Stephen Covey Quotes

Instead of looking at fragments, try to see the whole picture.

Often we are so busy with sawing that we forget to sharpen the saw..

"Inside-Out" means to start first with self; even more fundamentally, to start with the most inside part of self — with your paradigms, your character, and your motives

He (Anwar Sadat) records that he was almost loathe to leave his prison cell because it was there that he realized that real success is success with self. It’s not in having things, but in having mastery, having victory over self.

THE MOMENT OF CHOICE A moment of choice is a moment of truth. It's the testing point of our character and competence.

compass represents our vision, values, principles, mission, conscience, direction — what we feel is important and how we lead our lives.

Empathy is not sympathy. A sympathy is a form of agreement. Empathy is not agreeing with someone; it is fully, deeply understanding that person, emotionally as well as intellectually.

Did you ever consider how ridiculous it would be to try to cram on a farm — to forget to plant in the spring, play all summer and then cram in the fall to bring in the harvest? The farm is a natural system. The price must be paid and the process followed. You always reap what you sow; there is no shortcut.

In the space between stimulus (what happens) and how we respond, lies our freedom to choose. Ultimately, this power to choose is what defines us as human beings. We may have limited choices but we can always choose. We can choose our thoughts, emotions, moods, our words, our actions; we can choose our values and live by principles. It is the choice of acting or being acted upon.

Prepare your mind and heart before you prepare your speech. What we say may be less important than how we say it.

Let natural consequences teach responsible behavior. One of the kindest things we can do is to let the natural or logical consequences of people's actions teach them responsible behavior. They may not like it or us, but popularity is a fickle standard by which to measure character development. Insisting on justice demands more true love, not less. We care enough for their growth and security to suffer their displeasure.

Change happens at the speed of trust. (cf. The SPEED of Trust, 2008)

If you want to have a more pleasant,cooperative teenager, be a more understanding, emphatic, consistent, loving parent.

"Як відзначила Елеонора Рузвельт: "Без вашої згоди ніхто не може вас образити". А за словами Ґанді, "у нас не можуть відібрати самоповагу, якщо ми самі її не віддамо". Наш добровільний дозвіл, наша згода на те, що з нами відбувається, завдає нам набагато більшого болю, ніж власне події."

The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.