For me, quotes are collections of words that make me think.  Whether famous or just from friends and family, my favorites cause behavior changes.  Below are from the less famous.

Quote: “You are what you eat, and you become what you think about.”  ---Steven Martin, not the comedian but a Rotary Club speaker I saw in Birmingham, Michigan in 1977.

Impact: Our cells literally consist of what we eat and drink.  The awakening came with “becoming what I think about”. It causes me to consider what I put in my brain, just as carefully as what I put in my body.

Quote: “Progress, not perfection” --- Amy Skerry

Impact: In my early forties when I began to see a psychologist (Amy), I came to the realization my volatility and angst were both driven by my expectation that things could/should be perfect.  Life is becoming progressively more livable as I give up on that self-defeating premise. 

Quote: “McCarthy, you are the man of the half-baked potato”.  David A. Camiener

Impact: By my fourth or fifth year in Vistage, I was presenting another “break through idea” for my business when my friend, Camiener suggested that I learn to leave my ideas in the oven long enough to fully bake.  😊

Quote: “I refuse to confuse leniency with fairness” ---Arthur G. Elliott

Impact: My first great boss and mentor noticed I was down after he’d administered a punishing assessment of my work.  He added: “My job not to make you my friend but to grow you.”

Quote: “Oh, honey, I’m so sorry”.  Margaret McDonough McCarthy

Impact:  My mother’s response when I proudly told her I may sell my business for big money.  I was stunned so she added: “wealth is a burden, Timmy, and I’ve seen it ruin better people than you.”  Since that day, I remain constantly alert to the behavioral effects of wealth.

Quote: “Like a bridge, your hips and knees are load bearing devices”. William J. McCarthy, MD

Impact: My Dad’s advice to his patients was often a little too harsh but this one I’ve always remembered.  At 225, my joints took on a lot more pressure than they do now at 185. 

Quote: “Ask yourself three questions: 1. What’s your goal? 2. Why is that your goal? 3. What will I sacrifice to reach that goal?  Timothy Patrick McCarthy

Impact: Our son stunned me with this one when I was bogged down thinking about a big project I wanted to do but could not figure out how I could get it done.

Peace,

Tim McCarthy