Michael Josephson Quotes

There is no objective criteria for either success or failure. People who achieve their goals are successful, those who don't are not.

It is not enough that we express our gratitude, we must experience it. We truly honor the must think about our blessings, separately and cumulatively It is not enough to count our blessings and express our gratitude if we don't truly feel grateful.

Our expectation of the gratitude of others for what we've done for them is sometimes exaggerated because of our deep desire for appreciation and approval. When our good work or good deeds go unrewarded by hoped for praise, we feel like failures so we treat those who denied us our due as betrayers.

Go out there and do your part to change the world. You may not change all you had hoped but the world will be better for the caring demonstrated by your effort.

To separate the purpose of a business from the purpose of people who are in the business is, I think, not a good thing.

There's no such thing as business ethics; there's just ethics. And ethics makes no concessions for the real or imagined necessities of making a profit.

Character - We describe the character of a person in reference to moral judgments about the worthiness of a person. Thus, to have a strong, great or honorable character is to be a person of merit, worthy of admiration and honor.

Character is both formed and revealed by how one deals with everyday situations as well as extraordinary pressures and temptations. Like a well-made tower, character is built stone by stone, decision by decision.

I am grateful for all those people who said no. It is because of them that I did it myself. Practice an attitude of gratitude. You can either be miserable dwelling on the troubles you have or grateful for the ones you don't have. Your troubles don't care but it makes a huge difference in your life.

Character determines how we lead our lives, how we deal with life's unearned fortunes and misfortunes and how we make choices that determine how those fortunes and misfortunes work to make us what we become.

Be thankful for quality competitors who push you to your limit.

Neither heredity nor environment determine character. But whether we give in to or overcome the negative messages we are exposed to as we wend our way through life is often determined by whether our parents, teachers, mentors and friends exposed us to good examples and morally inspiring ideas.

The choices you make in your life will make your life. Choose wisely.

Surround our children with a message of honor

If we don't invest now in building character into children we will surely invest more tomorrow in trying to repair adults.

Expressed gratitude encourages further giving; ingratitude drains vitality out of the spirit of generosity.

The kind of courage that is strengthened or created by concern about what others will think is really a form of fear. Fear of disapproval or dishonor becoming stronger than fear of injury or even death.

Nothing about character is hereditary. Everyone, regardless of social background, financial status, race, or sex, enters the world with an equal opportunity to become a person of great or petty character.

Gratefulness is a payment everyone can afford.

When was the last time you wrote a thank you note? When was the last time you went beyond a mechanical "thank you" to express authentic gratitude? We can enrich the lives of others and ourselves by making it a habit to express genuine appreciation for what others have done for us.

Not everything that is good for you is fun and not everything that is fun is good for you.

What will matter is not your success but your significance.

People who don't believe in you are right only if you believe they are.

Sometimes the dues we pay to maintain integrity are pretty high, but the ultimate cost of moral compromise is so much higher.

Integrity, respect, compassion, and fairness become obstacles to people who think winning is everything

Ordinary people, even weak people, can do extraordinary things through temporary courage generated by a situation. But the person of character does not need the situation to generate his courage. It is a part of his being and a standard approach to all life's challenges.

There is no adversity that cannot be overcome by good character.

It's a great joy but no test of love or commitment to take your son to a ball game. You really prove your credentials as a good dad when you are willing to take your daughter shopping - more than once.

An ounce of action is worth a ton of good intentions.

The best way to show true gratitude for all our blessings is to be genuinely happy.

One of the greatest things about daughters is how they adored you when they were little; how they rushed into your arms with electric delight and demanded that you watch everything they do and listen to everything they say. Those memories will help you through less joyous times when their adoration is replaced by embarrassment or annoyance and they don't want you to see what they are doing or hear what they are saying. And yet, you will adore your daughter every day of her life, hoping to be valued again, but realizing how fortunate you were even if you only get what you already got.

Gratitude is not a payment for a kindness but another form of gift.

Personal integrity is important, not because it gets us what we want, but because it helps us be what we want.

Everything you do sends a message about who you are and what you value.

People of character do the right thing, not because they think it will change the world but because they refuse to be changed by the world.

Neither the intensity of your feelings nor the certainty of your convictions is any assurance that you are right.

To the barefoot man, happiness is a pair of shoes. To the man with old shoes, it's a pair of new shoes. To the man with new shoes, it's stylish shoes. And of course, the fellow with no feet would be happy to be barefoot. Measure your life by what you have not by what you don't.

Ethics is not for wimps. It's not easy being a good person. That's why it's such a lofty goal and an admirable achievement

When someone is nasty or treats you poorly, don't take it personally. It says nothing about you, but a lot about them.

Good character is more important than wealth, good looks, popularity and even education. These things do not guarantee happiness and often they become obstacles to developing good character.

No leader or organization can achieve breakout growth until it treats, "we've always done it this way" as an opportunity to think anew rather than as a reason to stop thinking. Keep in mind, tradition should be a guide, not a jailer.

One key to success is demanding more than adequacy, never settling for good enough and always doing a little bit more.

There's a hole in the moral ozone and it's getting bigger.

It is easier to be grateful for the things we have than to the people who have helped us get them.

Yes and no are very powerful words. Mean them when you say them. Respect them when you hear them.

The difference between stepping stones and stumbling blocks is not in the event itself but how you think about it and what you do after it. Every failure and setback can become part of your success or an excuse for quitting or failing. People who develop the discipline of positivity are both happier and more successful.

If we keep treating our most important values as meaningless relics, that's exactly what they'll become.

Physical courage to a person of honour is easier and less risky than acts that could subject him to embarrassment or humiliation or a diminished career or reputation. These things he must live with. To die for honor is an easier thought to bear.