Welcome!
Have you ever wondered what made successful people really successful? It's more than just having money and being lucky. Here you'll find a collection of the characteristics and/or habits that have helped some of our well-known predecessors and contemporaries achieve extraordinary things in life. Feel free to share it. Please share it. It's a learning resource for all of us.
Table of Contents
Social & Political Leaders
Thomas Jefferson
1. Sought Knowledge
2. Determined
3. Dedicated
"He who knows best knows how little he knows."
"Walking is the very best exercise. Habituate yourself to walk very far."
Benjamin Franklin
1. Ambitious
2. Intelligent
3. Knew How To Work With Others
"If you wou'd not be forgotten as soon as you are dead and rotten, either write things worth reading or do things worth the writing."
"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."
Abraham Lincoln
1. Unwavering integrity
2. Read a lot
3. Self-disciplined
"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."
"I will study and get ready, and perhaps my chance will come."
Franklin Roosevelt
1. Surrounded Self with Smart People
2. Kept On Trying
3. Made Others Feel Good, Strong
"Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough."
"One thing is sure. We have to do something. We have to do the best we know how at the moment... If it doesn't turn out right, we can modify it as we go along."
Eleanor Roosevelt
1. Self-Sufficient
2. Optimistic
3. Understood Others
"She would rather light a candle than curse the darkness."
- Adlai Stevenson, Former Democratic Presidential Candidate
"Happiness is not a goal; it is a by-product."
Nelson Mandela
1. Persistent
2. Negotiated well
3. Patient
"If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart."
"I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear."
Mohandas Gandhi
1. Bold
2. Devoted
3. Lived By Example
"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win."
"Be the change you want to see in the world."
Mother Theresa
1. Compassionate
2. Persevered
3. Selfless
"I want you to be concerned about your next door neighbor. Do you know your next door neighbor?"
"Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person."
"Do ordinary things with extraordinary love."
Sima Simar
1. Altruistic
2. Audacious
3. Committed
"When you have enough educated women, you have less violence. You have less problem for the women, because they know what is their right. In our country, I think 98 per cent of women are illiterate."
"I've always been in danger, but I don't mind [...] I believe we will die one day so I said let's take the risk and help somebody else."
Jesus
1. Lived by example
2. Others Believe(d) In Him
3. Made Sacrifices
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you"
- Matthew 7:7 (N.I.V.)
Elizabeth Tudor I
1. Tolerant
2. Well-Liked
3. Compromised
"I have already joined myself in marriage to a husband, namely the kingdom of England."
"I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king."
Princess Diana
1. Altruistic
2. Charismatic
3. Compassionate
"Anywhere I see suffering, that is where I want to be, doing what I can."
"I want my boys to have an understanding of people's emotions, their insecurities, people's distress, and their hopes and dreams."
1. Sought Knowledge
2. Determined
3. Dedicated
"He who knows best knows how little he knows."
"Walking is the very best exercise. Habituate yourself to walk very far."
Benjamin Franklin
1. Ambitious2. Intelligent
3. Knew How To Work With Others
"If you wou'd not be forgotten as soon as you are dead and rotten, either write things worth reading or do things worth the writing."
"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."
Abraham Lincoln
1. Unwavering integrity2. Read a lot
3. Self-disciplined
"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."
"I will study and get ready, and perhaps my chance will come."
Franklin Roosevelt
1. Surrounded Self with Smart People2. Kept On Trying
3. Made Others Feel Good, Strong
"Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough."
"One thing is sure. We have to do something. We have to do the best we know how at the moment... If it doesn't turn out right, we can modify it as we go along."
Eleanor Roosevelt
1. Self-Sufficient
2. Optimistic
3. Understood Others
"She would rather light a candle than curse the darkness."
- Adlai Stevenson, Former Democratic Presidential Candidate
"Happiness is not a goal; it is a by-product."
Nelson Mandela
1. Persistent2. Negotiated well
3. Patient
"If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart."
"I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear."
Mohandas Gandhi
1. Bold2. Devoted
3. Lived By Example
"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win."
"Be the change you want to see in the world."
Mother Theresa
1. Compassionate2. Persevered
3. Selfless
"I want you to be concerned about your next door neighbor. Do you know your next door neighbor?"
"Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person."
"Do ordinary things with extraordinary love."
Sima Simar
1. Altruistic2. Audacious
3. Committed
"When you have enough educated women, you have less violence. You have less problem for the women, because they know what is their right. In our country, I think 98 per cent of women are illiterate."
"I've always been in danger, but I don't mind [...] I believe we will die one day so I said let's take the risk and help somebody else."
Jesus
1. Lived by example2. Others Believe(d) In Him
3. Made Sacrifices
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you"
- Matthew 7:7 (N.I.V.)
Elizabeth Tudor I
1. Tolerant2. Well-Liked
3. Compromised
"I have already joined myself in marriage to a husband, namely the kingdom of England."
"I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king."
Princess Diana
1. Altruistic2. Charismatic
3. Compassionate
"Anywhere I see suffering, that is where I want to be, doing what I can."
"I want my boys to have an understanding of people's emotions, their insecurities, people's distress, and their hopes and dreams."
Detailed Biographies
Business Leaders
Andrew Carnegie
1. Followed His Heart
2. Focused
3. Networked At Every Opportunity
"No person will make a great business who wants to do it all himself or get all the credit."
"People who are unable to motivate themselves must be content with mediocrity, no matter how impressive their other talents."
John D. Rockefeller
1. Self-disciplined
2. Perservered
3. Planned ahead
"If you want to succeed you should strike out on new paths, rather than travel the worn paths of accepted success."
"Every right implies a responsibility; Every opportunity, an obligation, Every possession, a duty."
"Don't be afraid to give up the good to go for the great."
Thomas Edison
1. Curious
2. Persistent
3. Dedicated (Worked 16 Hours/Day)
"Nearly every man who develops an idea works it up to the point where it looks impossible, and then he gets discouraged. That's not the place to become discouraged."
"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."
Henry Ford
1. Visionary
2. Sought improvement
3. Ambitious
"Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently."
"If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right."
"I cannot discover that anyone knows enough to say definitely what is and what is not possible."
Walt Disney
1. Confident
2. Curious
3. Courageous
"My business is making people, especially children, happy."
"I only hope that we don't lose sight of one thing - that it was all started by a mouse."
Milton S. Hershey
1. Visionary
2. Ambitious
3. Learned Through Trial and Error
"Give them quality. That's the best kind of
advertising in the world."
Conrad Hilton
1. Ambitious
2. Worked Hard
3. Confident
"Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep on moving. They make mistakes, but they don't quit."
"There is a natural law, a Divine law, that obliges you and me to relive the suffering, the distressed and the destitute."
Richard Branson
1. Embraces Challenges
2. Competitive
3. Creative
"I was never interested in being a business owner or an entrepreneur, but just wanted to do things I could be proud of."
Warren Buffett
1. Reads Constantly
2. Emotionally Disciplined
3. Thoughtful
"Chains of habit are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken."
"It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently."."
Steve Jobs
1. Hungry
2. Visionary
3. Innovative
"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."
Bill Gates
1. An "intellectual capitalist"
2. "Plays to win"
3. Innovative
"If GM had kept up with technology like the computer industry has, we would all be driving $25 cars that got 1000 MPG."
"Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose."
Meg Whitman
1. Listens
2. Flexible
3. Adapts
"We have a unique partner - millions of people."
"A business leader has to keep their organization focused on the mission. That sounds easy, but it can be tremendously challenging in today's competitive and ever-changing business environment."
Oprah Winfrey
1. Sharp
2. Empathetic
3. Fearless
"The thing you fear most has no power.Your fear of it is what has the power. Facing the truth really will set you free."
"Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another stepping stone to greatness."
"Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure."
1. Followed His Heart
2. Focused
3. Networked At Every Opportunity
"No person will make a great business who wants to do it all himself or get all the credit."
"People who are unable to motivate themselves must be content with mediocrity, no matter how impressive their other talents."
John D. Rockefeller
1. Self-disciplined
2. Perservered
3. Planned ahead
"If you want to succeed you should strike out on new paths, rather than travel the worn paths of accepted success."
"Every right implies a responsibility; Every opportunity, an obligation, Every possession, a duty."
"Don't be afraid to give up the good to go for the great."
