Personal Development for Smart People Quotes

“Motivation starts the race, but self-discipline ultimately crosses the finish line.”
― Steve Pavlina, Personal Development for Smart People: The Conscious Pursuit of Personal Growth

“So you have two basic options: deny the unpredictability of life and create your own false sense of security, or accept the vagaries of life and learn to live with them.”
― Steve Pavlina, Personal Development for Smart People: The Conscious Pursuit of Personal Growth

“The way I see it, school is never out. If you want to put yourself in a position of creating substantial value, you must commit to being a lifelong student.”
― Steve Pavlina, Personal Development for Smart People: The Conscious Pursuit of Personal Growth

“Life has no other discipline to impose, if we would but realize it, than to accept life unquestioningly. Everything we shut our eyes to, everything we run away from, everything we deny, denigrate or despise, serves to defeat us in the end. What seems nasty, painful, evil, can become a source of beauty, joy and strength, if faced with an open mind. Every moment is a golden one for him who has the vision to recognize it as such.” — HENRY MILLER”
― Steve Pavlina, Personal Development for Smart People: The Conscious Pursuit of Personal Growth

“When you feel lazy and unmotivated, the simple reason is that you’re feeling disconnected. You’ve fallen out of alignment with truth, love, and power. When you recognize that you’re in this state, stop and reconnect with the real you. Remember who you are. Reconnect with what excites you. Revisit those times in your life when you were on fire—not because of external events, but because you were aligned with your truth, your love, and your power. Turn your gaze within and ask yourself: Where is the path with a heart, and what can I do to honor that path right now? Whatever answer you come up with, summon the courage to take immediate action. Growl ferociously if you think it will help, but get yourself into motion no matter what.”
― Steve Pavlina, Personal Development for Smart People: The Conscious Pursuit of Personal Growth

“Are you trying to live a safe life? The word safe is both an adjective and a noun. As an adjective it means “being free from danger.” As a noun it’s “an enclosed storage container with a lock.” If you’re living the adjective, you’re living the noun. Don’t trap yourself in a cage of false security by trying to avoid rejection. In the long run, building your courage is a smarter choice than running from imaginary dangers.”
― Steve Pavlina, Personal Development for Smart People: The Conscious Pursuit of Personal Growth

“When I’m working on a problem, I never think about beauty. I think only how to solve the problem. But when I have finished, if the solution is not beautiful, I know it is wrong.” — R. BUCKMINSTER FULLER”
― Steve Pavlina, Personal Development for Smart People: The Conscious Pursuit of Personal Growth

“If you want different results, you must go out and create them yourself. Accepting full responsibility for your life means being willing to do what’s necessary to create the outcome you want. You must be willing to pay the price to meet your needs and fulfill your desires. You must actively make your life happen instead of passively letting it play out. You’ll surely make mistakes along the way, but you must never give up on yourself”
― Steve Pavlina, Personal Development for Smart People: The Conscious Pursuit of Personal Growth

“think about starting your own business and imagine how great it will be when everything is running smoothly. Now return your focus to the present and consider how this goal can improve the quality of your life in this very moment, not a year from now, not five years from now, not even tomorrow. What does the goal of starting your own business do for you here and now? Does it give you hope? Does it inspire you? Does it fill you with desire? Allow those thoughts to churn through your mind for a while. Consider how the goal of starting your own business improves your life right now. If you see no immediate improvement, then drop the goal and consider a different one.”
― Steve Pavlina, Personal Development for Smart People: The Conscious Pursuit of Personal Growth

“Time isn’t a disposable resource. You can’t spend time. No matter what you do or don’t do, time passes on its own. You have no choice regarding whether to spend time or not; your only choice is how you direct your focus in the present moment.”
― Steve Pavlina, Personal Development for Smart People: The Conscious Pursuit of Personal Growth

“Instead of meeting your needs, you experience true abundance. Instead of applying your knowledge to your tasks, you unlock your true genius. Instead of tolerating your daily routine, you work in a state of joy. And instead of just putting in the time, you fill your days with a sense of purpose. What”
― Steve Pavlina, Personal Development for Smart People: The Conscious Pursuit of Personal Growth

“Many difficulties which nature throws our way, may be smoothed away by the exercise of intelligence.” — TITUS LIVIUS”
― Steve Pavlina, Personal Development for Smart People: The Conscious Pursuit of Personal Growth

“your relationships exist only in your mind. Your perceptions define them.”
― Steve Pavlina, Personal Development for Smart People: The Conscious Pursuit of Personal Growth

“felony”
― Steve Pavlina, Personal Development for Smart People: The Conscious Pursuit of Personal Growth

“Never deny that you want what you want. When you deny your desires, you fall out of alignment with truth, love, and power. You distance yourself from truth by lying to yourself. You distance yourself from love by disconnecting from your core. And you distance yourself from power by cutting off the fuel of desire. If you want to develop your power, you must accept your desires as they come, no matter how strange they may seem.”
― Steve Pavlina, Personal Development for Smart People: The Conscious Pursuit of Personal Growth

“changing”
― Steve Pavlina, Personal Development for Smart People: The Conscious Pursuit of Personal Growth

“The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain. Is not the cup that holds your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter’s oven? And is not the lute that soothes your spirit, the very wood that was hollowed with knives? When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy. When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.”
― Steve Pavlina, Personal Development for Smart People: The Conscious Pursuit of Personal Growth

“Incidentally, the word pelf in the first line of the poem means “wealth.” When you get what you want in your struggle for pelf, And the world makes you King for a day, Then go to the mirror and look at yourself, And see what that guy has to say. For it isn’t your Father, or Mother, or Wife, Who judgement upon you must pass. The feller whose verdict counts most in your life Is the guy staring back from the glass. He’s the feller to please, never mind all the rest, For he’s with you clear up to the end, And you’ve passed your most dangerous, difficult test If the guy in the glass is your friend. You may be like Jack Horner and “chisel” a plum, And think you’re a wonderful guy, But the man in the glass says you’re only a bum If you can’t look him straight in the eye. You can fool the whole world down the pathway of years, And get pats on the back as you pass, But your final reward will be heartaches and tears If you’ve cheated the guy in the glass. © 1934 by Dale Wimbrow (1895–1954) Used by permission.”
― Steve Pavlina, Personal Development for Smart People: The Conscious Pursuit of Personal Growth