John Wooden Quotes

To my way of thinking, when you give your total effort — everything you have — the score can never make you a loser. And when you do less, it can’t somehow magically turn you into a winner.

winning is not the point. Wanting to win is the point. Not giving up is the point. Never being satisfied with what you’ve done is the point. Never letting up is the point. Never letting anyone down is the point. Play to win. Sure. But lose like a champion. Because it’s not winning that counts. What counts is trying.

Being a role model is the most powerful form of educating. Youngsters need good models more than they need critics

Achievement will continue at the same or a greater level only if you do not permit the infection of success to take hold of you and your organization. The symptom of that infection is called complacency. Contentment with past accomplishments or acceptance of the status quo can derail an organization quickly. In sports or business, getting to the top is difficult. One of the reasons staying there is so rare is because the infection sets in.

Remember That Success Can Take Months — or Years — to Achieve but Can Be Undone in Minutes.

Some of those under your supervision will catch on quickly, others not. Understanding that patience is an integral part of good teaching and effective leadership allowed me to accept the varying speeds at which people learn and to accommodate, within reason, those differences. Patience became an asset for me rather than a liability. I came to understand that good things take time.

Your reputation is what you're perceived to be,
Your character is what you really are

You can do more good by being good than any other way.

Remember this your lifetime through:
Tomorrow there will be more to do.
And failure waits for all who stay
With some success made yesterday.
Tomorrow you must try once more,
And even harder than before.

If I were ever prosecuted for my religion, I truly hope there would be enough evidence to convict me.

Calvin Coolidge observed, “No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor has been the reward for what he gave.

Talent is God-given; be humble. Fame is man-given; be thankful. Conceit is self-given; be careful.

Be more concerned with character than reputation. Character is what you are, reputation is what people think you are.

You can’t live a perfect day until you do something for someone who will never be able to repay you.

When you blame others you are trying to excuse yourself. When you make excuses you can’t properly evaluate yourself. Without proper self-evaluation, failure is inevitable.