Thomas Edison
1. Curious2. Persistent
3. Dedicated (Worked 16 Hours/Day)
"Nearly every man who develops an idea works it up to the point where it looks impossible, and then he gets discouraged. That's not the place to become discouraged."
"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."
Henry Ford
1. Visionary2. Sought improvement
3. Ambitious
"Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently."
"If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right."
"I cannot discover that anyone knows enough to say definitely what is and what is not possible."
Walt Disney
1. Confident
2. Curious
3. Courageous
"My business is making people, especially children, happy."
"I only hope that we don't lose sight of one thing - that it was all started by a mouse."
Milton S. Hershey
1. Visionary2. Ambitious
3. Learned Through Trial and Error
"Give them quality. That's the best kind of
advertising in the world."
Conrad Hilton
1. Ambitious2. Worked Hard
3. Confident
"Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep on moving. They make mistakes, but they don't quit."
"There is a natural law, a Divine law, that obliges you and me to relive the suffering, the distressed and the destitute."
Richard Branson
1. Embraces Challenges2. Competitive
3. Creative
"I was never interested in being a business owner or an entrepreneur, but just wanted to do things I could be proud of."
Warren Buffett
1. Reads Constantly2. Emotionally Disciplined
3. Thoughtful
"Chains of habit are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken."
"It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently."."
Steve Jobs
1. Hungry2. Visionary
3. Innovative
"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."
Bill Gates
1. An "intellectual capitalist"2. "Plays to win"
3. Innovative
"If GM had kept up with technology like the computer industry has, we would all be driving $25 cars that got 1000 MPG."
"Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose."
Meg Whitman
1. Listens2. Flexible
3. Adapts
"We have a unique partner - millions of people."
"A business leader has to keep their organization focused on the mission. That sounds easy, but it can be tremendously challenging in today's competitive and ever-changing business environment."
Oprah Winfrey
1. Sharp2. Empathetic
3. Fearless
"The thing you fear most has no power.Your fear of it is what has the power. Facing the truth really will set you free."
"Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another stepping stone to greatness."
"Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure."
How did they know what to do?
Through trial and error.. and reading helps!
Thinkers
Issac Newton
1. Curious
2. Hungry (For Ideas)
3. Absent-Minded
"No great discovery was ever made without a bold guess."
"If I have been able to see further, it was only because I stood on the shoulders of giants."
Albert Einstein
1. Curious
2. Imaginative
3. Determined
"A happy man is too satisfied with the present to dwell too much on the future."
"I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution."
Alexander Graham Bell
1. Determined
2. Focused
3. Collaborated With Others
"Before anything else, preparation is the key to success."
"Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun's rays do not burn until brought to a focus."
Charles Babbage
1. Imaginative
2. Meticulous
3. Didn't quit
"Errors using inadequate data are much less than those using no data at all."
"Propose to any Englishman any principle or instrument, however admirable, and you will observe that the whole effort of the English mind is directed to find a difficulty, a defect, or an impossibility in it."
Milton Friedman
1. Enthusiastic
2. Passionate
3. Optimistic
"I believe that the fundamental value in relations among people is to respect the dignity and the individuality of fellow men, to treat them not as objects to be manipulated for our purposes or in accordance with our values but as persons with their own rights and their own values."
Richard Feynman
1. Original
2. Curious
3. Had fun
"The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool."
"The idea is to try to give all of the information to help others to judge the value of your contribution; not just the information that leads to judgment in one particular direction or another."
Leonardo Da Vinci
1. Curious
2. Sharp
3. Creative
"Life is pretty simple: You do some stuff. Most fails. Some works. You do more of what works. If it works big, others quickly copy it. Then you do something else. The trick is the doing something else."
"Although nature commences with reason and ends in experience it is necessary for us to do the opposite, that is to commence with experience and from this to proceed to investigate the reason."
Galileo Galilei
1. Curious
2. Insightful
3. Bold
"Long experience has taught me this about the status of mankind in regard to matters requiring thought: the less people know and understand about them, the more positively they attempt to argue concerning them, while on the other hand to know and understand a multitude of things renders men cautious in passing judgment upon anything new." - The Assayer
Socrates
1. Loved truth
2. Questioned everything
3. Stood up for beliefs
"The unexamined life is not worth living."
