The best inspirational quotes are distributed daily to make a positive difference in your life. Many of these Kevin Rayner has collected for preaching / teaching. You could call some, "Sentence Sermons."
Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/RealLifeQuoted
You have control over how you handle your success, as well as your failures, and what you take from each. You have control over your willingness to adapt to life as it unfolds itself to you.
Don't get older; get better: Live realistically. Give generously. Adapt willingly. Trust fearlessly. Rejoice daily. --Charles R. Swindoll
Adapt And Adjust To Stay Alive = Always stay adaptable—success can make leaders complacent, holding onto what worked yesterday while ignoring today's changes. True leadership isn't about sticking to the old methods, but adjusting your approach to stay relevant and shape the future. Adaptability is what keeps leaders from being left behind.
Pivot When The Situation Demands = Developing leadership agility involves adapting to change in real time. Leaders need to be able to shift and adapt quickly—making decisions even when the path is unclear. This leadership agility helps teams stay resilient and foster a culture where change is embraced not feared. It empowers teams to navigate the unknown with great confidence.
Attitudes Can Change = The Book Of The Week is How To Lead When Your Boss Can’t (Or Won’t). To do well we have to adapt. The first step is to ask yourself, “Is your boss a poor leader because they don’t want to be a good leader or because they can’t be a good leader?” Is the issue ability or attitude? A boss with an ability problem is more challenging to adapt to than a boss with an attitude issue.
Are you confident in yourself? Do you have the ability to adapt to your surroundings? You don't have to have all the answers right in front of you, you just need to have the confidence that together you can find them.
Hebrews 7:26 It was fitting for us to have such a High Priest [perfectly adapted to our needs], holy, blameless, unstained [by sin], separated from sinners and exalted higher than the heavens;
Colossians 3:19 (MSG) Husbands, go all out in love for your wives. Don’t take advantage of them.
Ephesians 5:21 (MSG) Out of respect for Christ, be courteously reverent to one another.
Acts 27:12 And the harbor being ill adapted to winter in, the most counseled to set sail thence, if perhaps they might reach Phoenice to winter in, a port of Crete looking north-east and south-east.
Everyone needs a coach. It doesn't matter whether you're a basketball player, a tennis player, a gymnast or a bridge player. -- Bill Gates
To have long-term success as a coach or in any position of leadership, you have to be obsessed in some way. --Pat Riley
A coach is someone who tells you what you don't want to hear, who has you see what you don't want to see, so you can be who you have always known you could be.Tom Landry
The Key to Growth, Learning, and Continuous Improvement | MWM
Feedback Is A Gift = Coaching is the key to development. Good leaders create a coaching culture for growth. They do this with a coaching mindset where they focus on developing their people. Every conversation is an opportunity for growth, every mistake a chance to learn and improve. People are empowered to reach their full potential.
Security And Confidence = A coach is someone who cares, is close in proximity, and is always ready to reach out and help you. They don’t yell at a distance, but walk alongside you while you practice what you learn.
One For All, And All For One. = Coaching is coming alongside someone and making life better for them. It’s being present with them, not only telling them what they should do but showing them what they should do. It’s walking alongside and becoming a partner.
Bringing the Best Out = When you do better because that special person is with you, guiding you along - that is an amazing coach. Being a coach is all about being there for someone else and making their lives better. Who is that special person in your life helping you achieve your hopes and dreams?
If you are a teachable or coachable person, you're someone who wants to learn and be more productive. This is so important in today's world because we need more people who are willing to adapt and strive to be efficient in all they do. As the saying goes, "where there is a will, there is a way!"
In this episode, John Maxwell teaches us how great coaches communicate! Whether you coach in sports, in business, or even in your family, this episode will give you a playbook for motivating your team to reach their next level of performance. After John’s lesson, Mark Cole and Chris Goede discuss practical ways you can apply this to your life and leadership.
Key Takeaways:
- “It’s not what you tell your players that counts. It’s what they hear.” –Red Auerbach
Don't lower your expectations to meet your performance. Raise your level of performance to meet your expectations. Expect thet best of yourself, and then do what is necessary to make it a reality.Ralph Marston
Rely on the ordinary virtues that intelligent, balanced human beings have relied on for centuries: common sense, thrift, realistic expectations, patience, and perseverance. John C. Bogle (1929-) American Investor
Too many people miss the silver lining because they're expecting gold.Maurice Setter
When you expect things to happen, strangely enough, they do happen.
