Don't Squat with Yer Spurs On!

Selected words of wisdom from "A Cowboy's Guide to Life," volumes I and II, by Texas Bix Bender:

1. Never take to sawin' on the branch that's supportn' you, unless you're bein' hung from it.


2. A lot of good luck is undeserved, but then so is a lot of bad luck.


3. Go after life as if it's something that's got to be roped in a hurry before it gets away.


4. Don't let so much reality into your life that there's no room left for dreamin'.


5. Ain't never seen a wild critter feelin' sorry for itself.


6. Honesty is not something you should flirt with -- ou should be married to it.


7. Avoid flasharity, foofaraw, and fumadiddle in dress, speech, and conduct. leave the peacocking for the peacocks.


8. You can't weigh the facts if yo'uve got the scales loaded down with your opinions.


9. When you forgive and forget, forget that you forgave while you're at it.


10. The best way to knock a chip off a shoulder is with a friendly pat on the back.


11. Work lessat worrying and more at working.


12. Advice is like a pot of chili: You should try a little of it yourself before you give anybody else a taste.


13. If you ain't pullin' your weight, you're pushin' your luck.


14. Nothin' keeps you honest more than witnesses.


15. The purest metal comes out of the greatest heat.


16. You're not being diplomatic just because you put "please' in front of "shut the hell up."


17. Smetimes it takes a lot more thinkin' to deal with changes than to make 'em.


18. You'll feel better when it quits hurtin'.


19. The bigger the mouth, the better it looks shut.


20. You can't tell how far a frog can jump by its croak.


21. Always walk tall and keep your head up -- unless you're walkin' in a cow pasture.


22. The best way to break a bad habit is to drop it.

-----
Thanks to A.W.

4qtr2009 Not Just Talk! Newsletter Now Available

The 4qtr2009 Not Just Talk! quarterly newsletter from Barry Zweibel and GottaGettaCoach!, Inc. is now available and ready for viewing at http://www.ggci-quarterly.com/:

• Job-Search Coping Strategies - Ask the Coach -- Just because it's difficult doesn't mean it's impossible, so here are some ideas to keep your job-search efforts going.
• The Pursuit of WOW! - Book Review -- Your personal branding needs more WOW! now, than ever. This timely advice is just as relevant now as when it was originally written.
• Notable Quotables: Things I Didn't Say (First) -- A large handful of famous (and not-so-famous) quotations of note.
• GottaGettaBLOG! Highlights from 2009qtr3 -- A quick digest of some highlighted blog posts from last quarter.
• GottaGettaCoach! News from 2009qtr3.

Enjoy!

Persistence

"I want to remind you that success in life is based on hard slogging. There will be periods when discouragement is great and upsetting, and the antidote for this is calmness and fortitude and a modest yet firm belief in your competence. Be sure that your priorities are in order so that you can proceed in a logical manner, and be ever mindful that notion will take the place of persistence."

-- Walter Annenberg

Freedom, Responsibility, Wisdom

"Maturity is a balance between freedom and responsibility.

"To the young, getting older seems attractive because of freedom. The older they become, the more they choose for themselves their friends, what they wear, and how they live their lives. Yet undisciplined freedom can lead to selfishness, greed, and isolation.

"To adults, staying young seems attractive because of responsibility. The younger they were, they recall, the less responsible they were for their own lives and for the lives of others. Yet irresponsible adulthood robs us of dignity, and is no strategy for mature happiness.

"Wisdom comes fro the right balance of freedom and responsibility. We know that we are free to choose our own path. We are wise when we find pursuits that help ourselves and help our community. The dignity of assuming responsibility provides a deep satisfaction, for the mastery of our own lives gives us the power to help others."

-- Rabbi Adam Chalom
7/25/2009
in celebration of
the bar mitzvah of
Rob Klien.

Connections, Past, Present, and Future

"We are heirs to an ancient tradition. We are the creators of our own traditions.

"Connections to our past give us roots. Deep roots are a source of life and strength. Our roots create a foundation from which we celebrate our own lives and traditions.

"Connections to our present are the force of life itself. The vitality of now gives us the flexibility to meet new challenges with enthusiasm and courage.

"Connections to our future give us hope. Like trees, we aspire to grow beyond the seed and the seedling, feeling our roots while spreading our own branches higher and wider in new directions.

"We hope the same freedom for our children: to feel the strength of roots, to live with enthusiasm and courage, to experience the joy of now with the hop of tomorrow."