Plato
1. Loved wisdom
2. Imaginative
3. Original (Dialogues)
"The man who makes everything that leads to happiness depend upon himself, and not upon other men, has adopted the very best plan for living happily."
"Wonder is the feeling of a philosopher, and philosophy begins in wonder."
Ralph Waldo Emerson
1. Original
2. Articulate
3. Enthusiastic
"A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is brave five minutes longer."
"A man is what he thinks about all day long."
1. Curious
2. Hungry (For Ideas)
3. Absent-Minded
"No great discovery was ever made without a bold guess."
"If I have been able to see further, it was only because I stood on the shoulders of giants."
Albert Einstein
1. Curious
2. Imaginative
3. Determined
"A happy man is too satisfied with the present to dwell too much on the future."
"I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution."
Alexander Graham Bell
1. Determined2. Focused
3. Collaborated With Others
"Before anything else, preparation is the key to success."
"Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun's rays do not burn until brought to a focus."
Charles Babbage
1. Imaginative2. Meticulous
3. Didn't quit
"Errors using inadequate data are much less than those using no data at all."
"Propose to any Englishman any principle or instrument, however admirable, and you will observe that the whole effort of the English mind is directed to find a difficulty, a defect, or an impossibility in it."
Milton Friedman
1. Enthusiastic
2. Passionate
3. Optimistic
"I believe that the fundamental value in relations among people is to respect the dignity and the individuality of fellow men, to treat them not as objects to be manipulated for our purposes or in accordance with our values but as persons with their own rights and their own values."
Richard Feynman
1. Original2. Curious
3. Had fun
"The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool."
"The idea is to try to give all of the information to help others to judge the value of your contribution; not just the information that leads to judgment in one particular direction or another."
Leonardo Da Vinci
1. Curious2. Sharp
3. Creative
"Life is pretty simple: You do some stuff. Most fails. Some works. You do more of what works. If it works big, others quickly copy it. Then you do something else. The trick is the doing something else."
"Although nature commences with reason and ends in experience it is necessary for us to do the opposite, that is to commence with experience and from this to proceed to investigate the reason."
Galileo Galilei
1. Curious2. Insightful
3. Bold
"Long experience has taught me this about the status of mankind in regard to matters requiring thought: the less people know and understand about them, the more positively they attempt to argue concerning them, while on the other hand to know and understand a multitude of things renders men cautious in passing judgment upon anything new." - The Assayer
Socrates
1. Loved truth2. Questioned everything
3. Stood up for beliefs
"The unexamined life is not worth living."
Plato
1. Loved wisdom2. Imaginative
3. Original (Dialogues)
"The man who makes everything that leads to happiness depend upon himself, and not upon other men, has adopted the very best plan for living happily."
"Wonder is the feeling of a philosopher, and philosophy begins in wonder."
Ralph Waldo Emerson
1. Original2. Articulate
3. Enthusiastic
"A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is brave five minutes longer."
"A man is what he thinks about all day long."
How did they see the world?
Ordinary People
Orville & Wilbur Wright
1. Ambitious
2. Didn't Listen To Others
3. Fearless
"I confess that in 1901 I said to my brother Orville that man would not fly for fifty years." - Wilbur
"If we all worked on the assumption that what is accepted as true is really true, there would be little hope of advance." - Orville
Helen Keller
1. Determined
2. Optimistic
3. Imaginative
"No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit."
"It is a terrible thing to see and have no vision."
Florence Nightingale
1. Determined
2. Fearless
3. Accepted no excuses
"It may seem a strange principle to enunciate as the very first requirement in a hospital that it should do the sick no harm."
"How very little can be done under the spirit of fear."
Elie Wiesel
1. Courageous
2. Compassionate
3. Strong
"I decided to devote my life to telling the story because I felt that having survived I owe something to the dead. And anyone who does not remember betrays them again."
"Indifference, to me, is the epitome of evil."
J.K. Rowling
1. Imaginative
2. Reflective
3. Writes Only For Herself
"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live."
"You sort of start thinking anything's possible if you've got enough nerve."
