Bite sized tidbits of motivation, inspiration, and encouragement, and hopefully a smile.

11/13/2013 – 12/17/2013

• There are things you CAN do, and things you SHOULD do. Knowing the difference makes a difference. Because you can doesn’t mean you should. ->
• Stop focusing on how stressed you are and remember how blessed you are. ->
• When it comes to life, the critical thing is whether you take things for granted, or take them with gratitude. ~ G.K. Chesterton ->
• Think it more satisfactory to live richly than die rich. ~ Thomas Browne http://t.co/F63rITEwuq ->
• Never let what other people expect from you dictate what you expect from yourself. http://t.co/wGQnIUbjgM ->
• Take one step at a time, get started. Action will loosen the paralyzing grip fear has on you. ->
• Will you be happy when you are successful? Or are you successful because you are happy? http://t.co/qG8NOl9lkD ->
• Good leaders have a mission and inspire others to join them. ->
• We would worry less about what others think of us if we realized how seldom they do. ~ Ethel Barrett ->
• Ultimately, you will not be judged by what you say; you will be judged by what you do. ->
• Don’t wait until what you HAVE becomes what you HAD. Appreciate all the good things you have right now, as they are happening. ->
• Be aware of the messages your actions like stories you tell, links, jokes, pictures you post, causes you support, communicate about you. ->
• Count your blessings instead of tallying up your troubles. http://t.co/xsPbIlv2Nr ->
• Be Proactive. Know your choices and roles, make decisions and accept responsibility. ->
• Conversation means being able to disagree and still continue the discussion. ~ Dwight Macdonald ->
• Have the courage and discipline today to do what is needed instead of simply what is convenient. ->
• Today is a new day, a new beginning. You can waste it or you can use it for something worthwhile. http://t.co/krLFyvuvqW ->
• Happiness comes as a result of recognizing and appreciating what we have. http://t.co/Nz1Cd8WgQl ->
• Say no to most things. Only a few of them really matter. Yes, it’s hard to know which. Don’t get distracted. ~ Ev Williams ->
• Begin with the End in Mind. Make sure you know who you are and what you believe in. ->
• Collect your thoughts and tasks. Ongoing collection of outstanding ‘stuff’ is the only way possible to keep on top of things. ->
• Problems are in your life so that you can discover potentials that you didn’t even know you had. ~ Barry Michels ->
• The people you take for granted today may turn out to be the only ones you need tomorrow. http://t.co/mcRn0b4HsA ->
• Good leaders are good motivators. But that doesn’t necessarily mean everyone loves them. ->
• There is no exercise better for your heart than reaching down and lifting others up. ->

Your past does not determine who you are.
Your past prepares you for who you are capable of becoming. ->

• There can be no joy in living without joy in work. ~ St. Thomas Aquinas http://t.co/5ZZpQakWUx ->
• The journey is far superior to the destination. http://t.co/9MnXN8wKil ->
• Put First Things First. Do the right things in the right order. ->
• Organize.You can’t work with anything if you can’t find it. ->
• The mind is like a parachute – it doesn’t work when it’s closed. ->
• We all tend to approach what is easy & avoid what is tough. Procrastination, for example, comes easily. Change is challenging. ->
• You must have long range goals to keep you from being frustrated by short range failures. ~ Charles C. Noble ->
• Circumstances and the opinions of others can only define you if you allow them to. http://t.co/RWjbAkkinu ->
• You are deferring your happiness when you say that you will be happy WHEN… http://t.co/gtfObgjvjy ->
• Never undervalue who you are and what you’re capable of. ->
• Persistence is doing something again & again. Tenacity is using new data to make new decisions to find new ways to achieve a goal. ->
• Most of the things we avoid are avoided because we’re afraid of being afraid. http://t.co/wBIC7ndiNo ->
• One of the things I learned when I was negotiating was that until I changed myself, I could not change others. ~ Nelson Mandela ->
• Never let your fear decide your future. ->
• Think Win-Win. A win for all is better than one person getting his way. ->
• Stay positive when negativity surrounds you. Smile when others frown. http://t.co/MKTEsy6Hdv ->
• It’s always better to be at the bottom of the ladder you want to climb than the top of the one you don’t. ->
• A man is great by deeds, not by birth. ~ Chanakya ->
• Accept what is, let go of what was and have faith in what could be. http://t.co/VTIV7UQJcI ->
• Don’t postpone your happiness for some future event. Celebrate and enjoy each step now. http://t.co/ZcUd6u7FXe ->
• For many people, it’s better to not get what you want than it is to be disappointed. ->
• Don’t multitask. Really efficient people know that concentrated effort with few distractions leads to better work product in faster times. ->
• The world has a habit of making room for the man whose words and actions show that he knows where he is going. ~ Napoleon Hill ->
• If you believe in it with all your heart, then work for it with all your might. http://t.co/hPK0yZBcz2 ->
• Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood. Having an open mind to see everyone’s viewpoint will lead to a better solution. ->
• Be conscious of what you say and how you say it. Use words that build up, appreciate, encourage and inspire. ->
• The smartest and most courageous act to think for yourself and listen to you own intuition. http://t.co/Xu7oQsiFxX ->
• Charm is the ability to make someone else think that both of you are pretty wonderful. ~ Kathleen Winsor ->

