William arthur ward quotes

If you can imagine it, you can achieve it. If you can dream it, you can become it.

A life lived without forgiveness is a prison.

The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.

Blessed is he who has learned to admire but not envy, to follow but not imitate, to praise but not flatter, and to lead but not manipulate.

Flying off the handle sometimes causes hammers and humans to lose their heads, as well as their effectiveness.

Real optimism knows the difficulties but believes they can be overcome.

The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.

The more patient we are, the more understanding we become.

The pessimist borrows trouble; the optimists lend encouragement.

We are most like beasts when we kill. We are most like men when we judge. We are most like God when we forgive.

Faith is knowing there is an ocean because you have seen a brook.

Do more than be fair: be kind.

Opportunity is often difficult to recognize; we usually expect it to beckon us with beepers and billboards.

America needs fewer men obsessed with erecting fences of hate, suspicion and name calling.

Forgiveness from others is charity; from God, grace; from oneself, wisdom.

We can learn much from wise words, little from wisecracks, and less from wise guys.

For each new morning with its light, For rest and shelter of the night, For health and food, for love and friends... Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.

Before you speak, listen. Before you write, think. Before you spend, earn. Before you invest, investigate. Before you criticize, wait. Before you pray, forgive. Before you quit, try. Before you retire, save. Before you die, give.

Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticize me, and I may not like you. Ignore me, and I may not forgive you. Encourage me, and I will not forget you. Love me and I may be forced to love you.

Vow to be valiant. Resolve to be radiant. Determine to be dynamic. Strive to be sincere. Aspire to be attuned.

When we seek to discover the best in others, we somehow bring out the best in ourselves.

A well-developed sense of humor is the pole that adds balance to your steps as you walk the tightrope of life.

Today's patience can transform yesterday's discouragements into tomorrow's discoveries. Today's purposes can turn yesterday's defeats into tomorrow's determination.

Do more than believe: practice.

A pinch of praise is worth a pound of scorn. A dash of encouragement is more helpful than a dipper of pessimism. A cup of kindness is better than a cupboard of criticism.

It is wise to direct your anger towards problems - not people; to focus your energies on answers - not excuses.

A good teacher explains, while a great teacher inspires

The adventure of life is to learn.

Prepare while others are daydreaming.

There is one thing we can do better than anyone else: we can be ourselves.

The more generous we are, the more joyous we become.

The adventure of life is to learn. The purpose of life is to grow. The nature of life is to change. The challenge of life is to overcome. The essence of life is to care. The opportunity of like is to serve. The secret of life is to dare. The spice of life is to befriend. The beauty of life is to give.

Today is a most unusual day, because we have never lived it before; we will never live it again; it is the only day we have.

Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” —

Adversity causes some men to break; others to break records.

Three keys to more abundant living: caring about others, daring for others, sharing with others.

Man, like the bridge, was designed to carry the load of the moment, not the combined weight of a year at once.

A true friend knows your weaknesses but shows you your strenghs; feels your fears but fortifies your faith; sees your anxieties but frees your spirit; recognizes your disabilities but emphasizes your possibilities.

A warm smile is the universal language of kindness.

Success never resides in the world of weak wishes, but in the palace of purposeful plans and prayerful persistence.

Forgiveness is a funny thing. It warms the heart and cools the sting.

To bear defeat with dignity, to accept criticism with poise, to receive honors with humility - these are marks of maturity and graciousness.

Study while others are sleeping; work while others are loafing; prepare while others are playing; and dream while others are wishing.

Change, like sunshine, can be a friend or a foe, a blessing or a curse, a dawn or a dusk.

Words, like tranquil waters behind a dam, can become reckless and uncontrollable torrents of destruction when released without caution and wisdom.

Giving is more than a responsibility-it is a privilege; more than an act of obedience-it is evidence of our faith.

The price of excellence is discipline. The cost of mediocrity is disappointment.

The more generous we are, the more joyous we become. The more cooperative we are, the more valuable we become. The more enthusiastic we are, the more productive we become. The more serving we are, the more prosperous we become.

