Updated 6/12/2012
Motivational Poems
These poems and quotes are from various places and I do not know the authors.
Don't ever try. Do it or don't.
Even if you fall down face first, you've gone forward.
Footprints in the Sand
One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord. Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand. Sometimes there were two sets of footprints. Other times there was one set of footprints. This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow, or defeat, I could see only one set of footprints, so I said to the Lord, "You promised me, Lord, that if I followed You, You would walk with me always. But I noticed that during the most trying periods of my life there have been only one set of footprints in the sand. Why, when I have needed You most, have You not been there for me?" The Lord replied, "The times where you have seen only one set of footprints are those when I have carried you." Unknown
Celebrate what you've accomplished, but then raise the bar a little higher each time you succeed." Mia Hamm
The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. Unknown
They are able because they think they are able. Virgil
The reward of a thing well done is to have done it. Ralph Waldo Emerson
I learned that if you want to make it bad enough, no matter how bad it is, you can make it. Gale Sayers
Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die tomorrow. James Dean
An excuse is worse and more terrible than a lie; for an excuse is a lie guarded. Alexander Pope
Ninety-nine percent of failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses. George W. Carver
You must have long term goals to keep you from being frustrated by short term failures. Charles C. Noble
Don't wait for extraordinary circumstance to do good; try to use ordinary situations. Charles Richter
How long should you try? Until. Jim Rohn
Perseverance is failing nineteen times and succeeding the twentieth. Julie Andrews
Don't be fooled by the calendar. There are only as many days in the year as you make use of. One man gets only a week's value out of a year while another man gets a full year's value out of a week. Charles Richards
We are hoarding potentials so great they are just about unimaginable. Jack Schwartz
Where you are headed is more important than how fast you are going. Rather than always focusing on what's urgent, learn to focus on what is really important." Stephen Covey
Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet. Anonymous
Do not measure your life by your goals but what you are doing to achieve them. Peter Drucker
When you don't know where you're going, any road will get you there. Jim Rohn
If I know I can, I may not; but if I know I will, I surely can."Herinder Brar
Belief in yourself, belief in your abilities, will override fear almost every time. The only thing we are afraid of is what we are capable of accomplishing." Rich DiGirolamo
Trust your instincts, and take control. John Houston
There is no such thing as failure. Mistakes happen in your life to bring into focus more clearly who you really are. Oprah Winfrey
People who don't want to weather some of the rough periods miss out on something better. Lisa Niemi
And when you truly are in the here and now, you'll be amazed at what you can do. Peaceful Warrior
Go confidently in the directions of your dreams. Henry David Thoreau.
Shoot for the moon, even if you miss, you'll land among the stars. Les Brown
Just because something is hard doesn't mean you shouldn't try, it just means you should try harder. Unknown
It is said that when you wake up in the morning you have two choices. You can continue your dream in the bed, or you can get up and make your dream become true. Yuan Xingjun
I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do." Leonardo da Vinci
A dream is not what you see in sleep, it is the thing that does not let you sleep." Dr.Kalam
Life's real failure is when you do not realize how close you were to success when you gave up." Anonymous
The limits of your strength are unknown until they are tested. It is in that moment that you'll realize there are no bounds." Kimberly A. Gamble
Success is largely a matter of holding on after others have let go." Anonymous
Have great hopes and dare to go all out for them. Have great dreams and dare to live them. Have tremendous expectations and believe in them." Norman Vincent Peale
Nothing will work unless you do." Maya Angelou
Only as high as I reach can I grow, only as far as I seek can I go, only as deep as I look can I see, only as much as I dream can I be." Karen Ravn
The path to success starts when you stop fearing yourself." Adam H.
I am not afraid. I was born for this. Joan of Arc
Judge each day not by the harvest you reap but by the seeds you plant." Robert Louis Stevenson
One faces the future with one's past. Pearl S. Buck
We don't cross the river by just looking on the other side." Author Unknown
Practice makes perfect. It isn't just a saying; it’s a way of life. Unknown
Our business in life is not to get ahead of others but to get ahead of ourselves - to break our own records, to outstrip our yesterdays by our today; to do the little parts of our work with more force than ever before." Stewart Johnson
Once we accept our limits, we go beyond them. Albert Einstein
Feelings change, Dan. Sometimes sorrow, sometimes joy. But beneath it all remember the innate perfection of your life unfolding. That is the secret of unreasonable happiness. The Way of the Peaceful Warrior, Dan Millman
No one can go back and make a brand new start. Anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending." Unknown
I can do everything I want to do. Carrie Underwood
With God nothing shall be impossible. Luke 1:37
Failure is not an outcome, it is an attitude. Unknown
Focus on your potential instead of your limitations. Alen Loy McGinnis
It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities. J.K. Rowling
If you can't change your fate, change your attitude. Amy Tan
Luck is where opportunity meets preparation. Denzel Washington
Leadership has been defined as the ability to hide your panic from others. Anonymous
Courage is judgement that something else is more important than fear. The brave may not live forever, but the cautious may never live at all. Meg Cabot.
