Quotes About Motivation

Self-perception theory (Bem, 1967, 1972) argues that dissonance effects were not the result of motivation to reduce the psychological discomfort produced by cognitive dissonance but were due to a nonmotivational process whereby persons merely inferred their attitudes from their behavior and the circumstances under which the behavior occurred.

Pretty much at all times music motivates me. How can I say this without sounding in any way proud of myself? Obviously I've always written songs that are critical of our government, and talk about our times. Hopefully you attempt to be timeless while doing it.

Monday is the engine of the week.

Can't is the worst word that's written or spoken.

Ambition is a poor excuse for not having sense enough to be lazy.

smart people don't do stupid things for no reason, so one must locate why they are doing something that looks stupid from our point of view but may make sense from their point of view.

Leadership" is wanting to do something new and better, and getting others to go along.

Learning new things can be easy when there is no unlearning involved. But if the new learning has to displace some old habits of telling, two anxieties come into play that have to be managed. First, survival anxiety is the realization that unless we learn the new behavior, we will be at a disadvantage (metaphorically threatened by extinction). Survival anxiety provides the motivation to learn, even if it is mostly nervous energy.

Minimize inappropriate encouragement.

Though ambition in itself is a vice, it often is also the parent of virtue.

Every human mind is a great slumbering power until awakened by a keen desire and by definite resolution to do.

You can do anything you want in life if you dress for it.

One active artist gives courage and incentive, and germinates ideas in others for producing more art.

"Applause is the spur of noble minds, the end and aim of weak ones."

You don't have to be a hero to accomplish great things---to compete. You can just be an ordinary chap, sufficiently motivated to reach challenging goals.

People do not decide to become extraordinary. They decide to accomplish extraordinary things.

I have been seriously afraid at times but have used my fear as a stimulating factor rather than allowing it to paralyse me. My abilities have not been outstanding, but I have had sufficient strength and determination to meet my challenges and have usually managed to succeed with them.

Theodore," [Theodore Sr] said, eschewing boyish nicknames, "you have the mind but you have not the body, and without the help of the body the mind cannot go as far as it should. You must make your body. It is hard drudgery to make one's body, but I know you will do it.

and attitudes that would enable and encourage attempts at

Writers say two things that strike me as nonsense. One is that you must follow an absolute schedule everyday. If you're not writing well, why continue it? I just don't think this grinding away is useful.

There is nothing more demoralizing than a small but adequate income.

The most important thing a writer can do is to keep writing, even when the muse is elusive and the words don't come.

Life must go on; I forget just why.

As a confirmed melancholic, I can testify that the best and maybe only antidote for melancholia is action. However, like most melancholics, I suffer also from sloth.