea, as is spending some quality time with the people who matter most to you. Have some fun and make sure that you have it regularly. Your health depends on it.

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Please share it now, and I’ll be ever so grateful. You’ll be helping a keen blogger reach a wider audience.

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