Make the most of yourself by fanning the inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement. Golda Meir
You haven’t lost just because you haven’t medaled. You’ve lost when you know on that day, you could have got up and tried harder on that routine.
The man who goes furthest is generally the one who is willing to do and dare. Dale Carnegie
Anyone can tell you you have to do something, but actually doing it is up to you."Brinna R
What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail? Dr. Robert Schuller
The reason the Indian rain dance works is because they don't stop dancing until it's raining."Author Unknown
Talent overcomes hard work, but when the talented work hard, they can overcome anything."Unknown
Do not be afraid to fall or else you might not ever reach your potential."Terria Sanford
Always concentrate on how far you've come, rather than how far you have left to go. Unknown
Never give up on your dreams, because without your dreams all you're left with is reality."Becky Truenow
Never hold back or you will eventually be held back."Kelsey Jenkins
Can't?...or don't want to?"Unknown
Don't give up; what's the point?"Unknown
There is no such thing as an overachiever."Unknown
It is better to try and fail than to fail to try!"Unknown
The higher the rope, the more thrilling it is to climb. Michelle Gibson
Greatness was never achieved sitting around being lazy. Get up and do something."Andy Z.
I can, I will, Just watch me."A.Odewin
If you take your eyes off your goals, just consider yourself blind. I. Lule
Things don't come easy.It's up to you to make them easy."Unknown
Even if you fall down face first, you've gone forward."Unknown
Take pride in how far you have come, And have faith in how far you can go."Amy Hagan
Aim so high that you'll never get bored."Unknown
Carpe Diem (Latin for seize the day)
Nobody knows to what heights you are going to soar, not even yourself, until you spread your wings and fly. So fly girl, fly! "Unknown
Dare
Responsiblity
Excellence
Action
Motivation
Sacrifice
Bre Coffey
No excuses. Find a way."Unknown
If we all did the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves. Thomas Edison
Make Something Happen!"Bear Bryant
Behind every success are a thousand failures. Behind every missed opportunity are a thousand successes."Unknown
Concentrate on where you want to go, not on what you fear."Anthony Robbins
In the face of adversity, don't blink."Unknown
Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done."Louis D. Brandeis
It's okay to fail but it's not okay to give up."Unknown
The harder you fall, the higher you bounce."Anonymous
One cannot consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar."Helen Keller
Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm." Winston Churchill
When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.” Leonardo Da Vinci
The time when you need to do something is when no one else is willing to do it, when people are saying it can't be done." Will Durrant
I am seeking, I am striving, I am in it with all my heart."Vincent Van Gogh
Forget mistakes. Forget failure. Forget everything except what you are going to do now and do it. Today is your lucky day. Will Durrant
You don't have to be great to get started but you have to get started to be great. Les Brown
Train your head and hands to do, your head and heart to dare. Joseph Seamon Colter, jr.
Every day is a crossroads. Every day is a chance to change your life and our world for the better. Hillary Clinton
Don't wait until you're not afraid of something to do it. Do it despite the fear and you'll start to develop a 'fearlessness muscle' Arianna Huffington
For true success ask your self these four questions: Why? Why not? Why not me? Why not now? James Allen
What I do today is important because I am exchanging a day of my life for it." Hugh Mulligan
Risk is its own reward. Dare to be great."Author Unknown
All greatness is achieved while performing outside your comfort zone." Greg Arnold
Anyone can tell you you have to do something, but actually doing it is up to you."Brinna R
What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail? Dr. Robert Schuller
The reason the Indian rain dance works is because they don't stop dancing until it's raining."Author Unknown
Talent overcomes hard work, but when the talented work hard, they can overcome anything."Unknown
Do not be afraid to fall or else you might not ever reach your potential."Terria Sanford
Always concentrate on how far you've come, rather than how far you have left to go. Unknown
Never give up on your dreams, because without your dreams all you're left with is reality."Becky Truenow
Never hold back or you will eventually be held back."Kelsey Jenkins
Can't?...or don't want to?"Unknown
Don't give up; what's the point?"Unknown
There is no such thing as an overachiever."Unknown
It is better to try and fail than to fail to try!"Unknown
The higher the rope, the more thrilling it is to climb. Michelle Gibson
Greatness was never achieved sitting around being lazy. Get up and do something."Andy Z.
