Two Choices We Face

"Two Choices We Face" - article by Jim Rohn

Each of us have two distinct choices to make about what we will do with our lives. The first choice we can make is to be less than we have the capacity to be. To earn less. To have less. To read less and think less. To try less and discipline ourselves less. These are the choices that lead to an empty life. These are the choices that, once made, lead to a life of constant apprehension instead of a life of wondrous anticipation.

And the second choice? To become all that we can possibly be! To read every book that we possibly can. To earn as much as we possibly can. To give and share as much as we possibly can. To strive and produce and accomplish as much as we possibly can. All of us have the choice.

To do or not to do. To be or not to be. To be all, or to be less.

Like the tree, it would be a worthy challenge for us all to stretch upward and outward to the full measure of our capabilities. Why not do all that we can, every moment that we can, the best that we can, for as long as we can?

Our ultimate life objective should be to create as much as our talent and ability and desire will permit. To settle for doing less than we could do is to fail in this worthiest of undertakings.

Results are the best measurement of human progress. Not conversation. Not explanation. Not justification. Results! And if our results are less than our potential suggests that they should be, then we must strive to become more today than we were the day before. The greatest rewards are always reserved for those who bring great value to themselves and the world around them as a result of who and what they have become.

© 2008 by Jim Rohn International. All Rights Reserved.

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About the author: Jim Rohn (September 17, 1930 — December 5, 2009) was considered to be America's Foremost Business Philosopher, with a career that spanned over 40 years and touched the lives of over four million people worldwide. Internationally hailed as one of the most influential thinkers of our time, Rohn helped motivate an entire generation of personal development trainers as well as hundreds of executives from America's top corporations.

Click here for the tribute and links to a free ezine with valuable training from Jim Rohn plus a store offering all of his books, DVDs and CDs.

Visit Personal Development in the 21st Century .

Jim Rohn Tribute

Jim Rohn passed away on 5 December 2009. A truly great source of wisdom on life and business, he inspired so many and will be sorely missed.

He said, “I wish you a life of wealth, health and happiness, a life in which you give to yourself the gift of patience, the virtue of reason, the value of knowledge and the influence of faith in your own ability to dream about and achieve worthy rewards.”

Read the tribute to Jim Rohn

Jim Rohn quotes on Character:

"For things to change we have to change for things to get better we have to get better. Don't wish for less problems wish for more skills."

“It is the set of the sails, not the direction of the wind that determines which way we will go.”

“The few who do are the envy of those who only watch.”

"Let others lead small lives, but not you. Let others argue over small things, but not you. Let others cry over small hurts, but not you. Let others leave their future in someone else's hands, but not you."

"Your philosophy determines whether you will go for the disciplines or continue the errors."

"We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret or disappointment."

"The major value in life is not what you get. The major value in life is what you become."

Jim Rohn Quotes on Problems and Challenges:

"Don't wish it were easier; wish you were better. Don't wish for less problems; wish for more skills. Don't wish for less challenges; wish for more wisdom."

"You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself. That is something you have charge of."

"To solve any problem, here are three questions to ask yourself: First, what could I do? Second, what could I read? And third, who could I ask?"

"Character isn't something you were born with and can't change, like your fingerprints. It's something you weren't born with and must take responsibility for forming."

"Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment."

"The difficulties you meet will resolve themselves as you advance. Proceed, and light will dawn, and shine with increasing clearness on your path."

"Take time to gather up the past so that you will be able to draw from your experience and invest them in the future."

Jim Rohn Quotes on Goals and Planning:

"If you don't design your own life plan, chances are you'll fall into someone else's plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much."

"The major reason for setting a goal is for what it makes of you to accomplish it. What it makes of you will always be the far greater value than what you get."

"You cannot change your destination overnight, but you can change your direction overnight."

Jim Rohn Quotes on Work and Success:

"We get paid for bringing value to the market place."

"You don't get paid for the hour. You get paid for the value you bring to the hour."

"Work harder on yourself than you do on your job."

"Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines, practiced every day."

"Failure is not a single, cataclysmic event. You don't fail overnight. Instead, failure is a few errors in judgement, repeated every day."

"You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself. That is something you have charge of."

"Whoever renders service to many puts himself in line for greatness - great wealth, great return, great satisfaction, great reputation, and great joy."

Jim Rohn Quotes on Relationships:

"The walls we build around us to keep sadness out also keeps out the joy."

"One of the greatest gifts you can give to anyone is the gift of attention."

"It's okay to send flowers, but don't let the flowers do all the talking. Flowers have a limited vocabulary. About all the best flowers can say is that you remembered."

Jim Rohn quotes on reading and self-education:

"Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune."

