How many on their deathbeds wished they'd spent more time at the office - or watching TV? The answer is, No one.
Stephen CoveyRead
Private victories precede public victories. You can't invert that process any more than you can harvest a crop before you plant it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Personal achievements must come before external recognition or success.
The quote emphasizes the importance of personal growth and internal victories in achieving broader success in public life. Just as one must plant seeds before expecting a harvest, individuals must first cultivate their skills, values, and strengths internally before they can reap the benefits of public achievements and recognition.
Themes
Private VictoriesPublic VictoriesGrowthSuccessAchievementPersonal Development
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about resilience, you could use this quote to highlight the importance of internal growth.
More from Stephen Covey
All quotes βIf you want to have a more pleasant, cooperative teenager, be a more understanding, empathic, consistent, loving parent. If you want to have more freedom, more latitude in your job, be a more responsible, a more helpful, a more contributing employee.
Stephen CoveyRead
Listen with your eyes for feelings.
Stephen CoveyRead
If we live out of our memory, we're tied to the past and to that which is finite. When we live out of our imagination, _x000D_ we're tied to that which is infinite.
Stephen CoveyRead
Synergy is the highest activity of life; it creates new untapped alternatives; it values and exploits the mental, emotional, and psychological differences between people.
Stephen CoveyRead
Keep in mind that you are always saying "no" to something. If it isn't to the apparent and urgent things in your life, it is probably to the most fundamental, highly important things.
Stephen CoveyRead
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Here is the great secret of success. Work with all your might; but trust not in the least in your work. Pray with all your might for the blessing of God; but work, at the same time, with all diligence, with all patience, with all perseverance. Pray then, and work. Work and pray. And still again pray, and then work. And so on all the days of your life. The result will surely be, abundant blessing. Whether you see much fruit or little fruit, such kind of service will be blessed.
George MullerRead
To have made even one person's life a little better, that is to succeed.
Henry David ThoreauRead