David J. Schwartz

Success is largely a matter of holding on after others have let go.

Action is the real measure of intelligence.

If you don't see yourself as a winner, then you cannot perform as a winner.

Think big and your deeds will grow. Think small and you'll stay small.

Stop getting caught up in tradition, just because something is usually done one way doesn’t mean it’s the only way. Remain open-minded and look for new approaches and new ideas.

Take action against your fears, when you fear a situation, just face it and do it. Your fears will quickly be eliminated and you’ll receive a huge confidence boost.

When it comes to health, age, intelligence, and luck, don’t make up excuses. Excuses hold you back and usually aren’t true.

There is magic in thinking big. But it is so easy to forget. When you hit some rough spots, there is danger that your thinking will shrink in size. And when it does, you lose.

Surrender yourself to your desires. Set goals to get more energy. Set goals to get things done. Set goals and discover the real enjoyment of living. Invest in yourself. Purchase those things that build mental power and efficiency. Invest in education. Invest in idea starters.

Be an activationist. Be someone who does things – a doer, not a don’t-er.

Grow the “Service first” attitude, and watch money take care of itself. Make it a rule in everything you do: give people more than they expect to get.

Get plenty of psychological sunshine. Circulate in new groups. Discover new and stimulating things to do. Go first class in everything you do. You can’t afford to go any other way.

Stretch your mind. Get stimulated. Associate with people who can help you think of new ideas, new ways of doing things. Mix with people of different occupational and social interests.

Remind yourself often, “It’s better to wear out than rust out.” Life is yours to enjoy. Don’t waste it. Don’t pass up living by thinking yourself into a hospital bed.

Look at things not as they are, but as they can be. Visualization adds value to everything. A big thinker always visualizes what can be done in the future. He isn’t stuck with the present

Don’t be a reformer. Put a little more “live and let live” into your philosophy. Most people intensely dislike being told “you’re wrong.” You have a right to your own opinion, but sometimes it’s better to keep it to yourself.

Most of us make two basic errors with respect to intelligence: 1. We underestimate our own brainpower. 2. We overestimate the other fellow’s brainpower.

Believe it can be done. When you believe something can be done, really believe, your mind will find the ways to do it. Believing a solution paves the way to a solution.

Belief is the thermostat that regulates what we accomplish in life.

The how-to-do-it always comes to the person who believes he can do it.

If you don’t believe it possible to climb high or achieve great things, your behavior will remain that of the average person.

To activate others, to get them to be enthusiastic, you must first be enthusiastic yourself.

Then it dawned on me that no one else was going to believe in me until I believed in myself.

Those who believe they can move mountains, do. Those who believe they can’t, cannot. Belief triggers the power to do.

Invest future time in doing what you really want to do. It’s too late only when you let your mind go negative and think it’s too late. Stop thinking “I should have started years ago.” That’s failure thinking. Instead think, “I’m going to start now, my best years are ahead of me.” That’s the way successful people think.