It's Not About You Quotes

“From relationships to experiences and the environment in which we are raised, life is shaped by the actions of others, for better and for worse.”
― Tom Rath, It's Not About You: A Brief Guide to a Meaningful Life

“However, most of us are so caught up with daily demands that we continually put off serious reflection about how to make a greater contribution to the teams, families, and communities around us. This is a consequential mistake. Tomorrow is gone in an instant, another month rolls by, and eventually you have missed years, and then decades, of opportunity to make meaningful and substantive contributions.”
― Tom Rath, It's Not About You: A Brief Guide to a Meaningful Life

“Many of us take a “what does the company want from me” approach to applying our talents, and we end up tailoring ourselves to suit our work rather than tailoring our work to suit who we are.”
― Tom Rath, It's Not About You: A Brief Guide to a Meaningful Life

“What are you doing for others?” It”
― Tom Rath, It's Not About You: A Brief Guide to a Meaningful Life

“There are things we all have the opportunity to do for others, every single day. In any role or place in life, you can take time today to focus on a contribution that will continue to grow. This contribution can be to a person, a project, or a work of art. What matters is that you see how your effort can benefit other lives, now and into the future.”
― Tom Rath, It's Not About You: A Brief Guide to a Meaningful Life

“the prospect of death leads to greater appreciation of life, more rapid formulation of values, more thought about the meaning of life, and stronger social connections. As I have learned from experience, when you consider how short life can be, you create more meaning in the world.”
― Tom Rath, It's Not About You: A Brief Guide to a Meaningful Life

“In any role or place in life, you can take time today to focus on a contribution that will continue to grow. This contribution can be to a person, a project, or a work of art. What matters is that you see how your effort can benefit other lives, now and into the future.”
― Tom Rath, It's Not About You: A Brief Guide to a Meaningful Life

“However, most of us are so caught up with daily demands that we continually put off serious reflection about how to make a greater contribution to the teams, families, and communities around us.”
― Tom Rath, It's Not About You: A Brief Guide to a Meaningful Life

“This study, titled “The iPhone Effect,” was based on an experiment with two hundred participants and examined the effect the mere presence of the smartphone has on a conversation. What the researchers essentially found is anytime a smartphone is visible, even if it is not ringing, buzzing, vibrating, or even powered on, it degrades the quality of the conversation for everyone. In the cases where the phone was visible, participants had lower levels of empathetic concern and found the conversations less fulfilling. The people who took their phones out were essentially saying, “This device comes before you and this conversation.”
― Tom Rath, It's Not About You: A Brief Guide to a Meaningful Life

“A growing body of evidence suggests that the single greatest driver of both achievement and well-being is understanding how your daily efforts enhance the lives of others.”
― Tom Rath, It's Not About You: A Brief Guide to a Meaningful Life

“This is what I believe we should all aim for: to make contributions to others’ lives that will grow infinitely in our absence.”
― Tom Rath, It's Not About You: A Brief Guide to a Meaningful Life

“The work you do should improve your well-being so you can do more for others.”
― Tom Rath, It's Not About You: A Brief Guide to a Meaningful Life

“According to top researchers who reviewed hundreds of studies on this subject, the defining features of a meaningful life are “connecting and contributing to something beyond the self.”
― Tom Rath, It's Not About You: A Brief Guide to a Meaningful Life

“What matters is that you see how your effort can benefit other lives, now and into the future.”
― Tom Rath, It's Not About You: A Brief Guide to a Meaningful Life

“strong relationships are the cornerstone of growth and contribution in life.”
― Tom Rath, It's Not About You: A Brief Guide to a Meaningful Life

“From day one, it was clear to me there was nothing to be gained from dwelling on why this happened or what was beyond my control.”
― Tom Rath, It's Not About You: A Brief Guide to a Meaningful Life

“Your life has an unknown expiration date. Your efforts and contributions to others do not. The time, energy, and resources you invest in people you care for and your community keep growing forever”
― Tom Rath, It's Not About You: A Brief Guide to a Meaningful Life

“Real growth is the product of following your contributions more than your passions.”
― Tom Rath, It's Not About You: A Brief Guide to a Meaningful Life

“You can’t be anything you want to be, but you can be a whole lot more of who you already are.”
― Tom Rath, It's Not About You: A Brief Guide to a Meaningful Life

“At a minimum, when you plan and choose to spend time with a friend, make it count. Invest your time and attention wisely. They are your most precious resources.”
― Tom Rath, It's Not About You: A Brief Guide to a Meaningful Life

“By choosing not to assume positive intent, they increase their own hostility levels in a way that is likely to carry forward for at least hours, if not days. In contrast, those who choose to assume I did not have any bad intent get to move on through their day as usual, or perhaps even feel good about letting me off the hook.”
― Tom Rath, It's Not About You: A Brief Guide to a Meaningful Life

“the last thing I recommend is chasing your own happiness.”
― Tom Rath, It's Not About You: A Brief Guide to a Meaningful Life

“Plant a few seeds today that could grow for years to come.”
― Tom Rath, It's Not About You: A Brief Guide to a Meaningful Life

“you can take time today to focus on a contribution that will continue to grow. This contribution can be to a person, a project, or a work of art. What matters is that you see how your effort can benefit other lives, now and into the future.”
― Tom Rath, It's Not About You: A Brief Guide to a Meaningful Life

“we essentially wait until people die to praise and celebrate all their contributions in life and “fill their bucket.”
― Tom Rath, It's Not About You: A Brief Guide to a Meaningful Life

“Life is too brief for living with regrets.”
― Tom Rath, It's Not About You: A Brief Guide to a Meaningful Life

“When you see a rare opportunity, take it.”
― Tom Rath, It's Not About You: A Brief Guide to a Meaningful Life

“You do not need to be defined by a family background or chronic condition.”
― Tom Rath, It's Not About You: A Brief Guide to a Meaningful Life

“So often, people take on roles they don’t want and stay in jobs that don’t excite them, never exploring a wider set of possibilities about the types of contributions they could be making.”
― Tom Rath, It's Not About You: A Brief Guide to a Meaningful Life

“Essentially, giving another person your undivided attention is a measure of how much you care. Intently listening, even to people you have just met, is a remarkable way to create new relationships and deepen existing ones.”
― Tom Rath, It's Not About You: A Brief Guide to a Meaningful Life