You are judged by what you finish, not what you start. ->

• Praise in public, penalize in private. ->
• If you announce what you want, if you set goals, the chances of accomplishing your goal go up. ->
• The Tell Tale Signs of Burnout http://t.co/dpCJfwsGvn ->
• Delegate. Productivity is lost when people take on more than they can accomplish. http://t.co/jmuQfv6Hgf ->
• Do what you know is right. Integrity is doing the right thing, no matter what, even when nobody’s going to know. ->
• Tough but True: Reward Good Employees by Removing Bad Ones http://t.co/JXZHPsB64J ->
• The willingness to accept responsibility for one’s own life is the source from which self-respect springs. ~ Joan Didion ->
• Passion is what gets you started and dedication is what gets you finished. http://t.co/Mynie5KEbl ->
• Synergize. Draw on the strength of the group to come up with solutions that no one could have come up with on their own. ->
• If you don’t understand someone, ask questions. If you don’t agree with them, tell them. But don’t judge them behind their back. ->
• Own your dreams. There is no better way to make them happen. ->
• If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way, if you don’t, you’ll find an excuse. ->
• Instead of seeking new landscapes, develop new eyes. ~ Marcel Proust http://t.co/BgtfdNqFxD ->
• Be one of the people who make a true difference in the world by leaving it a little better than you found it. ->
• The best sermons are lived, not preached. http://t.co/Ft3qOy5Wak ->
• You will NEVER have enough time, resources, or money to do the ‘perfect’ thing. What’s amazing is what you can achieve without ‘enough’. ->
• When we’re not focused we misspend our energy, squandering our strength & vitality on unproductive and/or insignificant ventures. ->
• Look for something positive about this moment. Even if you have to look a little harder than usual, it still exists. ->
• We should learn from the mistakes of others. We don’t have time to make them all ourselves. ~ Groucho Marx ->
• Make sure you take care of yourself and remain balanced so that you can be effective long term. ->
• Don’t judge yourself by your past… you don’t live there anymore. http://t.co/juTBHkT4Av ->
• If you follow the crowd, you will go no further than the crowd. ~ Albert Einstein ->
• Realize that it’s not what you are missing that counts, it’s what you do with what you have. ->
• When you smile about the life you live, you end up living a life worth smiling about. http://t.co/XgEUIdmJzt ->
• Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone. ~ Pablo Picasso ->
• Being in a Leadership Role Does Not Make a Leader http://t.co/tTODgKIAPZ ->
• Some days you’ll find diamonds & some days, coal. Every day is an opportunity to learn, practice gratitude, & positively impact the world. ->
• Live your life, take chances, treasure each moment because right now is the oldest you’ve ever been and the youngest you’ll ever be again. ->
• If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your thinking about it. ->
• Learn how to schedule your priorities, rather than prioritize your schedule. http://t.co/bZUG6agDVT ->

Be nice to people on your way up because you might meet them again on your way back down. ->