You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.Michael Jordan
Other people may not have had high expectations for me... but I had high expectations for myself.Shannon Miller
Expect the unexpected and be ready to handle it—that's a key part of being resilient. We often make plans and think everything will go smoothly from start to finish, but life doesn't always work that way. Challenges, setbacks, and even surprise opportunities can throw us off track. Being prepared is what helps us stay strong and adapt when things don’t go as planned.
Expectation Is A Powerful Force = Our expectations—what we believe is going to happen in the future—are grounded in our beliefs. Our expectations don't only affect us, they can affect others as well. Expectation is a very powerful thing. If people expect great things from us, we lean into that, and we become better people because of it.
Share Your Expectations Upfront = It is important to have upfront expectations. As a leader and a friend, lay out the issues at the beginning of a relationship. Don’t wait until the “ideal moment.” Then you can build and develop a good relationship where no one feels manipulated or blindsided. The longer you withhold your expectations from people, the harder it is for those expectations to be a reality in their life.
Be Upfront With Your Expectations = Always be upfront with your expectations. The longer you withhold the expectations of others, the harder it is for those expectations to become a reality in their life. Lay out all of the issues at the beginning, and then you can build on those and develop a relationship.
It’s About The Whole = The first upfront expectation is that it is not about you or me, but it is always about the big picture. It is about what is best for the organization or the whole. The goal is more important than the role, and the vision of the organization is more important than one piece of that vision.
You Always Need To Look At The Big Picture = In all aspects of life and leadership, you always need to look at the big picture and what is best for the whole. The idea that it is not about you, and not about me, but instead, always about the big picture needs to remain the leading idea. You will always experience moments where you don’t fully agree with a decision and are left disappointed, but the final choice is always about what is best for the whole in order to meet the goal.
Are You Motivated By Mastery? = In his book, The Leader’s Greatest Return, John Maxwell discusses what motivates people and how it is important to sit down with your team and learn what motivates them. Mastery is one of the 7 motivations he discusses. A person who is motivated by mastery loves to do things extremely well and exceed expectations. To become a person of mastery, don’t try to master everything, but focus on the one thing that would really benefit your life. When you discover that thing, practice every day, have high expectations, and give 100%.
Have High Expectations = When you can’t wait to deliver a message, the audience can’t wait to hear it. People can tell when a speaker loves what they talk about. Next time you prepare a lesson and get ready to teach, feel good about it, believe the best about it, have high expectations, and anticipate that it will be the best message you have ever given … and it will help you help people.
Lay Out Expectations From The Beginning = UPFRONT EXPECTATIONS = It is important to have upfront expectations—because the longer you wait, the worse it becomes. Be sure to lay out all the issues and needs in the beginning, and then build upon those to develop a good relationship with others. The longer you withhold expectations of people that they need to know and meet, the harder it is for those expectations to become a reality in their life.
Focus On The Big Picture = It's not about you, it's not about me, it's always about the big picture. It's always about what's best for the whole, and the goal is more important than the role. Always look towards the big picture.
https://youtu.be/nfALDYKtrJ8
Grow Together = Growth is expected, it's not an option. The only guarantee that you will have a better future—in life, on a team, and as part of an organization—is if you are growing. The only way that you can go together, is if you grow together. Growth is expected in everything you do.
Always Value Others = It is important to value people, because people are valuable. When you value people, you add value to them. The more you value others, the more you add value to them, and the more you add value to the world.
Take Responsibility of Your Actions = People love to be empowered, but need to embrace the responsibility. When you are empowered to do things in life, the key is to take responsibility for it and follow through—whether that is taking responsibility for failure, or being the one to acknowledge its successes. Be responsible every time.
Have The Tough Conversations = There will be tough conversations in life. When you are dealing with people, there will always be positive and negative conversations about life's situations—the tough conversations are what it is all about and whether we deal with them or ignore them. The key is to have those tough conversations about situations in life, and always move forward.
