1. “The master has failed more times than the beginner has even tried.”
Stephen McCranie
As with the Jordan commercial from my Youtube list, I think it is paramount for young people to understand that failure is an essential part of success. Many people give up on things that they are not instantly good at, and quotes like this remind us of the importance of patience in ourselves as we develop. This quote earns my top spot because it is foundational to the development of any skill, career field or worthwhile goal that anyone chooses to pursue in life.
2. "We cannot guarantee victory but we can deserve it."
Joseph Addison
Too many people focus on results, particularly in competitive instances where many people may deserve victory, but only one can achieve it. This quote encourages us to value our effort, that of others and to appreciate more than just the results of endeavors.
3. “Whenever you feel like criticizing any one... just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.”
F. Scott Fitsgerald
This simple quote that opens The Great Gatsby summarizes the most important takeaway that everyone needs to appreciate the subjects of privilege and empathy. Many modern books, seminars, speeches and videos have been produced attempting to teach this lesson. Because the topic of privilege is so complex and personal, much of that content offends people and causes them to dig their heels into their positions of privilege and lash back defensively. It makes that content itself counterproductive. Even the term “privilege” is a clumsy way of handling this topic. Fitzgerald drives the point home efficiently and inoffensively with just a few sentences 1925.
4. "I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times."
Bruce Lee
The world today moves fast. We are in a time where information is vast and broken into bite-sized chunks. We need things to move rapidly to satisfy our short attention spans. It is highly appropriate for young people to absorb the wisdom that there is still great value in being disciplined and committed to one thing at a time, and that investing in some parts of our life that way comes with unique benefits.
5. "If you chase two rabbits, you will lose them both."
Ancient proverb
Similar to my rationale for quote #4, this analogy gives a different type of concrete example for why some things simply require singular focus, and it’s better to not spread oneself too thin and perform poorly at a wide breadth of tasks when they could invest their focus and effort into a single thing done well.