Jeff Olson Quotes

“A man can fail many times, but he isn’t a failure until he begins to blame somebody else.”

“A negative philosophy turns into a negative attitude, which turns into negative actions, which turns into negative results, which turns into a negative lifestyle.”

“A positive philosophy turns into a positive attitude, which turns into positive actions, which turns into positive results, which turns into a positive lifestyle. A positive life.”

“Americans know they’re overweight. In fact, we spend huge amounts of money on diet books and diet programs to help us lose that burdensome extra weight. There are more than 30,000 fitness clubs in the United States, all aimed at serving the national desire to lose weight and be fit. And it’s not just a question of being a little too heavy, or of how we look. Nutrition is one of the most significant factors in society’s major killers, like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Most of us are literally digging our graves with our teeth. And we know all this — yet clearly the majority of us aren’t doing anything about it. Why not?”

“Any time you see what looks like a breakthrough, it is always the end result of a long series of little things, done consistently over time.”

“Anything worth having is worth paying that price for.”

“Be happy, and the reason will appear.”

“Being productive and being busy are not necessarily the same thing. Doing things won’t create your success; doing the right things will.”

“By adding those little grams of success, one at a time (and by not adding more weight to the failure side), you will eventually and inevitably begin to shift the scales in your favor.”

“Do a random act of kindness over the course of each day.”

“Don't try to figure out the whole race. Just figure out where to put your foot for the starting line. Just start.”

“Each morning, write down three things you’re grateful for. Not the same three every day; find three new things to write about. That trains your brain to search your circumstances and hunt for the positive.”

“Emotions change like the wind, and you can’t stop them. No one can. They keep moving; that’s why they’re called emotions and not e-standingstills.”

“Every day, in every moment, you get to exercise choices that will determine whether or not you will become a great person, living a great life. Greatness is not something predetermined, predestined or carved into your fate by forces beyond your control. Greatness is always in the moment of the decision.”

“Every decision you make is a slight edge decision. What you’re going to do, how you’re going to act, what you’re going to read, who you’re going to chat with on the phone, what you’re going to eat for lunch, who you’re going to associate with. How you’re going to treat your fellow workers. What you’re going to get done today.”

“Every incomplete promise, commitment, or agreement saps your strength because it blocks your momentum and chokes off your ability to move forward, progress, or improve.”

“Everyone likes a good meal and a warm bed. Everyone wants the companionship of someone they love, and who loves them. Everyone wants to be happy in their lives. But once those basics are taken care of, we all want something more, too. One of the most compelling, universal human drives is the desire to feel that we make a difference – that because we were here, the world is a better place. Human beings are social animals, and there’s something hardwired into us that needs to know that we’ve had an impact on the world. That we matter.”

“Everything is always in motion. Every day, every moment, your life path is either curving upward, or curving downward. Growing up we heard five times as many nos as yeses. Life has a downward pull. People on the success curve live in responsibility. People on the failure curve live in blame. People on the success curve are pulled by the future. People on the failure curve are pulled by the past. No matter where you are, at any moment you can choose to step onto the success curve.”

“Exercise for fifteen minutes daily. Simple cardio, even a brisk walk, has a powerful antidepressant impact, in many cases stronger (and more long-lasting) than an actual antidepressant!”

“For things to change, you’ve got to change. For things to get better, you’ve got to get better. It’s easy to do. But it’s easy not to do, too.”

“Goals are dreams with deadlines.”

“Here are seven powerful, positive slight edge habits:
Show up: be the frog who jumps off the lily pad.
Show up consistently: keep showing up when others fade out.
Cultivate a positive outlook: see the glass as overflowing.
Be committed for the long haul: remember the 10,000-hour rule.
Cultivate a burning desire backed by faith: not hoping or wishing – knowing.
Be willing to pay the price: sometimes you have to quit the softball team.
Practice slight edge integrity: do the things you’ve committed to doing, even when no one else is watching.”

“Here’s a slight edge action guaranteed to change your life: read just ten pages of a good book, a book aimed at improving your life, every day.”

“Here’s how real success is built: by the time you get the feedback, the real work’s already done.”

“Hoping for the big break — the breakthrough, the magic bullet — is not only futile, it’s dangerous, because it keeps you from taking the actions you need to create the results you want.”

“How you feed your mind is every bit as critical to your happiness as how you feed your body.”

“I believe we are here to learn and grow, and to become so abundant in belief in ourselves that we finally tap into the full potential of the greatness that is within us and share that greatness with the world.”

“I could not change my past but that I could rebuild a new future by taking just a small step every day in the right direction,”

“I want the world to be better because I was here. I want my life, my work, my family to mean something. If you are not making someone else’s life better you are wasting your time. Your life will only become better by helping make other lives better.”

“If 'how to do it' were the answer, it'd be done. It's how you do the 'hows' that's most important.”