Scriptures Proverbs 10:28 The hope of the righteous brings joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish.
1 Corinthians 9:19Although I am free from everyone's expectations, I have made myself a servant to all of them to win more people.
2 Peter 3:14 Therefore, dear friends, since you have these expectations, earnestly seek to be found in His presence, free from blemish or reproach, in peace.
Romans 8:19 (NIV) For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.
Hebrews 10:27 (NIV) but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.
2 Corinthians 8:5 (NIV) And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us.
Values are principles and ideas that bring meaning to the seemingly mundane experience of life. A meaningful life that ultimately brings happiness and pride requires you to respond to temptations as well as challenges with honor, dignity, and courage. --Laura Schlessinger, American Writer (1947- )
A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both. --Dwight D. Eisenhower
If we are to go forward, we must go back and rediscover those precious values - that all reality hinges on moral foundations and that all reality has spiritual control. --Martin Luther King, Jr.
That which costs little is less valued. --Miguel de Cervantes
Open your arms to change but don't let go of your values. --Dalai Lama
Values are like fingerprints. Nobody's are the same, but you leave 'em all over everything you do. --Elvis Presley
The major value in life is not what you get. The major value in life is what you become. --Jim Rohn
Until you value yourself, you won't value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it. --M. Scott Peck
Time has a wonderful way of showing us what really matters. --MARGARET PETERS
Are you representing the best version of yourself?
Often times life, circumstances, and situations get the best of us. But we need to get out ahead. By preparing our value statements, it allows us to focus and intentionally align our habits, reactions, and the version of ourselves that we want to represent.
Your net worth is ultimately measured by your self-worth—not your bank account. No matter how much money you have, it might never be enough—someone else will always have more. But if you focus inward—embrace good values, solidify your confidence and self-respect, adapt and get strong on the inside—your influence will never cease to be valuable to others.
As you will learn in this lesson, values determine the foundation of your team. That means whatever you hope for for your team, organization, family, or community all starts with what you value! In this lesson, John Maxwell will share the vital role values play in your organization. You’ll even hear the original values of John’s organization.
After John’s lesson, Mark Cole and Traci Morrow talk about those values, how they have evolved into our values today, and how they serve the organization and the vision of Maxwell Leadership. Don’t miss this episode if you want to create a powerful, positive impact in your team, family, or community.
In the 5 Levels of Leadership, we ask leaders to determine their top values. For many, this is the first time they have considered their values.
But, if you are not aware of your values, and you are not intentionally living them out each day, you risk damaging the influence you have with others UP, DOWN, and ACROSS from you in the organization (and your home).
When Our Desires Align With Our Values, Discipline Becomes a Second Nature
Scriptures Psalm 116:15 The Lord values the lives of his faithful followers.
Leviticus 27:14 When a man dedicates his house as a holy gift to the LORD, the priest shall value it as either good or bad; as the priest values it, so it shall stand.
Proverbs 19:1 ESV Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool.
As an actor, you never know where the works going to come, so you have to be flexible about it. --Lesley Nicol
Flexibility is the key to stability. --John Wooden
You're always a work in progress. Flexibility. Personality. Motivation. There's always room to improve. --Chalene Johnson
Be firm on principle but flexible on method. --Zig Ziglar
Begin early the course of education, while the mind is pliant and age is flexible. --Virgil
Secondly, it is a flexible principle. It will rescue us from the rigidities of a Christian Pharisaism which tries to reduce morality to a list of do’s and don’ts. --John Stott
Pivot When Needed = Every leader has to have a degree of flexibility. Any leader that is too rigid to deal with unexpected situations will have low leadership effectiveness. Great leaders know how to take preparation, planning, and an expected return, and pivot when times require it. The ability to pivot and be flexible allows leaders to have a longevity of impact. Will you be flexible today?
Good Coaches Make Pre-Game Plans; Great Coaches Make Halftime Adjustments
https://youtu.be/KDQPvaS8NSk
Pivot And Adjust With The Day = The greatest leaders are agile and flexible. They understand that surprises come up in life. Good coaches have a pre-game plan, but great coaches make halftime adjustments. Stay flexible and adjust with the day, and you will be more successful.