Encourage me, and I will not forget you.

Every person has the power to make others happy. Some do it simply by entering a room others by leaving the room. Some individuals leave trails of gloom; others, trails of joy. Some leave trails of hate and bitterness; others, trails of love and harmony. Some leave trails of cynicism and pessimism; others trails of faith and optimism. Some leave trails of criticism and resignation; others trails of gratitude and hope. What kind of trails do you leave?

Teaching is more than imparting knowledge, it is inspiring change.

A cloudy day is no match for a sunny disposition.

To the optimist, obstacles aare challenges, roadblocks are inspirations, and problems are invitations to achievement.

The more we count the blessings we have, the less we crave the luxuries we haven't.

Men never plan to be failures; they simply fail to plan to be successful

We can choose to throw stones, to stumble on them, to climb over them, or to build with them.

The greatest failure is the failure to try.

Wise are those who learn that the bottom line doesn't always have to be their top priority.

Failure is not fatal. Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. It should challenge us to new heights of accomplishments, not pull us to new depths of despair. From honest failure can come valuable experience.

A Winner's Blueprint for Achievement BELIEVE while others are doubting. PLAN while others are playing. STUDY while others are sleeping. DECIDE while others are delaying. PREPARE while others are daydreaming. BEGIN while others are procrastinating. WORK while others are wishing. SAVE while others are wasting. LISTEN while others are talking. SMILE while others are frowning. COMMEND while others are criticizing. PERSIST while others are quitting.

Commend while others are criticizing, persist while others are quitting

Too many of us hear without heeding, read without responding, confess without changing, profess without practicing, worship without witnessing, and seek without sharing.

The experienced mountain climber is not intimidated by a mountain - he is inspired by it.

A friend is one who joyfully sings with you when you are on the mountaintop, and silently walks beside you through the valley.

Our words reveal our thoughts; our manners mirror our self-esteem; our actions reflect our character; our habits predict the future.

If you would be interesting, be interested, if you would be pleased, be pleasing, if you would be loved, be loveable, if you would be helped be helpful.

Whatever gets your goat gets your attention. Whatever gets your attention gets your time. Whatever gets your time gets you. Whatever gets you becomes your master. Take care, lest a little thing horn in and get your goat

The optimist pleasantly ponders how high his kite will fly; the pessimist woefully wonders how soon his kite will fall.

The winner asks, "May I help?" The loser asks, "Do you expect me to do that?"

Will someone else's life be brighter tomorrow, because of what you have done today?

I have the opportunity, once more to right some wrongs, to pray for peace, to plant some trees, and sing more joyful songs.

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.

TODAY can be a healthy unusual day for you-and for others-if you take time to give someone a smile . . . to express a word of kindness . . . to lend a helping hand to someone in need . . . ..to write a note of gratitude . . . to give a word of encouragement to someone who is temporarily overcome with problems . . . to share a portion of your material possessions with others.

Enthusiasm is the match that lights the candle of achievement.

Three enemies of personal peace: regret over yesterday’s mistakes, anxiety over tomorrow’s problems, and ingratitude for today’s blessings.

The greatest hazard in life is to risk NOTHING.

Delays, disappointments and defeats cause quitters to give up in resignation; losers, to give in the frustration; winners, to come through with determination.

Optimists enrich the present, enhance the future,challenge the improbable and attain the impossible

To make mistakes is human; to stumble is commonplace; to be able to laugh at yourself is maturity.

Real and lasting generosity requires that a person do more than make up his mind to give. He must also make up his heart.

Nothing limits achievement like small thinking; nothing expands possibilities like unleashed imagination.

The greatest ideas, the most profound thoughts, and the most beautiful poetry are born from the womb of silence

Our greatest challenge-our greatest opportunity-is found in these words: 'Choose ye this day....'.

Love is more than a noun-it is a verb; it is more than a feeling-it is caring, sharing, helping, sacrificing.

Real optimism is aware of problems but recognizes the solutions.

Opportunities are like sunrises. If you wait too long, you miss them.

To the optimist all doors have handles and hinges; to the pessimist, all doors have locks and latches.

