Andy Andrews Quotes

The way a person thinks is the key to everything that follows -- good or bad, success or failure. A person's thinking -- the way he thinks -- is the foundation structure upon which a life is built. Thinking guides decisions. Thinking -- how a person thinks -- determines every choice.

Do not be afraid for yourself, Darrel. You can make the same journey one day - you can join her if you choose to do so. And don't be afraid for her. She is fine. Remember ... she is getting ready to breathe.

Character, not circumstance, make a man.

We can't do everything at once, but, by God, we can do something at once! Changing

Historians have determined that had Chamberlain not charged that day, the rebels would have won at Gettysburg.

And that destination for which we should strive is one of a successful life not necessarily a life of success.

Remember, the goal is not to raise great kids; it's to raise kids who become great adults.

I guarantee you there is someone in your life that deserves more appreciation. Who is it? Find that person and let them know!

There are generations yet unborn,
whose very lives will be shifted and shaped by the moves you make and the actions you take.

I will seek wisdom. I will be a servant to others. A wise man will cultivate a servant's spirit, for that particular attribute attracts people like no other. As I humbly serve others, their wisdom will be freely shared with me. Often, the person who develops a servant's spirit becomes wealthy beyond measure. Many times, a servant has the ear of the king, and a humble servant often becomes a king, for he is the popular choice of the people. He who serves the most grows the fastest. I will become a humble servant. I will not look for someone to open my door - I will look to open the door for someone. I will not be distressed when no one is available to help me - I will be excited when I am available to help. I will be a servant to others. I will listen to the counsel of wise men. I will choose my friends with care. I will seek wisdom.

A committed heart does not wait for conditions to be exactly right. Why? Because conditions are never exactly right. Indecision limits the Almighty and His ability to perform miracles in your life. He has put the vision in you - proceed! To wait, to wonder, to doubt, to be indecisive is to disobey God.

I start every day making sure I'm where I need to be and thinking like I need to think.

Your big picture will never be a masterpiece if you ignore the tiny brushstrokes. You're trying so hard to be successful that true success is eluding you.

I am who my friends are. I speak their language, and I wear their clothes. I share their opinions and their habits. From this moment forward, I will choose to associate with people whose lives and lifestyles I admire. If I associate with chickens, I will learn to scratch at the ground and squabble over crumbs. If I associate with eagles, I will learn to soar to great heights. I am an eagle. It is my destiny to fly. I will seek wisdom.

A wise man will cultivate a servant's spirit, for that particular attribute attracts people like no other. As I humbly serve others, their wisdom will be freely shared with me. Often, the person who develops a servant's spirit becomes wealthy beyond measure.

Of course it does, Jomes answered earnestly. Many of life's treasures remain hidden from us simply because we never search for them. Often we do not ask the proper questions that might lead us to the answer to all our challenges. We are so caught up in fear and regret, that hope seems a foolish endeavor. Proof of hope, however, is not only possible, it is an overlooked law of the universe.

I have faith in my future. I do not look left or right. I look forward. I can only persist.

Life is like a game of Monopoly. You may own hotels on Boardwalk or you may be renting on Baltic Avenue. But in the end, it all goes back in the box. The next generation will be getting out all your stuff and playing with it or fighting over it.

God moves mountains to create the opportunity of His choosing. It is up to you to be ready to move yourself.

Every man of character will have that character questioned. Every man of honor and courage will be faced with unjust criticism, but never forget that unjust criticism has no impact whatsoever upon the truth. And the only sure way to avoid criticism is to do nothing and be nothing.

Fear is a poor chisel with which to carve out tomorrow.

If one makes a mistake, then an apology is usually sufficient to get things back on an even keel. However-and this is a big 'however'- most people do not ever know why their apology did not seem to have any effect. It is simply that they did not make a mistake; they made a choice…and never understood the difference between the two.

My life - my personality, my habits, even my speech - is a combination of the books I choose to read, the people I choose to listen to, and the thoughts I choose to tolerate in my mind

To be great at whatever it is that you do, it's going to take some discipline to separate yourself from the average.

There are so many common occurrences in raising children that people just can't seem to figure out.

It is not enough to recognize what is right and true. One must control the impulse to do what is wrong and easy.

When you know that everything matters - that every move counts as much as any other - you will begin living a life of permanent purpose.