I can, I will, Just watch me."A.Odewin
If you take your eyes off your goals, just consider yourself blind. I. Lule
Things don't come easy.It's up to you to make them easy."Unknown
Even if you fall down face first, you've gone forward."Unknown
Take pride in how far you have come, And have faith in how far you can go."Amy Hagan
Aim so high that you'll never get bored."Unknown
Carpe Diem (Latin for seize the day)
Nobody knows to what heights you are going to soar, not even yourself, until you spread your wings and fly. So fly girl, fly! "Unknown
Dare
Responsiblity
Excellence
Action
Motivation
Sacrifice
Bre Coffey
No excuses. Find a way."Unknown
If we all did the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves. Thomas Edison
Make Something Happen!"Bear Bryant
Behind every success are a thousand failures. Behind every missed opportunity are a thousand successes."Unknown
Concentrate on where you want to go, not on what you fear."Anthony Robbins
In the face of adversity, don't blink."Unknown
Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done."Louis D. Brandeis
It's okay to fail but it's not okay to give up."Unknown
The harder you fall, the higher you bounce."Anonymous
One cannot consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar."Helen Keller
Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm." Winston Churchill
When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.” Leonardo Da Vinci
The time when you need to do something is when no one else is willing to do it, when people are saying it can't be done." Will Durrant
I am seeking, I am striving, I am in it with all my heart."Vincent Van Gogh
Forget mistakes. Forget failure. Forget everything except what you are going to do now and do it. Today is your lucky day. Will Durrant
You don't have to be great to get started but you have to get started to be great. Les Brown
Train your head and hands to do, your head and heart to dare. Joseph Seamon Colter, jr.
Every day is a crossroads. Every day is a chance to change your life and our world for the better. Hillary Clinton
Don't wait until you're not afraid of something to do it. Do it despite the fear and you'll start to develop a 'fearlessness muscle' Arianna Huffington
For true success ask your self these four questions: Why? Why not? Why not me? Why not now? James Allen
What I do today is important because I am exchanging a day of my life for it." Hugh Mulligan
Risk is its own reward. Dare to be great."Author Unknown
All greatness is achieved while performing outside your comfort zone." Greg Arnold
Don't look back unless you want to go back."Phil Harbolt
Everyone is born with talent. Smart people use it."Shane Tickner
As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live." Goethe
When you are exhausted from trying, try just one more time." Chrisse Feros
When was the last time you have done something for the first time? Keep Discovering. Author Unknown
If you don't leap, you'll never know what it's like to fly." Guy Finley
Keep moving. Keep putting one foot in front of the other. Inch by inch, you will get closer to success."Ronnie Nijmeh
The goal is not to limit the losses, but to maximize the risks." unknown\
Sometimes the beginning of a great thing does not have a great beginning." Mike Boggus
Dare to be yourself.
Emerge,
Unfold,
Unveil your possibilities,
But be natural.
Have no pretenses
And show your softer side.
Be content,
But don't forget to dream.
And when you do....SOAR!!!"
--- Author Unknown
Always reach higher than what you can touch." K. Vivian
You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus. Mark Twain
Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood."Marie Curie
You can have anything you want if you will give up the belief that you can't have it."Robert Anthony
In order to get what you've never had, do what you've never done. Tockcey Smith
You don't drown by falling in the water; you drown by staying there."Author Unknown
The jump is so frightening between where I am and where I want to be. But for all I may become, I will close my eyes and leap!" M.C. Hershey
Sometimes only the struggle makes it worth it, only the pain makes it sweet, and only victory is the answer."Author Unknown
True winners are made when nobody is watching."Author Unknown
If you don't push yourself to the limit, how do you know where the limit is?"Kristina K.
When you have worked this hard to get this far, don't let up because you finally got here. Finish with your heart and fulfill this moment the way you have dreamt of it for so long." Kristen K.
There's one thing stands between you and success and that's fear."Brent R.
