5 Quotes to Live & Work By - Part 2

There are times in life when it's helpful to see the world with fresh eyes, and reading the words of others can help us catch of glimpse of the world from another perspective. In our ongoing series of Quotes to Live & Work By, we've included a few passages we hope will inspire you to see life a little differently, show you new options for getting out of a rut, and give you a few new tools to use in your daily life.

"What you measure usually gets paid attention to, and what you pay attention to usually gets better, [but] When you measure the wrong thing, you get the wrong thing."

– Seth Godin

In a business, it's easy to get caught up in the numbers. Tracking stats like sales, leads, customers, and expenses is important because if you don't there's a high chance your business will fail. But if you want your business to grow, something more significant than tracking how many customers you have is tracking how many customers you have delighted! When you shift your focus from the raw numbers to making sure every one of your customers has a great experience, word will spread and more customers will follow. Make sure you're paying attention to the right thing.

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”

– Thomas Alva Edison

People tend to start a lot more projects than they finish, because we're attracted to what's new, and everything seems the easiest in the beginning. But every roadblock has the potential of slowing our momentum to a standstill. It's difficult to persist through tough times, so many of us choose to move on to the next new idea. If we abandon our path every time we run into a problem we'll never make progress. If we never push ourselves to do something that seems difficult we won't learn how to solve problems or how to adapt. Choosing to persevere is the difference between a life full of dead ends and one full of meaningful journeys.

“Learn to let go. That is the key to happiness.”

– Buddha

All too often we let the small problems in daily life get to us. Our alarm doesn't go off, we can't find our keys, a co-worker pushes our buttons, we hit every stoplight on the way to an appointment, etc. We get tangled up in these minor obstacles and allow them to ruin our day. Although they're not catastrophic or life altering events, these little stresses can build up and have serious effects on our health and happiness. Learning to let go of life's little annoyances, by choosing to stop worrying, will keep us happier and healthier. It never pays to dwell on things we can't change.

“You will never find time for anything. If you want time you must make it.”

– Charles Buxton

This quote really puts priorities into perspective. Most people have at least one goal they'd like to work toward. It doesn't matter if your goal is to lose weight, get into better shape, or grow your business, if you never make the time to work on your goals you'll never accomplish them. It might be a few minutes every day or a couple hours a month, but it's important to make time for what matters. Priorities won't magically fit themselves into your schedule. If you want something, prove it to yourself by making the time for it in your life.

“Problems are not stop signs, they are guidelines.”

– Robert H. Schuller

When trouble arises, our brains create all kinds of excuses to convince us to give up. Next time you come across a problem, instead of throwing up your hands out of frustration, try seeing it as a learning opportunity. Take a step back from the situation and look at the whole picture. Pick apart the problem into manageable pieces and don't let it overwhelm you. Try to look for a new solution because you'll only grow from there.

Looking for even more inspiration? Check out 5 Quotes to Live & Work By Part 1.

We’d love to hear the quotes and sayings that inspire you! Share them with us in the comments below, or talk to us on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.