To laugh is to risk appearing a fool. To weep is to risk appearing sentimental. To reach out to another is to risk involvement. To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self. To place your ideas and dreams before a crowd is to risk their loss. To love is to risk not being loved in return. To hope is to risk pain. To try is to risk failure. But risks must be taken, because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.

Blessed is the person who sees the need, recognizes the responsibility, and actively becomes the answer.

Lose yourself in generous service and every day can be a most unusual day, a triumphant day, an abundantly rewarding day!

Another fresh new year is here. Another year to live! To Banish worry, doubt and fear, to love and give

We must be silent before we can listen. We must listen before we can learn. We must learn before we can prepare. We must prepare before we can serve. We must serve before we can lead.

Happiness is an inside job.

God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say 'thank you?'

Before you speak, listen.

Once trust is tarnished, it is hard to restore it to its original glow.

Do more than belong: participate. Do more than care: help. Do more than believe: practice. Do more than be fair: be kind. Do more than forgive: forget. Do more than dream: work.

What you believe is more important than what you possess. What you live is more lasting than what you profess. Whom you inspire is more significant than whom you impress.

Failure is delay, but not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead-end street.

The essence of life is to care. The beauty of life is to give.

Real optimism is aware of problems but recognizes the solutions, knows about difficulties but believes they can be overcome, sees the negatives but accentuates the positives, is exposed to the worst but expects the best, has reason to complain but chooses to smile.

Real optimism has reason to complain but prefers to smile.

Curiosity is the wick in the candle of learning.

Each of us will one day be judged by our standard of life, not by our standard of living; by our measure of giving, not by our measure of wealth; by our simple goodness, not by our seeming greatness.

Gratitude is the the energy of faith.

A complaining tongue reveals an ungrateful heart.

But risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing. The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing. He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he cannot learn, feel, change, grow or live. Chained by his servitude he is a slave who has forfeited all freedom. Only a person who risks is free. The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; and the realist adjusts the sails

We can be resentful of our age, or we can be grateful for having attained it.

Friendship flourishes at the fountain of forgiveness.

In life, satisfaction is experienced when activities are brought to a state of completion. Loss of energy and loss of control are functions of incompletion. The result of completing things releases one's ability to create. Prioritize any items that need to be completed, set a completion date, then do it.

The optimist lives on the peninsula of infinite possibilities; the pessimist is stranded on the island of perpetual indecision.

'If only' is the excuse of the loser; 'I can' is the affirmation of the winner.

Four steps to achievement: Plan purposefully. Prepare prayerfully. Proceed positively. Pursue persistently.

Greatness is not found in possessions, power, position, or prestige. It is discovered in goodness, humility, service, and character.

We are more than what we do... much more than what we accomplish... far more than what we possess.

Everyone has a common, yet unique, responsibility to the future: to make the most of today.

The experienced mountain climber is not intimidated by a mountain - he is inspired by it. The persistent winner is not discouraged by a problem--he is challenged by it. Mountains are created to be conquered; adversities are designed to be defeated; problems are sent to be solved. It is better to master one mountain than a thousand foothills.

Empathy feels these thoughts; your hurt is in my heart, your loss is in my prayers, your sorrow is in my soul, and your tears are in my eyes.

Another fresh new year is here . . . Another year to live! To banish worry, doubt, and fear, To love and laugh and give! This bright new year is given me To live each day with zest . . . To daily grow and try to be My highest and my best! I have the opportunity Once more to right some wrongs, To pray for peace, to plant a tree, And sing more joyful songs!

Raised voices lower esteem. Hot tempers cool friendships. Loose tongues stretch truth. Swelled heads shrink influence. Sharp words dull respect.

A success is one who decided to succeed and worked. A failure is one who decided to succeed and wished.

Real optimism sees the negatives but accentuates the positive.

In the face of unjust criticism we can become bitter or better; upset or understanding; hostile or humble; furious or forgiving.

Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings.

A friend is one with whom you are comfortable, to whom you are loyal, through whom you are blessed, and for whom you are grateful.