It's said that a wise person learns from his mistakes. A wiser one learns from others' mistakes. But the wisest person of all learns from others's successes.
John C. MaxwellRead
We cannot choose how many years we will live, but we can choose how much life those years will have. We cannot control the beauty of our face, but we can control the expression on it. We cannot control life's difficult moments but we can choose to make life less difficult. We cannot control the negative atmosphere of the world, but we can control the atmosphere of our minds. Too often we try to choose and control things we cannot. Too seldom we choose to control what we can ... our attitude.
Interpretation
What this quote means
We cannot control many aspects of life, but we have the power to choose our attitude and perspective.
This quote emphasizes the importance of personal agency in shaping our experiences and responses to life's circumstances. While we may not have control over external factors such as our lifespan, appearance, or challenges, we can always choose our attitude and how we respond to situations. By focusing on what we can control, particularly our mindset, we can lead a more fulfilling and meaningful life, even in the face of adversity.
Themes
AttitudeControlPerspectiveMindsetLifeChoices
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be shared during a motivational speech to inspire others to focus on their mindset.
More from John C. Maxwell
All quotes →Courage and initiative come when you understand your purpose in life.
John C. MaxwellRead
Integrity is important in building relationships. And is the foundation upon which many other qualities for success are built, such as respect, dignity, and trust.
John C. MaxwellRead
Attitude is the first quality that marks the successful man. If he has a positive attitude and is a positive thinker, who likes challenges and difficult situations, then he has half his success achieved.
John C. MaxwellRead
Big-picture thinkers broaden their outlook by striving to learn from every experience. They don't rest on their successes, they learn from them.
John C. MaxwellRead
In most cases, those who want power probably shouldn't have it, those who enjoy it probably do so for the wrong reasons, and those who want most to hold on to it don't understand that it's only temporary.
John C. MaxwellRead
Similar quotes
Reason has so many forms that we do not know which to choose-Experiment has no fewer.
Michel De MontaigneRead
You can be on the cusp of something. Appreciate the cusp, not the something. Appreciate this moment now.
Ernest HolmesRead
There is a beauty and clarity that comes from simplicity that we sometimes do not appreciate in our thirst for intricate solutions.
Dieter F. UchtdorfRead
Human culture has always had to exist under the shadow of something infinitely more important than itself. If men had postponed the search for knowledge and beauty until they were secure, the search would never have begun.
C. S. LewisRead
I'm happy to say that at 62, I think I've reached that point where stuff doesn't bother me as much, and my gratitude level has gone way up, especially having gone through the loss that I've had, and losing so many of the great artists that I was close to. They taught me how to see it with a grain of salt and a lot of humor and perspective.
Bonnie RaittRead
For some reason, we are truly convinced that if we criticize ourselves, the criticism will lead to change. If we are harsh, we believe we will end up being kind. If we shame ourselves, we believe we end up loving ourselves. It has never been true, not for a moment, that shame leads to love. Only love leads to love.
Geneen RothRead