I believe ability can get you to the top,” says coach John Wooden, “but it takes character to keep you there.… It’s so easy to … begin thinking you can just ‘turn it on’ automatically, without proper preparation. It takes real character to keep working as hard or even harder once you’re there. When you read about an athlete or team that wins over and over and over, remind yourself, ‘More than ability, they have character.'

The whole point of marriage is to encourage your partner's development and have them encourage yours.

Picture your brain forming new connections as you meet the challenge and learn. Keep on going.

Did I win? Did I lose? Those are the wrong questions. The correct question is: Did I make my best effort?” If so, he says, “You may be outscored but you will never lose.

The wrong kind of praise creates self-defeating behavior. The right kind motivates students to learn.

For twenty years, my research has shown that the view you adopt for yourself profoundly affects the way you lead your life. It can determine whether you become the person you want to be and whether you accomplish the things you value.

...when people already know they're deficient, they have nothing to lose by trying.