Michelangelo
1. Strove For Perfection
2. Paid Attention To Details
3. Creative
"In every block of marble I see a statue as plain as though it stood before me, shaped and perfect in attitude and action. I have only to hew away the rough walls that imprison the lovely apparition to reveal it to the other eyes as mine see it."
Pablo Picasso
1. Original
2. Creative
3. Insightful
"Some painters transform the sun into a yellow spot; others transform a yellow spot into the sun."
"Success is dangerous. One begins to copy oneself, and to copy oneself is more dangerous than to copy others. It leads to sterility."
Paul Newman
1. Mindful
2. Devoted
3. Cares
"You only grow when you are alone."
"Every time I get a script it's a matter of trying to know what I could do with it. I see colors, imagery. It has to have a smell. It's like falling in love. You can't give a reason why."
Zheng He
1. Wasn't Afraid Of Large Responsibilities
2. Highly Organized (Led 100s Of Ships)
3. Knew How To Deal With People
Arrived in America before Christopher Columbus?
Christopher McCandless
1. Idealistic
2. Strong-willed
3. Physically & mentally strong
"Two years he walks the earth. No phone, no pool, no pets, no cigarettes. Ultimate freedom. An extremist. An aesthetic voyager whose home is the road. Escaped from Atlanta. Thou shalt not return, 'cause "the West is the best." And now after two rambling years comes the final and greatest adventure. The climactic battle to kill the false being within and victoriously conclude the spiritual pilgrimage. Ten days and nights of freight trains and hitchhiking bring him to the Great White North. No longer to be poisoned by civilization he flees, and walks alone upon the land to become lost in the wild." - Alexander Supertramp, May 1992
Steven Spielberg
1. Creative
2. Determined
3. Innovative
"I dream for a living."
"People have forgotten how to tell a story. Stories don't have a middle or an end any more. They usually have a beginning that never stops beginning."
Michael Jackson
1. Talented
2. Original
3. Started Young
"And he [MJ] dances. He shuts himself up at the house in a room that has no mirrors - "Mirrors make you pose," he has said." - TIME
"The greatest education in the world is watching the masters at work."
Madonna
1. Always re-inventing herself
2. Knows what she wants
3. Ambitious
"When I came to New York, it was the first time I'd ever taken a plane, the first time I'd ever gotten a taxi-cab, the first time for everything. And I came here with $35 in my pocket. It was the bravest thing I'd ever done."
"I have the same goal I've had ever since I was a girl. I want to rule the world."
1. Ambitious
2. Didn't Listen To Others
3. Fearless
"I confess that in 1901 I said to my brother Orville that man would not fly for fifty years." - Wilbur
"If we all worked on the assumption that what is accepted as true is really true, there would be little hope of advance." - Orville
Helen Keller
1. Determined
2. Optimistic
3. Imaginative
"No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit."
"It is a terrible thing to see and have no vision."
Florence Nightingale
1. Determined
2. Fearless
3. Accepted no excuses
"It may seem a strange principle to enunciate as the very first requirement in a hospital that it should do the sick no harm."
"How very little can be done under the spirit of fear."
Elie Wiesel
1. Courageous2. Compassionate
3. Strong
"I decided to devote my life to telling the story because I felt that having survived I owe something to the dead. And anyone who does not remember betrays them again."
"Indifference, to me, is the epitome of evil."
J.K. Rowling
1. Imaginative
2. Reflective
3. Writes Only For Herself
"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live."
"You sort of start thinking anything's possible if you've got enough nerve."
Michelangelo
1. Strove For Perfection2. Paid Attention To Details
3. Creative
"In every block of marble I see a statue as plain as though it stood before me, shaped and perfect in attitude and action. I have only to hew away the rough walls that imprison the lovely apparition to reveal it to the other eyes as mine see it."
Pablo Picasso
1. Original2. Creative
3. Insightful
"Some painters transform the sun into a yellow spot; others transform a yellow spot into the sun."
"Success is dangerous. One begins to copy oneself, and to copy oneself is more dangerous than to copy others. It leads to sterility."
Paul Newman
1. Mindful2. Devoted
3. Cares
"You only grow when you are alone."
"Every time I get a script it's a matter of trying to know what I could do with it. I see colors, imagery. It has to have a smell. It's like falling in love. You can't give a reason why."
