Stephen Covey Quotes

If you organize your family life to spend even ten or fifteen minutes a morning reading something that connects you with these timeless principles, its almost guaranteed that you will make better choices during the day — in the family, on the job, in every dimension of life. Your thoughts will be higher. Your interactions will be more satisfying. You will have a greater perspective. You will increase that space between what happens to you and your response to it. You will be more connected to what really matters most.

To maintain the P/PC Balance, the balance between the golden egg (production) and the health and welfare of the goose (production capability) is often a difficult judgment call. But I suggest it is the very essence of effectiveness.

If you knew you couldn’t fail, what would you give your life to? If you knew you didn’t have to work for a living, what would you give your life to?

The way you spend your time is a result of the way you see your time and the way you really see your priorities.

Our problems and pain are universal and increasing, and the solutions to the problems are and always will be based upon universal, timeless, self-evident principles common to every enduring, prospering society throughout history.

It’s easy to say “no!” when there’s a deeper “yes!” burning inside.

Happiness - in part at least - the fruit of the desire and ability to sacrifice waht we want for what we want eventually

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.

responsibility — “response-ability” — the ability to choose your response.

Remember, it isn't the snake bite that does the serious damage; it's chasing the snake that drives the poison to the heart.

A serious problem with reactive language is that it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. People become reinforced in the paradigm that they are determined, and they produce evidence to support the belief. They feel increasingly victimized and out of control, not in charge of their life or their destiny. They blame outside forces — other people, circumstances, even the stars — for their own situation.

Principles are the territory. Values are maps. When we value correct principles, we have truth — a knowledge of things as they are.

Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall.

We must look at the lens through we see the world, as well as the world we see, and that the lens itself shapes how we interpret the world.

There can be no friendship without confidence, and no confidence without integrity.