John C. Maxwell Inspirational Quotations

A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.

People may hear your words, but they feel your attitude.

Learn to say 'no' to the good so you can say 'yes' to the best.

The greatest day in your life and mine is when we take total responsibility for our attitudes. That's the day we truly grow up.

The difference between average people and achieving people is their perception of and response to...failure.

The greatest mistake we make is living in constant fear that we will make one.

The best leaders are readers of people. They have the intuitive ability to understand others by discerning how they feel and recognizing what they sense.

Policies are many, Principles are few, Policies will change, Principles never do.

To add value to others, one must first value others.

We choose what attitudes we have right now. And it's a continuing choice.

Don't ever be impressed with goal setting. Be impressed with goal getting.

Successful and unsuccessful people do not vary greatly in their abilities. They vary in their desires to reach their potential.

If you don’t change the direction you are going, then you’re likely to end up where you’re heading…

A difficult time can be more readily endured if we retain the conviction that our existence holds a purpose - a cause to pursue, a person to love, a goal to achieve.

Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.

Happiness simply cannot be relied upon as a measure of success.

Success is... knowing your purpose in life, growing to reach your maximum potential, and sowing seeds that benefit others.

The only guarantee for failure is to stop trying

if you don't have peace, it isn't because someone took it from you; you gave it away. You cannot always control what happens to you, but you can control what happens in you.

You cannot overestimate the unimportance of practically everything.

Most People have a desire to look for the exception instead of the desire to become exceptional.

Question for God every morning: What is the main event today? What do you want me to focus on today?

Stay focused instead of getting offended or off track by others.

If we are growing we are always going to be outside our comfort zone.

Success each day should be judged by the seeds sown, not the harvest reaped.

Growth inside fuels growth outside.

Seven Steps to Success 1) Make a commitment to grow daily. 2) Value the process more than events. 3) Don't wait for inspiration. 4) Be willing to sacrifice pleasure for opportunity. 5) Dream big. 6) Plan your priorities. 7) Give up to go up.

Everything begins with a decision. Then, we have to manage that decision for the rest of your life.

Talent is a gift, but character is a choice.

We cannot become what we need by remaining what we are.

You don't overcome challenges by making them smaller but by making yourself bigger.

If you start today to do the right thing, you are already a success even if it doesn’t show yet.

A great leader's courage to fulfill his vision comes from passion, not position.

Little did I realize that my desire to add value to others would be the thing that added value to me!

When you reflect, you are able to put an experience into perspective... reflective thinking enables you to distance yourself from the intense emotions of particularly good or bad experiences and see them with fresh eyes.

The value you receive from reflective thinking will depend on the kinds of questions you ask yourself.

Progress is often just a good idea away.

If you want to be a sharp thinker, be around sharp people.

The person with a plan, a picture, will go after thoughts that add value to their thinking.

Reflective thinking is like the crock pot of the mind. It encourages your thoughts to simmer until they're done.

You invest yourself in what you believe can succeed.

No matter what you are currently able to do, creativity can make you capable of more.

A strategy that doesn't take into account resources is doomed to failure.

Life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it.