Zheng He
1. Wasn't Afraid Of Large Responsibilities
2. Highly Organized (Led 100s Of Ships)
3. Knew How To Deal With People
Arrived in America before Christopher Columbus?
Christopher McCandless
1. Idealistic
2. Strong-willed
3. Physically & mentally strong
"Two years he walks the earth. No phone, no pool, no pets, no cigarettes. Ultimate freedom. An extremist. An aesthetic voyager whose home is the road. Escaped from Atlanta. Thou shalt not return, 'cause "the West is the best." And now after two rambling years comes the final and greatest adventure. The climactic battle to kill the false being within and victoriously conclude the spiritual pilgrimage. Ten days and nights of freight trains and hitchhiking bring him to the Great White North. No longer to be poisoned by civilization he flees, and walks alone upon the land to become lost in the wild." - Alexander Supertramp, May 1992
Steven Spielberg
1. Creative
2. Determined
3. Innovative
"I dream for a living."
"People have forgotten how to tell a story. Stories don't have a middle or an end any more. They usually have a beginning that never stops beginning."
Michael Jackson
1. Talented
2. Original
3. Started Young
"And he [MJ] dances. He shuts himself up at the house in a room that has no mirrors - "Mirrors make you pose," he has said." - TIME
"The greatest education in the world is watching the masters at work."
Madonna
1. Always re-inventing herself
2. Knows what she wants
3. Ambitious
"When I came to New York, it was the first time I'd ever taken a plane, the first time I'd ever gotten a taxi-cab, the first time for everything. And I came here with $35 in my pocket. It was the bravest thing I'd ever done."
"I have the same goal I've had ever since I was a girl. I want to rule the world."
See what's all the rave about
Athletes
Babe Ruth
1. Passionate
2. Unrelenting
3. Powerful
"As soon as I got out there I felt a strange relationship with the pitcher's mound. It was as if I'd been born out there. Pitching just felt like the most natural thing in the world. Striking out batters was easy."
"Every strike brings me closer to the next home run."
Alex Rodriguez
1. Works hard
2. Expects a lot
3. Asks questions
"Enjoy your sweat because hard work doesn't guarantee success, but without it you don't have a chance."
"This is how I define grace: you're on the main stage, and it looks like it has been rehearsed 100 times, everything goes so smoothly. That's where I get my confidence and success, from knowing that I have an edge because I know I'm prepared."
Ed Viesturs
1. Independent
2. Goal-Oriented
3. Perseveres
"My personal goal is to see how I can perform, to experience the mountain as it is without reducing it to my level. For me, how I reach the top is more important than whether I do."
Tiger Woods
1. Focuses
2. Seeks improvement
3. Calm
"He doesn't need a challenge, I think that is the worst misconception going. That the number-one golfer needs a number-two golfer to push him. Tiger is pushed by history and by records and by his own goals. He doesn't need anybody pushing him." - Tiger's Father
"I always feel pressure. If you don't feel nervous, that means you don't care about how you play. I care about how I perform. I've always said the day I'm not nervous playing is the day I quit."
Lorena Ochoa
1. Strives For Perfection
2. Self-Disciplined
3. Complete
"If I don't spend time with my family, if I'm not happy doing the things that make me full, it would be impossible to play good."
"I want to be remembered for the things
I did outside the golf course."
Lewis Hamilton
1. Ambitious
2. Eager
3. Works Hard
"It is 22 weeks until the next race and I am going to come back fitter, more relaxed, more experienced and I will have a better car."
Tom Brady
1. Works Hard
2. Strives For Perfection
3. 'Not Good Enough'
""People don't think about it but he's had a string of disappointments. He doesn't get up every day and step out of the house in the clouds." - Tom's Father
"It's never come easy for me. I don't think my mind allows me to rest ever. I have, I think, a chip on my shoulder, and some deep scars that I don't think were healed."
Michael Jordan
1. Refuses to quit
2. Outworks others
3. Fearless
"I never looked at the consequences of missing a big shot... when you think about the consequences you always think of a negative result."
"Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships."
Muhammad Ali
1. Confident
2. Quick
3. Competitve
"I hated every minute of training, but I said, ''Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion."
"Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee."
