Stephen Covey - First Things First (1994)

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Our greatest joy and our greatest pain comes in our relationships with others.

Stephen Covey
Basing our happiness on our ability to control everything is futile.

Stephen Covey
The power of transcendent vision is greater than the power of the scripting deep inside the human personality and it subordinates it [the scripting], submerges it, until the whole personality is reorganized in the accomplishment of that vision.

Stephen Covey
Just as we develop our physical muscles through overcoming opposition, such as lifting weights, we develop our character muscles by overcoming challenges and adversity.

Stephen Covey
Integrity in the Moment of Choice
Quality of life depends on what happens in the space between stimulus and response.

Stephen Covey
The struggle comes when we sense a gap between the clock and the compass - when what we do doesn't contribute to what is most important in our lives.

Stephen Covey
We're constantly making choices about the way we spend our time. The issue is not between the good and the bad, but between the good and the best. So often, the enemy of the best is the good.

Stephen Covey
It takes humility to seek feedback. It takes wisdom to understand it, analyze it and appropriately act on it.

Stephen Covey
To ignore the unexpected (even if it were possible) would be to live without opportunity, spontaneity, and the rich moments of which "life" is made.

Stephen Covey
The best way to develop courage is to set a goal and achieve it, make a promise and keep it.

Stephen Covey
Trust is the glue that holds everything together. It creates the environment in which all of the other elements — win-win stewardship agreements, self-directing individuals and teams, aligned structures and systems, and accountability — can flourish.

Stephen Covey
There are certain things that are fundamental to human fulfillment. The essence of these needs is captured in the phrase 'to live, to love, to learn, to leave a legacy.' The need to leave a legacy is our spiritual need to have a sense of meaning, purpose, personal congruence, and contribution.

Stephen Covey
As you begin to think more in terms of importance, you begin to see time differently.

Stephen Covey
It's not enough to have values without vision; you want to be good, but you want to be good for something. On the other hand, vision without values can create a Hitler. An empowering mission statement deals with both character and competence; what you want to be and what you want to do in your life.

Stephen Covey
Goal setting is obviously a powerful process,... the manifestation of creative imagination and independent will. It's the practicality of... translating vision in achievable, actionable doing.

Stephen Covey
Only as we keep an open communication with our deep inner life will we have the wisdom to make effective choices.

Stephen Covey
One of the best ways to educate our hearts is to look at our interaction with other people, because our relationships with others are fundamentally a reflection of our relationship with ourselves.

Stephen Covey
If we keep doing what we're doing, we're going to keep getting what we're getting.

Stephen Covey
THE MOMENT OF CHOICE
A moment of choice is a moment of truth. It's the testing point of our character and competence.

Stephen Covey
We may find it convenient to live with the illusion that circumstances or other people are responsible for the quality of our lives, but the reality is that we are responsible-response-able-for our choices.

Stephen Covey
Vital to quality of life is the ability to work together, learn from each other, and help each other grow.

Stephen Covey