Part of being a great leader is knowing when you need to bend a little. Flexibility is a strength that is developed when you realize that life is highly unpredictable and sometimes, you’ve just got to roll with the punches. Make adjustments as needed to be victorious.
A minute's success pays the failure of years. --ROBERT BROWNING
Failure is not the only punishment for laziness; there is also the success of others. Jules Renard
Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor. --TRUMAN CAPOTE
Failure will never stand in the way of success if you learn from it. --HANK AARON
Failures, repeated failures, are finger posts on the road to achievement. One fails forward toward success. --C. S. Lewis
Half the failures in life arise from pulling in one's horse as he is leaping. Julius & Augustus Hare
I have missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game-winning shot ... and missed. And I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And, that is why ... I succeed. ---- Michael Jordan
I have not failed; I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work. Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931); US physicist and inventor.
If all else fails, stop using all else.
If you have made mistakes...there is always another chance for you...you may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call "failure" is not the falling down, but the staying down. Mary Pickford (1893-1979) Canadian Actress
If you have the will to win, you have achieved half your success; if you don't, you have achieved half your failure. David V.A. Ambrose
In order to succeed, you must first be willing to fail
It is impossible to live without failing at something unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all, in which case you have failed by default. --J.K. ROWLING
Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up. --THOMAS EDISON
No man ever achieved worthwhile success who did not, at one time or other, find himself with at least one foot hanging well over the brink of failure. Napoleon Hill
Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little. --EDMUND BURKE
Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm. Winston Churchill (1874 - 1965)
There is only one real failure in life that is possible, and that is, not to be true to the best one knows.
There’s no shame in failing. The only shame is not giving things your best shot. --ROBIN WILLIAMS
When you are offended at any man's fault, turn to yourself and study your own failings. Then you will forget your anger. --EPICTETUS
You have control over how you handle your success, as well as your failures, and what you take from each. You have control over your willingness to adapt to life as it unfolds itself to you.
You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don't try. Beverly Sills (1929-) American Opera Singer
A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new. --Albert Einstein
My failures have made me look at myself in a way I've never wanted to before. --Tiger Woods
Failure Is Our Friend = In John C. Maxwell's book, Failing Forward, he discusses having the right perspective of failure. Failure is an asset when we look at it correctly. If we allow it to, failure can make our lives fuller, richer, and more effective.
#FailingForward
The Difference Between Average and Achieving | MWM
Failure Can Be A Blessing In Disguise = John C. Maxwell's book, Failing Forward, helps people successfully fail. The difference between high achievers and average people is not their brilliance or luck, but how they look at failure. Successful people experience more failure than unsuccessful people. It isn’t the amount of failures you have had that can defeat you, it is the attitude, or mindset, you have towards failure. Successful people look at failure as a learning tool and stepping block that helps them grow. Don’t look at failure as a liability. Your mindset makes the difference. Make the most out of your failures.
Reframe Failure = John C. Maxwell's book, Failing Forward, talks about learning a new definition of failure. Failure can become one of the greatest assets in your life. Embrace it! Few people learn from success, but failure is a great learning tool.
Rise Above Your Mistake = In John C. Maxwell's book, Failing Forward, John tells us we need to remove the ‘you’ from failure. This doesn’t mean we should avoid taking responsibility for our failure. It means we should not take ourselves too seriously. The quicker we get over ourselves, the faster we will have success. We can’t communicate effectively if we are only focused on ourselves. We need to focus on others.
Action Brings Success = John C. Maxwell's book, Failing Forward, discusses the importance of taking action and reducing fear. Fear can lead to procrastination, but action is the cure to fear (and failure). Procrastination can increase the fear of failure. There is no success without action.
Be Authentic, Not Perfect = John C. Maxwell's book, Failing Forward, says “Change your response to failure by accepting responsibility.” There is a freedom in empowerment, but you must take responsibility as well, and be accountable. You can’t learn, change, and grow if you aren’t accountable. When you are authentic and admit your mistakes, it won’t hurt your image, but it will allow people to trust you.
