Morgan Voelker > Morgan's Quotes

“It is easy to blame your lot in life on some outside force, to stop trying because you believe fate is against you. It is easy to think that where you were raised, how your parents treated you, or what school you went to is all that determines your future. Nothing could be further from the truth. The common people and the great men and women are all defined by how they deal with life’s unfairness: Helen Keller, Nelson Mandela, Stephen Hawking, Malala Yousafzai, and—Moki Martin. Sometimes no matter how hard you try, no matter how good you are, you still end up as a sugar cookie. Don’t complain. Don’t blame it on your misfortune. Stand tall, look to the future, and drive on!”
― William H. McRaven, Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World

“Life is a struggle and the potential for failure is ever present, but those who live in fear of failure, or hardship, or embarrassment will never achieve their potential. Without pushing your limits, without occasionally sliding down the rope headfirst, without daring greatly, you will never know what is truly possible in your life.”
― William H. McRaven, Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World

“You cannot paddle the boat alone. Find someone to share your life with. Make as many friends as possible, and never forget that your success depends on others.”
― William H. McRaven, Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World

“I realized that the past failures had strengthened me, taught me that no one is immune from mistakes. True leaders must learn from their failures, use the lessons to motivate themselves, and not be afraid to try again or make the next tough decision.”
― William H. McRaven, Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World

“If you want to change the world… be your very best in the darkest moments.”
― William H. McRaven, Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World

“The common people and the great men and women are all defined by how they deal with life’s unfairness: Helen Keller, Nelson Mandela, Stephen Hawking, Malala Yousafzai, and—Moki Martin. Sometimes no matter how hard you try, no matter how good you are, you still end up as a sugar cookie. Don’t complain. Don’t blame it on your misfortune. Stand tall, look to the future, and drive on!”
― William H. McRaven, Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World

“Our goal, which we believed to be honorable and noble, gave us courage. And courage is a remarkable quality. Nothing and nobody can stand in your way. Without it, others will define your path forward. Without it, you are at the mercy of life's temptations. Without courage, men will be ruled by tyrants and despots. Without courage, no great society can flourish. Without courage, the bullies of the world rise up. With it, you can accomplish any goal. With it, you can defy and defeat evil.”
― William H. McRaven, Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World

“Show up early. Work hard. Stay late. Have a plan. Deliver on your promises. Share the hardships with the employees. Show that you care. Admit your mistakes. And—did I mention?—work hard.”
― William H. McRaven, The Wisdom of the Bullfrog: Leadership Made Simple

“If you can't do the little things right, you will never do the big things right.”
― William H. McRaven

“The day you no longer believe you have something to prove, the day you no longer believe you must give it your all, the day you think you are entitled to special treatment, the day you think all your hard days are behind you, is the day you are no longer the right leader for the job.”
― William H. McRaven, The Wisdom of the Bullfrog: Leadership Made Simple

“Life is full of difficult times. But someone out there always has it worse than you do. If you fill your days with pity, sorrowful for the way you have been treated, bemoaning your lot in life, blaming your circumstances on someone or something else, then life will be long and hard. If, on the other hand, you refuse to give up on your dreams, stand tall and strong against the odds—then life will be what you make of it—and you can make it great.”
― William H. McRaven, Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World

“Sometimes no matter how hard you try, no matter how good you are, you still end up as a sugar cookie. Don’t complain. Don’t blame it on your misfortune. Stand tall, look to the future, and drive on!”
― William H. McRaven, Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World

“Start each day with a task completed. Find someone to help you through life. Respect everyone. Know that life is not fair and that you will fail often, but if you take some risks, step up when the times are toughest, face down the bullets, lift up the downtrodden, and never, ever give up.......if you do these things, then the next generation and the generations that follow will live in a world far better than the one we have today. And what started here will indeed have changed the world, for the better.”
― Admiral William H. McRaven

“I realized that life is actually pretty simple. Help as many people as you can. Make as many friends as you can. Work as hard as you can. And, no matter what happens, never quit!”
― William H. McRaven, Sea Stories: My Life in Special Operations

“I know that anything I achieved in my life was a result of others who have helped me along the way.”
― William H. McRaven, Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World

“True leaders must learn from their failures, use the lessons to motivate themselves, and not be afraid to try again or make the next tough decision.”
― William H. McRaven, Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World

“Be aggressive. When you see a problem, do something about it. That’s what is expected of leaders.”
― William H. McRaven, The Wisdom of the Bullfrog: Leadership Made Simple

“If you want to change the world… don’t ever, ever ring the bell.”
― William H. McRaven, Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World

“Sooner or later we all have to do things we don't want to do. But if you're going to do it, then do it right. Build the best damn Frog Float you can!”
― William H. McRaven, The Wisdom of the Bullfrog: Leadership Made Simple

“Remember... start each day with a task completed. Find someone to help you through life. Respect everyone. Know that life is not fair and that you will fail often. But if you take some risks, step up when times are toughest, face down the bullies, life up the downtrodden, and never, ever give up - if you do these things, then you can change your life for the better... and maybe the world!”
― Admiral William H. McRaven

“Life is filled with circuses. You will fail. You will likely fail often. It will be painful. It will be discouraging. At times it will test you to your very core. If you want to change the world, don’t be afraid of the Circuses.”
― William H. McRaven, Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World

“Throughout history, there have always been warriors who understood the risks of serving. They understood that there was a chance their lives could be lost in the pursuit of a greater goal. They understood that they could perish while trying to protect others.”
― William H. McRaven, Sea Stories: My Life in Special Operations

“Life is a struggle and the potential for failure is ever present, but those who live in fear of failure, or hardship, or embarrassment will never achieve their potential. Without pushing your”
― William H. McRaven, Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World

“If you want to change the world, you must be your very best in the darkest moment.”
― William H. McRaven, Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World

“If you want to change the world, don’t back down from the sharks.”
― William H. McRaven, Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World

“To do nothing is the way to be nothing.”
― Nathaniel Hawthorne

“She had not known the weight until she felt the freedom.”
― Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter

“Oh, for the years I have not lived, but only dreamed of living.”
― Nathaniel Hawthorne

“She could no longer borrow from the future to ease her present grief.”
― Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter

“I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity.”
― Edgar Allan Poe