-- Rabbi Adam Chalom

7/25/2009

in celebration of

the bar mitzvah of

Rob Klien.

The Art of Leadership

Dwight D. Eisenhower: "Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it."

Runner courtesy of: www.developingyouthspeed.com

Six Courage Quotes

1. Corra Harris: "The bravest thing you can do when you are not brave is to profess courage and act accordingly."
2. Brendan Francis: "Many of our fears are tissue paper-thin, and a single courageous step would carry us through them."
3. Ambrose Redmoon: "Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear."
4. Honore de Balzac: "All happiness depends on courage and work."
5. Robert Louis Stevenson: "Keep your fears to yourself, but share your courage with others."
6. Plato: "Courage is knowing what not to fear."

Productivity, Leadership, and Motivation

Question: Do you have any tips on being more productive during the day?

• "Learn to say no. A computer runs at its slowest when it has too many operations open at once. The same applies to our own production." - Greg Reid


• "Divorce yourself of the idea that long hours and accomplishments are connected." - Vic Johnson

Question: Any advice on how I can be a better leader?

• "Be a person who can be counted on." - Cynthia Kersey

Question: How can I keep myself constantly motivated and on track?

• "The biggest problems people have in achieving goals is that they often try to make too many drastic changes all at once. Research indicates that when people are asked to make big, sweeping changes in their lives all at once, they get overwhelmed, become discouraged and commonly give up. The most effective way to create lasting change is to focus on one area at a time. Even the busiest person can find the time to take a single step." - CK

----
Source: Success Magazine's 1on1: Getting the Most of Your Time (August/September 2008)

Platitudes & Attitudes

Some observations from Texas billionaire, T. Boone Pickens ...

MAKE THE CALL.

"Sometimes the window of opportunity is open only briefly... be willing to make decisions. That's the most important quality in a good leader. Don't fall victim to what I call the ready-aim-aim-aim-aim-aim syndrome. You must be willing to fire."

ANALYZE WELL.

"Information is everything. You can never have enough, and as you get older you find that keeping current keeps you in the game."

LEARN FROM MISTAKES.

"It's all right to get your fingers crushed in the door, but don't let the same door crush them twice."

KEEP PRIORITIES STRAIGHT.

"Far too many executives have become more concerned with the four P's -- Pay, Perks, Power, and Prestige -- rather than making profits for shareholders."

HIRE GOOD PEOPLE.

"What I am always looking for is people who can do a job better than I can."

BALANCE IT OUT.

"Work eight hours and sleep eight hours, and make sure they are not the same eight hours."

FORGET ABOUT AGE.

"Give young people a chance."

HAVE A PLAN.

"A fool with a plan can outsmart a genius with no plan."

----
Source: Success Magazine (November 2008)

Zig Ziglar's Success Habits

1. Be a constant learner. Seek out information that you can learn and teach to others.
2. Encourage others and help them get what they want.
3. Express gratitude. "Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions," Ziglar says. "The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for."
4. Recognize the value of relationships and their role in creating balanced success.
5. Be consistent in your words and actions. "When you make a promise, keep it."

----
Source: Success Magazine's Lessons from the Top (October 2008)

Poem In Your Pocket Day

Yup, that's right. Not only is April National Poetry Month, but April 17th is Poem in Your Pocket Day!

"The idea is simple:" says the Academy of American Poets. "[S]elect a poem you love during National Poetry Month then carry it with you to share with co-workers, family, and friends on April 17. Poems from pockets will be unfolded throughout the day with events in parks, libraries, schools, workplaces, and bookstores."

Or, if you prefer, you can download your favorite poems to your cell or smart phone: Poems to go!

Now I'm not a big fan of poetry, per se, but in honor of the day, let me pull out an old fave, Knots, by "Independent British Psychoanalyst, Social Phenomenologist, Radical Psychiatrist, Existential Philosopher," and poet if you ask me, R. D. Laing.

Here's an excerpt from Knots:

There must be something the matter with him
because he would not be acting as he does
unless there was
therefore he is acting as he is
because there is something the matter with him

He does not think there is anything the matter with him
because
one of the things that is
the matter with him
is that he does not think that there is anything
the matter with him

therefore
we have to help him realize that,
the fact that he does not think there is anything
the matter with him
is one of the things that is
the matter with him

(Can you see why the piece is called Knots?!)

Favorite Quotations - category archives

Follow this link to the GottaGettaBlog! archives for more postings from Barry Zweibel on the topic of: Favorite Quotations.

Also see: Notable Quotables.