When Failure on the Outside Gets on the Inside | MWM
Don’t Internalize Failure = John C. Maxwell's book, Failing Forward, says that people shouldn’t let failure from the outside get inside of them. When people experience failure, it is important that they don’t take it personally and internalize it. When failure is internalized, it prolongs the process. You end up dealing with your own attitude and emotions, making it about yourself instead of dealing with the true issues.
Yesterday Ended Last Night = John C. Maxwell's book, Failing Forward, says “Say goodbye to yesterday.” Everyone has bad days, but it is important to put both yesterday's successes and yesterday’s failures behind us. If we focus too much on yesterday, it won't help us take care of today. We delay today when we focus too much on yesterday, especially when we bring the emotional, thoughts, attitudes, and ideas with us into the next day.
Your Perspective Matters = John C. Maxwell's book, Failing Forward, says that your world changes when you change yourself. Your perspective determines the world that you live in. You can either see failure as a plus in your life—a learning tool—or you can see failure as a negative. View failure with an abundance mindset, not a scarcity mindset.
Have Gratitude In The Midst Of Failure = In John C. Maxwell's book, Failing Forward, he talks about the importance of “making a commitment to get over yourself, and start giving.” The fruit of gratitude is generosity. When we become givers, we overcome failure. People with gratitude do not see failure as final or fatal. When we learn to be grateful for our failure, we can be generous with others.
Every Bad Experience Has Something to Teach You | MWM
A Lesson Learned Improves A Bad Experience = John C. Maxwell's book, Failing Forward, says that you should find the good in a bad experience. Change the way you think. Every bad experience has something to teach you. When you learn from a bad experience, it becomes a good experience. If you are fearful of your failure, you are less likely to learn from it. Face your failure!
Have Tenacity When Things Go Wrong = John C. Maxwell's book, Failing Forward, says that it is not easy to overcome failure or natural to take a risk, but it is important to tackle the hard things—and solve hard problems—so you can improve and learn to solve even harder problems. Take a bad experience, learn from it, and you will develop resilience, maturity, and the ability to see the big picture. Choose to take a bad experience and turn it into a good one.
Choose To Work On You Weakness = John C. Maxwell's book, Failing Forward, says that we all need to work on our weaknesses. Choices can be changed and improved to aid us in this endeavor. Make the right choices no matter what failure you are experiencing. Your failure is not who you are. Everyone can make the choice to change and grow.
Fail Your Way To Success = John C. Maxwell's book, Failing Forward, says that there is very little difference between success and failure. When we perceive a large gap between success and failure, we become discouraged … But we need to close the gap and be encouraged! When we fail, we are close to success. Don’t quit! You can fail your way to success, but you can’t quit your way to success.
Get Up, Get Out, Get Going = John C. Maxwell's book, Failing Forward, says that we should get up, get over, and get going. Don’t stop taking action when you experience failure. Action brings success. You can’t sit and pull yourself out of failure. Get up!
Aim To Connect = Failure can be our friend. We learn from our failures, and we can use what we learn to help people. Instead of trying to impress our audience—which creates a gap—we should work to connect with our audience. When you talk about your mistakes and difficulties, and share how you overcome your challenges, it allows you to help and connect with your audience. We all have problems and we all make mistakes. Sharing these challenges will help you connect to your audience and the people lead. They will respect you for your wins, but they will love you for your failures. #Connect
Make Failure Your Friend = John Maxwell wrote the book, Sometimes You Win, Sometimes You Learn, to help people learn from their losses. Like all of us, he has experienced many losses, misses, and setbacks in his life. Many of us have a tendency to be mad at our failures, but John discusses in his book that we should make failure a friend and not a foe. Most of our growth and improvement doesn’t come from our successes but from or failures.
This week, Mark Cole is delighted to be joined by Ryan Leak, an accomplished author, speaker, leadership coach, and filmmaker. Ryan captivated our audience as a featured speaker at our recent IMC event in Orlando, leaving us eager for more of his insights.
Ryan has been instrumental in guiding numerous leaders and businesses in reshaping their perspective on failure. In his latest book, "Leveling Up," he presents 12 thought-provoking questions designed to help leaders assess their personal and professional growth. This is an episode (and an event) you won't want to miss!
