Og Mandino Wisdom
Catherine Pulsifer, © 2016
“Welcome every morning with a smile. Look on the new day as another special gift from your Creator.Another golden opportunity to complete what you were unable to finish yesterday. Be a self starter. Let your first hour set the theme of success and positive action that is certain to echo through your entire day. Today will never happen again. Don’t waste it with a false start of no start at all. You were not born to fail.”
Og Mandino
These famous words from Og Mandino are great words to read each day. They contain much wisdom and are words of encouragement to remind us to live each day. Below are my thoughts on each sentence and the meaning of how I see it. I hope you will give some thought to this inspirational quote and what it means to you.
“Welcome Every Morning With A Smile”
These words remind us that how we start our day can determine the success of our day. If we have the attitude that it is going to be a great day it usually is. When you wake up in the morning is it with an attitude of happiness and a positive expectation of what the day will bring, or, do you wake up moaning and complaining in your mind about the day. Your thoughts first thing in the morning truly have an impact on your entire day.
In her book, Mind Over Money, Ilya Alexi says, “Simply ask yourself ‘what will happen today that is truly great’ or some similar question that fills you with an optimistic attitude towards the events you will encounter each day.”
“Look On The New Day As Another Special Gift From Your Creator”
I believe we are all here to fulfill a purpose. When you consider the day is a gift from God, it can change your entire day. When we receive gifts from other people we are usually grateful and thank them. When you consider each day is a gift from God we should also be grateful and thank Him. When I hear people complaining about their day, I always remind them that there are many people who would love to have this day and they are now in the cemetery. We never know when our last day is, so we should live every day to the fullest.
When I am having a challenging day, I often think of the words in Psalm 118:24: “This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.” Og Mandino’s also words remind us that each day is a special gift.
“Another Golden Opportunity To Complete What You Were Unable To Finish Yesterday”
Opportunity is defined as: “a set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something.” So when you think about today as an opportunity you should also think of the possibilities!
Sometimes there are just not enough hours in a day to complete all that we want to get done. So consider today as an opportunity to finish it. Also, with our goals, we can continue working our way to reaching our goal.
Another of Og Mandino’s quotes that reflect life and opportunity: “Now I also know that the sadness and setbacks of my life are not unique to me. Even the wisest and most successful of our world suffer chapters of heartbreak and failure but they, unlike me, have learned that there is no peace without trouble, no rest without strain, no laughter without sorrow, no victory without struggle and that is the price we all pay for living.”
“Be A Self Starter”
Wise words! Motivate yourself and be a self starter will benefit you in many areas of your life. Do be the person who sits and waits to be told what to do. Take action and get the job done. In your career, you will be noticed a lot more if you take the action needed, rather than sitting around and waiting to be told what to do. In your relationships, rather than waiting to be asked to do something, offer your help in what needs to be done and then do it. A self starter keeps moving forward. When you look at leaders you will find one common trait among them – they are self starters. They don’t wait to be told, they lead – they move people forward.
“Let Your First Hour Set The Theme Of Success and Positive Action That Is Certain To Echo Through Your Entire Day”
I have two friends who are prime examples of demonstrating the first hour and the success of their day.
Friend one – gets up before the alarm clock. They have a good breakfast. They leave 5 minutes early, arrives at work with a sunny disposition.
Friend two – hits the snooze button more than once. They usually get up late and they rarely have time for breakfast. They tend to speed to work, weaving in and out of lanes to get two minutes ahead. And, they arrive at work grumpy and stressed.
You can see from that first hour which friend has a more productive and positive day, just by the way the day started.
“Today Will Never Happen Again”
How often do we really think about this statement? How often do we waste time, or waste an entire a day? I have a friend who sometimes makes a comment that drives me crazy.When you ask them what they are doing, they make the comment – “they are going to …. putting in time.” It is the “putting in time” that bothers me. Why put in time, why not enjoy life. Every day we just “put in time” is a day we are wasting. And once it is gone there is no getting it back!!!
The quote by Horace Mann also drives this point home.”Lost, yesterday, somewhere between sunrise and sunset, two golden hours, each set with sixty diamond minutes. No reward is offered for they are gone forever.”
“Don’t Waste It With A False Start Of No Start At All”
If you don’t have a purpose for your day, then you get up with no thoughts of accomplishing anything. You end up at the end of the day with not much of anything achieved. Each day you need to have a goal of what you want to achieve.
In his book, The Greatest Salesman in the World, Part II, Og Mandino says: “And then there are those who act not at all. They are the living dead and we have many of those among us, spending their days whining and complaining and never making any attempt to change their lives for the better.”
“You Were Not Born To Fail”
We all have potential, we all have a purpose, and we all experience challenges and setbacks. When we think of failure it can actually hinder us from accomplishing a goal that we would love to achieve. Rather than thinking of the word “failure”, we should change our thinking and replace it with the word “learning.” Rather than saying, “I failed at that”, we should say, “I learned from that”. We should take that learning and apply it and continue on our way to success. Unfortunately, many people just stop, they quit, they give up. They don’t see the possibility that is still in front of them.
Looking at successful people we see that they persevered, and apply the lessons they learn, and went on to achieve success. Don’t believe me, then read some biographies of successful people, you will see challenges and issues that they faced, but you will also see a determination and that they turned what they learned into knowledge. And, most importantly, these people truly realized that they were not born to fail!
More Famous Quotes of Og Mandino
“I will smile at friend and foe alike and make every effort to find, in him or her, a quality to praise now that I realize that the deepest yearning of human nature is the craving to be appreciated.” Og Mandino
“The secret of the true love of work is the hope of success in that work, not for the money reward, not for the time spent or for the skill exercised, but for the pride and satisfaction in the accomplishment of the work itself.” Og Mandino
“Now I know that those who succeed best in life are always cheerful and hopeful people who go about their work with a smile on their face and take the chances and changes of this mortal life with humor and good cheer, facing rough and smooth alike as it comes. These are the wise men and women who always make more opportunities than they find.” Og Mandino
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