"Miss a meal if you have to, but don't miss a book."

"The book you don't read won't help."

"Words do two major things: they provide food for the mind and create light for understanding and awareness."

"Don't just read the easy stuff. You may be entertained by it, but you will never grow from it."

"If someone is going down the wrong road, he doesn't need motivation to speed him up. What he needs is education to turn him around."

"Learning is the beginning of wealth. Learning is the beginning of health. Learning is the beginning of spirituality. Searching and learning is where the miracle process all begins."

"Take advantage of every opportunity to practice your communication skills so that when important occasions arise, you will have the gift, the style, the sharpness, the clarity, and the emotions to affect other people."

Jim Rohn on Keeping Journals:

"There are three things to leave behind: your photographs, your library and your personal journals. These things are certainly going to be more valuable to future generations than your furniture!"

"Be a collector of good ideas, but don't trust your memory. The best collecting place for all of the ideas and information that comes your way is your journal."

"Don't use your mind for a filing cabinet. Use your mind to work out problems and find answers; file away good ideas in your journal."

There are many more quotes you will find but these are some of my favourites.

Click this link for the complete text of Jim Rohn’s most famous speech about Success, Life & Business: “Success in Network Marketing” which applies to any business and so much of life in general.

My message to Jim:
"I saw you speak many times, I met you in person, I read your books, listened to your words. No one person has had more impact on my life. You leave behind a wonderful legacy that touches people all over the world. May your words live on in us, your students. - Antonia Harrison

Click here for the tribute and links to a free ezine with valuable training from Jim Rohn plus a store offering all of his books, DVDs and CDs.


Visit Personal Development in the 21st Century

Jim Rohn Tribute Video

I came across a wonderful video tribute to Jim Rohn who is for me, the leading life and business philosopher.

Click here to watch the Jim Rohn tribute video

This video is to be found on Success Magazine site. You can also subscribe for free.

If you want to receive valuable words of wisdom in your inbox, subscribe to Jim Rohn's free ezine.

Jim Rohn Excerpts from the Treasury of Quotes

I am a huge fan of Jim Rohn, the silver haired American business philosopher. He speaks such wisdom, inspiring and challenging with his words.

Here are some Jim Rohn quotes:
"Don't wish it were easier; wish you were better. Don't wish for less problems; wish for more skills. Don't wish for less challenges; wish for more wisdom."

"Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.

"To become financially independent you must turn part of your income into capital; turn capital into enterprise, turn enterprise into profit; turn profit into investment; and turn investment into financial independence."

"We can have more than we've got because we can become more than we are."

"Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines, practiced every day, while failure is simply a few errors in judgment, repeated every day. It is the accumulative weight of our disciplines and our judgments that leads us to either fortune or failure."

"There is no better opportunity to receive more than to be thankful for what you already have. Thanksgiving opens up the windows of opportunity for ideas to flow your way."

"Goals. There's no telling what you can do when you get inspired by them. There's no telling what you can do when you believe in them. There's no telling what will happen when you act upon them.

You might be familiar with The Jim Rohn Excerpts from the Treasury of Quotes, which broke the 2,000,000 in sales mark last year. Its huge demand is based on the fact that it is an extremely elegant booklet (gold foil on burgundy leatherette), it is very high in content (it contains more than 130 quotes on 21 specially selected topics from the original Treasury of Quotes by Jim Rohn) and it makes an excellent gift for family, friends and colleagues; yet it sells for less than a dollar each when purchased in multiples.

Also, each Jim Rohn booklet has a special TO and FROM section along with space to add a personalized note. There is a dedication:

"I wish for you a life of wealth, health and happiness; a life in which you give to yourself the gift of patience, the virtue of reason, the value of knowledge, and the influence of faith in your own ability to dream about and to achieve worthy rewards."

Think of the impact on someone when they receive such a positive heartfelt wish from you. They make an excellent stocking filler or business gift for clients - much better than yet another pen or calendar - and will be referred to time and time again. Brilliant idea!

The wide range of topics in this little booklet means that it really will speak to everyone:

Personal Development
Leadership/Management
Activity/Labor
Desire/Motivation
Knowledge/Education
Results/Success
Goals/Plans
Time/Time Management
Lifestyle
America/Government/Politics
Business/Career/Marketplace
Resolve/Belief/Asking
Skills/Fundamentals
Choice/Change/Decision
Fear/Doubt/Negativity
Influence/Association
Communication/Persuasion
Kids
Finances/Wealth
Relationships
Motivation

Click here for The Jim Rohn Excerpts from the Treasury of Quotes.

On the same site you can also subscribe to Jim Rohn's ezine so regularly receive his pearls of wisdom in your inbox.