• A man’s accomplishments in life are the cumulative effect of his attention to detail. ~ John Foster Dulles ->
• Don’t ask for more before saying thank you for everything you have already received. ->
• To be upset about what you don’t have is a waste of what you do have. http://t.co/03YtWjNWTW ->
• Stop over-complicating things. ->
• Being in a Leadership Role Does Not Make a Leader http://t.co/jf3O1Kh1vd ->
• It’s not enough just to set goals- you have to keep track of your progress and create incentives for yourself along the way. ->
• Every path has a few puddles. http://t.co/8IAyTzGlKj ->
• No matter how carefully you plan your goals they will never be more than pipe dreams unless you pursue them with gusto. ~ W. Clement Stone ->
• If things are good, enjoy it. It won’t last forever. If things are bad, don’t worry. It won’t last forever. ->
• Kindness is not to be mistaken for weakness, nor forgiveness for acceptance. It’s knowing resentment gets in the way of your happiness. ->
• Stop going through the motions without knowing where you’re going. http://t.co/SV0fkDPxQZ ->
• Set boundaries and say no. ->
• Ask yourself, ‘Do I really still love what I am doing and is this really what I want to do now?’ ->
• Leadership in the Deep End http://t.co/tM23AyoCRQ via @AlliPolin ->
• Sometimes adversity is what you need to face in order to become successful. ~ Zig Ziglar ->
• Great challenges make life interesting, overcoming them makes life meaningful. http://t.co/3vMRfEic0M ->
• Many give up is because they look at what’s missing & how far they still have to go instead of what’s present & how far they have come. ->
• There’s no such thing as a ‘silver bullet’ to solve issues. Be ready to consider more complex and nuanced solutions. http://t.co/FkpAU58kxY ->
• Bringing only part of yourself to work, or covering up parts of your personality, is exhausting & leads to disengagement. ->
• You can’t change how people treat you or what they say about you. All you can do is change how you react and who you choose to be around. ->
• Life is like a ladder-you can climb as fast as you want, but it’s going to suck if you get to the top & realize it’s against the wrong wall ->
• Focus on what you don’t have and you will never have enough. Be thankful for what you do have and you will end up having even more. ->
• The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it. ~ Moliere ->
• Obstacles are put in your way to help you determine if what you want is really worth fighting for. ->
• Decide that it feels good to learn and grow because that’s going to happen regardless of the outcome of your efforts. http://t.co/7ShPj3UJQE ->
• Managing is a people job. Put people first. ->
• Leadership isn’t for you or about you. It’s about the impact your team can make, which is more than you can do alone. ->
• Your value doesn’t decrease based on someone’s inability to see your worth. It’s their loss, not yours. ->
• Take time to deliberate; but when the time for action arrives, stop thinking and go in. ~ Andrew Jackson http://t.co/gKwPn5wBYx ->

• Your desire to succeed must overpower your fear of failure. ->
• Set goals that inspire you even if they seem out of reach. If you set ‘easy’ goals you will achieve far less than you are capable of. ->
• Decide that it feels good to make a positive difference in other people’s lives, even if it’s only with a smile. ->
• Managing is what you do with people, not to people. http://t.co/7ZNtNuljQL ->
• Sometimes, the hardest person to lead is yourself. ->
• Luck is when preparation meets opportunity. ~ Seneca ->
• Accept what is, let go of what was, and have faith in what could be. ->
• No amount of money will make you happy if you aren’t happy with yourself. ->
• There is no secret to success, health or happiness, except doing the work. ->
• The energy your employees bring to their jobs will be directly proportional to the energy you bring to the job. ->
• Prove your critics wrong… better yet, prove yourself right. http://t.co/wkTyJCpzbS ->
• Love doesn’t just sit there, like a stone, it has to be made, like bread; remade all the time, made new. ~ Ursula K. Le Guin ->
• The most reliable way to predict the future is to create it. Participate in life instead of just watching it pass you by. ->
• The world needs your ideas, your art. your work. If you are holding back because you’re scared you’re letting us all down not just yourself. ->
• The best performance starts with clear goals. http://t.co/5f7bMeU157 ->
• Every obstacle is part of your journey for a reason, a lesson to be learned. Conquer every obstacle that stands between you and your dreams. ->
• Action conquers fear. ~ Peter Nivio Zarlenga ->
• Great challenges make life interesting; overcoming them makes life meaningful. ->
• Be willing to do the work because you believe in it, because you can, because it’s the right thing to do ->
• If it’s to be, it begins with me. http://t.co/Tp9lwGIjGu ->
• If you don’t know, ask. If you don’t agree, say so. If you don’t like it, speak up. But never judge people behind their back. ->
• There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is. ->
• Comedy is the blues for people who can’t sing. ~ Chris Rock http://t.co/aSR1sIootM ->
• Make your mistakes be your motivation, not your excuses. Decide that negative experiences from your past won’t predict your future. ->
• You gain power when you share power with your people. ->
• A person who won’t read has no advantage over a person who can’t read. ->
• The best goals are few in number and specific in focus. http://t.co/DPc4hkGlBM ->

Walk the talk. Actions speak louder than words. Stop talking about all of the great ideas you have & DO something. ->

The post Tweet Inspiration: 11/13/2013 – 12/17/2013 appeared first on westXdesign.