Wayne Gretzky
1. Prodigy
2. Practiced
3. Smart
"I don't skate to where the puck is. I skate to where the puck is going to be."
"You miss 100% of the shots you never take."
1. Passionate
2. Unrelenting
3. Powerful
"As soon as I got out there I felt a strange relationship with the pitcher's mound. It was as if I'd been born out there. Pitching just felt like the most natural thing in the world. Striking out batters was easy."
"Every strike brings me closer to the next home run."
Alex Rodriguez
1. Works hard2. Expects a lot
3. Asks questions
"Enjoy your sweat because hard work doesn't guarantee success, but without it you don't have a chance."
"This is how I define grace: you're on the main stage, and it looks like it has been rehearsed 100 times, everything goes so smoothly. That's where I get my confidence and success, from knowing that I have an edge because I know I'm prepared."
Ed Viesturs
1. Independent2. Goal-Oriented
3. Perseveres
"My personal goal is to see how I can perform, to experience the mountain as it is without reducing it to my level. For me, how I reach the top is more important than whether I do."
Tiger Woods
1. Focuses2. Seeks improvement
3. Calm
"He doesn't need a challenge, I think that is the worst misconception going. That the number-one golfer needs a number-two golfer to push him. Tiger is pushed by history and by records and by his own goals. He doesn't need anybody pushing him." - Tiger's Father
"I always feel pressure. If you don't feel nervous, that means you don't care about how you play. I care about how I perform. I've always said the day I'm not nervous playing is the day I quit."
Lorena Ochoa
1. Strives For Perfection
2. Self-Disciplined
3. Complete
"If I don't spend time with my family, if I'm not happy doing the things that make me full, it would be impossible to play good."
"I want to be remembered for the things
I did outside the golf course."
Lewis Hamilton
1. Ambitious2. Eager
3. Works Hard
"It is 22 weeks until the next race and I am going to come back fitter, more relaxed, more experienced and I will have a better car."
Tom Brady
1. Works Hard2. Strives For Perfection
3. 'Not Good Enough'
""People don't think about it but he's had a string of disappointments. He doesn't get up every day and step out of the house in the clouds." - Tom's Father
"It's never come easy for me. I don't think my mind allows me to rest ever. I have, I think, a chip on my shoulder, and some deep scars that I don't think were healed."
Michael Jordan
1. Refuses to quit2. Outworks others
3. Fearless
"I never looked at the consequences of missing a big shot... when you think about the consequences you always think of a negative result."
"Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships."
Muhammad Ali
1. Confident2. Quick
3. Competitve
"I hated every minute of training, but I said, ''Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion."
"Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee."
Wayne Gretzky
1. Prodigy2. Practiced
3. Smart
"I don't skate to where the puck is. I skate to where the puck is going to be."
"You miss 100% of the shots you never take."
Physical ability is just one aspect of being a great athlete
Having the right mind-set matters too
An Inspiring Video
Famous Failures
Famous Failures
Inspiring video on persevering no matter how many times you have failed in life. Video by www.bluefishtv.com www.asabbathblog.blogspot.com
Your Thoughts
What is the #1 characteristic or habit you think makes a person GREAT?
GypsyOwl wrote...
So much dedication you have put into this lens. I enjoyed every moment.
It is difficult to answer your question "What is the #1 characteristic or habit you think makes a person GREAT?". As you have shown us, many of the greatest people have varied characteristics.
If I had to say there were only one, I would say it is compassion. It is very possible that each and every one of these people who have achieved greatness are compassionate people.
5*LENS! For an exceptional LensMaster. FAV and lensrolled as well. You have a new fan! :D
Posted July 28, 2008
poddys wrote...
Good thinking, pretty much a lens to cover a lensroll topic I suppose. Nice thought.
Posted March 24, 2008
AMK wrote...
Hey this is smart, A link lens to all your other lenses! I did something similar on monkeybrain by asking people to vote on my lenses with links. However this idea is better. Well done :)
My dream is to have contentment and control in my life and thats happening. A realistic goal that has come true. God being the centre!
Posted March 23, 2008
Some more
Who else would you like to see here?
GypsyOwl wrote...
You asked "Who else would you like to see here?"
My first thought is Dr. Norman Vincent Peale.
Posted July 28, 2008