When I was 19 years old, both of my parents died in the same year; my mom of cancer and my dad in a car accident. Through the next two or three years and a series of bad decisions - all my own, I might add - I ended up literally homeless, before that was even a word. I even slept occasionally under a pier on the Gulf Coast.

We're not trying to raise good kids. We're trying to raise kids who become great adults. That's a very different thing. We all know parents who had kids that when they turned 18 left the house and went nuts.

We have to prepare our teenagers and our children for a world away from us. That requires explanations. That requires understanding.

Poor is the man whose future depends on the opinions and permission of others. Remember this, if you are afraid of criticism, you will die doing nothing!

If I associate with chickens, I will learn to scratch at the ground and squabble over crumbs. If I associate with eagles, I will learn to soar to great heights. I am an eagle. It is my destiny to fly.

It isn't until you forgive what's in the past that you'll be able to receive the gift of the present

The most dangerous thing any nation faces is a citizenry capable of trusting a liar to lead them.

People who are labeled as disrespectful do not get the same opportunities afforded to those who are labeled as respectful.

Do battle with the challenges of your present, and you will unlock the prizes of your future.

He who serves the most grows the fastest. I

Even a small amount of perspective can change our lives. Because even the smallest amount of perspective can change how we are able to navigate hard times.

If your situtation is the fault of anything or anyone else ... there is very little hope and absolutely zero power over your own life.
Responsibility is about hope and control. And ... who doesn't want hope for a greater future that their choices control? ... Most folks look for their car keys with more energy than they search for the wisdom that can change their lives.

I will seek wisdom. I will choose my friends with care.

Seek wisdom. Wisdom waits to be gathered. She cannot be bartered or sold. She is a fight for the diligent. And only the diligent will find her. The lazy man - the stupid man - never even looks. Though wisdom is available to many, she is found by few. Seek wisdom. Find her, and you will find success and contentment.

If, in fact, it is what's inside us that makes all the difference, then the difference is made when we choose what goes inside." ~ The Traveler's Gift

From this moment forward, I will accept responsibility for my past. I understand that the beginning of wisdom is to accept the responsibility for my own problems and that by accepting responsibility for my past, I free myself to move into a bigger, brighter future of my own choosing.

I possess the greatest power ever bestowed upon mankind, the power of choice.

Truth is like a wild animal; let it loose and it will defend itself!

When you put emphasis on compromise rather than on principle, you end up with 2/3 of the principles being implemented.

I always encourage authors (especially new authors) to be as generous as we are blessed. For one thing, it is a way to help people. For another, it is a seed one is planting for the life of the book. Someone gave it to someone who gave it to someone else.

Experience is not the best teacher. Other people's experience is the best teacher.

The answer, of course, is that we are always and forever influenced by those with whom we associate. If a man keeps company with those who curse and complain - he will soon find curses and complaints flowing like a river from his own mouth. If he spends his days with the lazy - those seeking handouts - he will soon find his finances in disarray. Many of our sorrows can be traced to relationships with the wrong people.

There are those who would say 'Let us be patient. Let us sit and wait upon the Almighty.' I say tot hem, Get up! The Almighty is waiting on you!' Make no mistake, the Lord God instructs us; He leads us and inspires us, but He expects us to do something with the gifts we've been given. It is a choice that too few make.

9. How can we tell if a politician is telling the truth? Is there a way to know for sure? You may remember the old joke: "How do you know if a politician is lying? If he's moving his lips." It's not that funny anymore, is it? Obviously, there is no certain way to know at the moment something is said. But remember this: past performance serves to reveal future behavior. A person who has exhibited a pattern of lying is a liar.

Times of calamity and distress have always been producers of the greatest men. The hardest steel is produced from the hottest fire; the brightest star shreds the darkest night.

Circumstances do not push or pull. They are daily lessons to be studied and gleaned for new knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge and wisdom that is applied will bring about a brighter tomorrow. A person who is depressed is spending too much time thinking about the way things are now and not enough time thinking about how he wants things to be.

Be careful about what you think you know. Because you can't always believe everything you think.

