Over the past several months, I have changed drastically. This has been a mix of a lot of things, including some serious trials. But I believe that the most influential part of my changes have been the readings and podcasts that I have engaged with and consumed.

On a regular basis, I listen to business podcasts and read articles about leadership, productivity, business ideas, habits of successful people, self help ideas, and passages from the Bible. I often take notes, and I have a running list of my favorite quotes that I thought I'd share a part of with you.

1. "I don't think I believe in a deep down. I kinda think that all you are is just the things that you do." - Diane from Bojack Horseman

I'm still not sure if I completely agree with this quote, but it has truly changed the way I live. Rather than just assume that I am a nice guy, I have been pushed to actively live that way. It plays into the idea that "the road to hell is paved with good intentions." At the end of the day, if you don't do anything about it, it doesn't matter what you think.

2. "You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with." - Jim Rohn

This past year, I have learned about the power of intentionality, and inversely, the destructive power of apathy. Jim Rohn's quote really nails this home, because if you are not intentional about who you spend time with, you cannot be intentional about who you are. This influences everything. This quote is also backed up by Psalm 1:1, if you're interested.

3A. "We don't rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training." - Archilochus

3B. "The separation is in the preparation." - Russell Wilson

These two quotes are two different views of the same idea. The idea is that it does not matter what we want to happen, it matters what you make happen. Your preparation dictates your success. Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard.

4. "A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his own opinion." - Proverbs 18:2

This is a verse I came across several months ago, and it has spoken into the way that I listen. Rather than making sure I make my ideas heard, I make an effort to better understand the situation. I haven't made it yet, and it's a work in progress, but it's a start.

5. "Focus on positivity instead of always being right." - Tim Denning

I like this quote for similar reasons to the Proverbs verse above. It is not about making my opinion right, it is about the understanding, and the emotional impact I have on the room. I can't control if I'm right all the time, but I can control if I'm positive or not.

6. "Wherever you are, make sure you're there." - Dan Sullivan

Presence is huge for me. If you get a chance, ask me about the presence axis and I have more to share on this topic. Presence is so important to me because frankly, I'm bad at it. However, I'm making an effort to improve. I no longer have notificiations enabled on my phone besides email and texting, and I have deleted different social media apps depending on how distracting they are. My goal for 2018 is about being fully present in my interactions.

7. "If you can't explain it simply, then you don't understand it well enough." - Albert Einstein

One of the greatest minds of the 20th century likely knew a thing or two about understanding. This quote is another one of my favorites because it is spot on. One practice that I have begun is to explain things to myself, in order to test to see if I can do it simply or not. Thanks, Albert.

8. "Focus is about saying no." - Steve Jobs

Focus is about blocking out distractions and zoning in to the on goal that is most important. Being able to say no to other things ourside of that goal is necessary to block out the distractions. Especially when the other goals are good.

And there you have it. Eight (Nine?) of my favorite, most influential quotes! Your success in any goal, field or discipline is not based on your talent alone. It is also based on your ability to gain knowledge. For me, using and applying quotes of successful individuals is really helpful in a lot of situations.