H. Jackson Brown, Jr. Quotations | Page 2

Do your homework and know your facts, but remember it's passion that persuades.

Remember that how you say something is as important as what you say.

Don't think you can relax yourself to happiness. Happiness comes as a result of doing.

When you're feeling terrific, notify your face.

When lending people money, be sure their character exceeds their collateral.

Win without boasting, lose without excuses - internalize your failures and externalize your victories.

If you kiss someone on the back of the neck, it spreads.

Loosen up. Relax. Except for rare life-and-death matters, nothing is as important as it first seems.

Be tough minded but tenderhearted.

Wear audacious underwear under the most solemn business attire.

If you are angry, why not try this. Write a letter. Pour out all of your feelings, describe your anger and disappointment. Don't hold anything back. Then put the letter in a drawer. After two days, take it out and read it. Do you still want to send it? I've found that anger and pie crusts soften after two days.

Commit yourself to constant improvement. Commit yourself to quality. Be persistent, persistent, persistent...and have a grateful heart!

Never forget the nine most important words of any family- I love you. You are beautiful. Please forgive me.

Instruction for life: Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk. When you lose, don't lose the lesson. Follow the three R's: - Respect for self. - Respect for others. - Responsibility for all your actions. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.

Every once in a while, take the scenic route.

Be the first to say, "Hello".

Buy whatever kids are selling on card tables in their front yard.

Be kinder than necessary.

Every so often, let your spirit of adventure triumph over your good sense.

Never laugh at anyone's dreams.

Believe in love at first sight.

Every so often, push your luck.

Do you always want to be right or do you want to be happy?

Don't do business with anyone who has a history of suing people.

If your life is free of failures, you're not taking enough risks.

Once a month, go to lunch with someone who knows more about your business than you do.

Never underestimate the power of words to heal and reconcile relationships.

Empower your dreams with deadlines.

Lie on your back and look at the stars.

Remember that the more you know, the less you fear.

I've learned that every great achievement was once considered impossible

Seek opportunity, not security. A boat in the harbor is safe, but in time its bottom will rot out.

Don't judge those who try and fail. Judge only those who fail to try.

Perform your job better than anyone else can. That's the best job security I know.

Be willing to lose a battle in order to win the war.

After you've work hard to get what you want, take the time to enjoy it.

Share your knowledge and you become immortal.

Everyone wears an invisible sign that reads "Notice me. Make me feel important."

Hire people more for their judgment than for their talents.

When there's a piano to be moved, don't reach for the stool.

Celebrate even small victories.

Plant more flowers than you pick

Good character is more to be praised than outstanding talent. Most talents are, to some extent, a gift. Good character, by contrast, is not given to us. We have to build it, piece by piece - by thought, choice, courage, and determination.

Judge your success by what you had to give up to get it.

Remember that winners do what losers don't want to do.

Pride makes us do things well. But it is love that makes us do them to perfection.

May our adversities make us strong. May our victories make us wise. May our actions make us proud.

All that mankind has ever learned is nothing more than a single grain of sand on a beach that reaches to infinity.

If you were to sell your character, would you get full retail or would it go for a bargain-basement price?

Be brave. Even if you're not pretend to be. No one can tell the difference.

May good fortune be your constant companion.

Read a lot when you're on vacation, but nothing that has to do with your business.

Overpay good baby-sitters.

Someone will always be looking at you as an example of how to behave. Don't let him down.

You can't hide broccoli in your glass of milk.

Don't be so concerned with your rights that you forget your manners.

Develop a sense of urgency in your life.

Spend your life lifting people up, not putting them down.

At the end of your days, be leaning forwards, not falling backwards.

If you need to bring in a business partner, make sure your partner brings along some money.

Remember that just the moment you say, "I give up," someone else seeing the same situation is saying, "My, what a great opportunity."

We seldom enjoy leisure we haven't earned.

Believe in miracles but don't depend on them.

Turn enemies into friends by doing something nice for them.

Remember that a good example is the best sermon.

Swallowing angry words before you say them is better than having to eat them afterwards.

When you hear a kind word spoken about a friend, tell him so.

Never be ashamed of your patriotism.

Ask yourself if you would feel comfortable giving your two best friends a key to your house. If not, look for some new best friends.

Drive inexpensive cars, but own the best house you can afford.

Don't be called out on strikes. Go down swinging.

Volunteer. Sometimes the jobs no one wants conceal big opportunities.

When you invite trouble, it's usually quick to accept.

Commit yourself to a mighty purpose.

Don't confuse wealth with success.

Pay as much attention to the things that are working positively in your life as you do to the things that give you trouble.

Don't overlook life's small joys while searching for the big ones.

Have a grateful heart to be happy.

I've learned that education, experience, and memories are three things that no one can take away from you.

Keep a note pad and pencil on your bedside table. Million-dollar ideas sometimes strike at 3 A.M.

Spend your time and energy creating, not criticizing.

Become the world's most thoughtful friend.

A racehorse that consistently runs just a second faster than another horse is worth millions of dollars more. Be willing to give that extra effort that separates the winner from the one in second place.

Give children toys that are powered by their imagination, not by batteries.

What you must do, do cheerfully.

No partnership matters more. The relationship with the one you marry provides 90 percent of your happiness and 90 percent of your misery.

Use your past successes as a trampoline, not an easy chair.

Encourage anyone who is trying to improve mentally, physically, or spiritually.

When opportunity knocks, invite it to stay for dinner.

May your life be crowded with unexpected joys.

When declaring your rights, don't forget your responsibilities.

The next time you face a customer who has every right to be upset, say something like this: 'I don't blame you for feeling as you do. If I were you, I'd feel exactly the same way. What would you like for me to do?' These are magical, healing words, and you'll be surprised at how reasonable people become when they believe you are on their side.

Remember that everyone is influenced by kindness.

Be quick to take advantage of an advantage.

Life doesn't come with an instruction book; that's why we have fathers.

A friend is someone who knows you and loves you for what you were and who you are, and who also shares your hopes and dreams for who you can become.

Don't delay acting on a good idea. Chances are someone else has just thought of it, too. Success comes to the one who acts first.

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon

Believe in miracles but don't depend on them. When you hear kind word spoken about a friend, tell him so. Spoil your spouse, not your children. Never make fun of someone who speaks broken English. It means they know another language. To help your children turn out well, spend twice as much time with them and half as much money.

When starting out, don't worry about not having enough money. Limited funds are a blessing, not a curse. Nothing encourages creative thinking in quite the same way.