She struggled. She became uncomfortable. She longed for more freedom and began to sense that the world she inhabited was not where she ultimately belonged. She did not know what was on the other side of her struggle, but she was getting ready to experience something new and wonderful that in her wildest imaginings could not be described. Darrel ... she was getting ready to breathe. "And when she finally drew that first breath, it was clean and fresh and like nothing she had ever felt. She took another breath and another - and all around her, loved ones and friends cheered in a joyous celebration of her arrival." Jones looked closely at the woman's face. "Look at her now, Darrel," he said. "For many years this dear child was happy and content in

Adversity is preparation for greatness.

Only true remorse and "Will you forgive me?" can press the reset button.

See, the 'small stuff' is what makes up the larger picture of our lives. Many people are like you, young man. But their perspective is distorted. They ignore 'small stuff,' claiming to have an eye on the bigger picture, never understanding that the bigger picture is composed of nothing more than-are you ready?- 'small stuff'.

Knowledge is one thing. We're awash in knowledge. Wisdom is rare. There's a big difference.

The longer you've known someone- the more history there is between you- the longer it will take to establish in their mind that you have truly changed. Remember, forgiveness is an altogether different thing from trust or respect. Forgiveness is about the past. Trust and respect are about the future. Forgiveness will be in the hands of others and cna be given to you, but trust and respect are in your own hands and must be earned.

If you are breathing, you are still alive. If you are alive, then you are still here, physically, on this planet. If you are still here, then you have not completed what you were put on earth to do. If you have not completed what you were put on earth to do ... that means your very purpose has not yet been fulfilled. If your purpose has not yet been fulfilled, then the most important part of your life has not yet been lived.

When you don't know what to do, do something. I know you don't know what to do and I know you can't do everything right now, but you can do something.

I just think it's amazing that a person could lose everything, chasing nothing.

Then the old man's face hardened. "What about you young man?" he asked flatly. "Would you like to get what you deserve?" Jones let that question hang in the air for a moment, then sighed, shook his head, and said "Me? I surely don't want what I deserve. I'm hoping for mercy, not justice.

The work you will complete during the next few years is critical not only to the future of your own children but also to the future of your nation as well. Unless you want to end up like Rome.

Wisdom is what separates average people from extraordinary people.

But did you know that during the past quarter century, no presidential election has been won by more than ten million ballots cast? Yet every federal election during the same time period had at least one hundred million people of voting age who did not bother to vote!

At this very moment, you possess the power of perspective. You can choose to see your life becoming whatever you wish. If you so choose, you can move the mountains in your life's path with the eventual help of those who will come to love you and learn to respect you for what you are becoming.

Life itself is a privilege, but to live life to the fullest- well, that is a choice.

Until a person takes responsibility for where he is, there is no basis for moving on. The bad news is that the past was in your hands, but the good news is that the future, my friend, is also in your hands.

I am saying that outside influences are not responsible for where you are mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally, or financially. You have chosen the pathway to your present destination. The responsibility for your situation is yours.

I tell people that I'm not necessarily any good, it's just that there is nobody like me. I just promise you will not be bored.

I believe that any type of education can be great, but an education about ourselves can create something wonderful. I am a comedian, but people have called me a motivational speaker. I don't really consider myself that at all.

Why do these civilizations all seem to follow the same identifiable sequence - from bondage to spiritual faith, from spiritual faith to courage, from courage to liberty, from liberty to abundance, from abundance to complacency, from complacency to apathy, from apathy to dependence, and finally from dependence back into bondage?

Are you smiling when you talk? Try it today, and I guarantee you will notice a difference in your life.

It is a fact that fewer than 10 percent of Germany's population of 79.7 million people actively worked or campaigned to bring about Hitler's change.17 Even at the height of its power in 1945, the Nazi political party boasted only 8.5 million members.

Their leader had no real knowledge of warfare or tactics. I was only a stubborn man and that was my greatest advantage in this fight.

Be kind to yourself and congratulate yourself for small success.A small step cover a big distance-enjoy the journey of life.

Learning's purest form," Jones replied, "is realized by the individual who continues a quest beyond the classroom, fueled by a passion to discern wisdom. Wisdom - genuine truth - holds the key to refining one's thinking.

Your choices, your words, and every move you make are permanent. Life is lived in indelible ink, boy. Wake up. You're making little bitty brushstrokes every minute you walk around on this earth. And with those tiny brushstrokes, you are creating the painting that your life will ultimately become - a masterpiece or a disaster.

Curiously, a principle affects your life whether you are aware of it or not. For instance, the principle of gravity was working long before the apple ever fell on Newton's head. But once it did, and he understood it, then we as a society were free to harness this principle to create, among other things, airline flight.

For centuries, dreams have been used to communicate instruction and direction to people of purpose - great men and women. God used dreams to prepare Joseph for his future as a leader of nations. He gave battle plans to Gideon in a dream. Joan of Arc, Jacob, George Washington, Marie Curie, and the apostle Paul were all guided by their dreams.

Sometime during my study of the Dark Ages and Middle Ages, I uncovered an odd paradox that exists in our minds about time gone by. It is a difference most people don't discern between history and the past. Simply stated, the past is what is real and true, while history is merely what someone recorded. If you don't think there is a difference, experience an event in person and then read about it in the newspaper the next day, after witnesses have been interviewed. It might be shocking for many of us to realize that what we know as "history" can actually be a total fabrication, created from the imagination of someone with an ax to grind. Or perhaps, and it certainly happened in the Middle Ages, history was simply recorded by the man with the sharpest ax.

In Jones's experience, the decision to turn one's life around in a different direction rarely arrived with fireworks and marching bands. Often, the decision came with tears and regret. Then, almost impossibly, the power of forgiveness would fill an unseen void, allowing a new day's optimism and sense of purpose to take hold and point that life in a new direction.

We all can think of at least one kid who had great parents, a great family, and an all-around great childhood ... who suddenly went crazy as soon as he left the house for college or adulthood. And nobody can figure out how or why it happened!

Light always trumps darkness. It always has, and it always will. Therefore ... if you believe that your world is darkening ... if you believe that the culture of your nation is growing dimmer by the year ... don't blame it on the dark! Darkness is only doing what darkness does.
If darkness is winning the battles, my friend, it is because light is not doing it's job. You are light. So wake up. Wake up.

First we make a choice. Then our choices make us.

Beginning today, I will create a new future by creating a new me. No longer will I dwell in a pit of despair, moaning over squandered time and lost opportunity. I can do nothing about the past. My future is immediate. I will grasp it in both hands and carry it with running feet. When I am faced with the choice of doing nothing or doing something, I will always choose to act! I seize this moment. I choose now.

I am a teacher and the reason I'm a teacher is because I'm learning as hard as I can. I'm not any different from anybody else. I am searching and having some success finding answers.

In desperate times, much more than anything else, folks need perspective. For perspective brings calm. Calm leads to clear thinking. Clear thinking yields new ideas. And ideas produce the bloom ... of an answer. Keep your head and heart clear. Perspective can just as easily be lost as it can be found.

A butterfly could flap its wings and set molecules of air in motion, which would move other molecules of air, in turn moving more molecules of air - eventually capable of starting a hurricane on the other side of the planet.

In the long run, it is much easier to undo the policies of crooked leadership than to restore common sense and wisdom to a deceived population willing to elect such a leader in the first place. Any country can survive having chosen a fool as their leader. But history has shown time and again that a nation of fools is surely doomed.

If you do not want an average life, you must be on guard against, and quietly suspicious of, conclusions made by conventional thinking.

Little things do matter. Sometimes, little things matter the most. Everybody pays a lot of attention to big things, but nobody seems to understand that big things are almost always made up of little things. When you ignore little things, they often turn into big things that have become a lot harder to handle.

Remember, whatever you focus upon, increases ... When you focus on the things you need, you'll find those needs increasing. If you concentrate your thoughts on what you don't have, you will soon be concentrating on other things that you had forgotten you don't have-and feel worse! If you set your mind on loss, you are more likely to lose ... But a grateful perspective brings happiness and abundance into a person's life.

Those who are critical of my goals and dreams simply do not understand the higher purpose to which I have been called.

When faced with a decision, many people say they are waiting for God. But I understand, in most cases, God is waiting for me.

By your hand, millions - billions - of lives will be altered, caught up in a chain of events begun by you this day.

Anytime God wanted to reach people he always used people to do it. So, anytime the Holy Spirit wants to reach other people, it is always through people.

I am not a "Christian author." I am an author who is a Christian. While my books reflect my faith, they are not intended as teaching tools for a Christian audience per se. My books are stories created around principles that work for everyone and they work every time.