Never do less than what is always expected, but always do more than what never is."Manuel Oshoa
If it were easy, we wouldn't learn."Author Unknown
Today's a perfect day. You woke up and you started the day like it was meant to be. Today's perfect!"Trottys
Don't reach for the stars, leap over them."Author Unknown
The only way you can fail is by giving up. Work hard and greatness will come. Be lazy and you'll regret not working hard." Max Amillion
Life is all about risks and it requires you to jump. Author Unknown
The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that our aim is too low and we get it!!" Michaelangelo
Everyone is born with talent. Smart people use it."Shane Tickner
As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live." Goethe
When you are exhausted from trying, try just one more time." Chrisse Feros
When was the last time you have done something for the first time? Keep Discovering. Author Unknown
If you don't leap, you'll never know what it's like to fly." Guy Finley
Keep moving. Keep putting one foot in front of the other. Inch by inch, you will get closer to success."Ronnie Nijmeh
The goal is not to limit the losses, but to maximize the risks." unknown\
Sometimes the beginning of a great thing does not have a great beginning." Mike Boggus
Dare to be yourself.
Emerge,
Unfold,
Unveil your possibilities,
But be natural.
Have no pretenses
And show your softer side.
Be content,
But don't forget to dream.
And when you do....SOAR!!!"
--- Author Unknown
Always reach higher than what you can touch." K. Vivian
You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus. Mark Twain
Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood."Marie Curie
You can have anything you want if you will give up the belief that you can't have it."Robert Anthony
In order to get what you've never had, do what you've never done. Tockcey Smith
You don't drown by falling in the water; you drown by staying there."Author Unknown
The jump is so frightening between where I am and where I want to be. But for all I may become, I will close my eyes and leap!" M.C. Hershey
Sometimes only the struggle makes it worth it, only the pain makes it sweet, and only victory is the answer."Author Unknown
True winners are made when nobody is watching."Author Unknown
If you don't push yourself to the limit, how do you know where the limit is?"Kristina K.
When you have worked this hard to get this far, don't let up because you finally got here. Finish with your heart and fulfill this moment the way you have dreamt of it for so long." Kristen K.
There's one thing stands between you and success and that's fear."Brent R.
Never do less than what is always expected, but always do more than what never is."Manuel Oshoa
If it were easy, we wouldn't learn."Author Unknown
Today's a perfect day. You woke up and you started the day like it was meant to be. Today's perfect!"Trottys
Don't reach for the stars, leap over them."Author Unknown
The only way you can fail is by giving up. Work hard and greatness will come. Be lazy and you'll regret not working hard." Max Amillion
Life is all about risks and it requires you to jump. Author Unknown
The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that our aim is too low and we get it!!" Michaelangelo
The only one who can tell you 'you can't ' is you. And you don't have to listen."Nike
Gold medals don't make champions . . . hard work does.Unknown
If you train hard, you’ll not only be hard, you’ll be hard to beat. Herschell Walker
It is better to fall short of a high mark than to reach a low one. H. C. Payne
I can accept failure. Everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying.
Michael Jordan
It isn't hard to be good from time to time in sports.What's tough is being good every day. Willie Mays
You are never a loser until you quit trying. Mike Ditka
Somebody somewhere said,'I don't care if this is nuts and I don't care if it hurts. I'm doing it. I'm going to climb this insanely high mountain. Watch me." Stick It
Energy and persistence conquer all things. Benjamin Franklin
The future depends on what we do in the present. Mahatma Gandhi
Laziness is nothing more than the habit of resting before you get tired. Jules Renard
The will to win means nothing if you haven't the will to prepare. Juma Ikangaa
It's lack of faith that makes people afraid of meeting challenges, and I believed in myself. Muhammed Ali
It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop. Confucius
If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. William Edward Hickson
Reaching for something in the distance/so close you can almost taste it/Release your inhibitions! 'Unwritten', Natasha Bedingfield.
To do a common thing, uncommonly well, brings success. Henry John Heinz
Do a little more each day than you think you possibly can. Lowell Thomas
Who is stopping you but you? Dr. Virginia Satire
If you don't attempt to get over your doubts and fears, you'll never discover how wonderful it is to live without them. Colin McArty
The appetite of the lazy craves, and gets nothing, while the appetite of the diligent is richly supplied. Proverbs 13:4
Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence. Vince Lombardi
Obsessed is just a word the lazy use to describe the dedicated. Unknown Author
People begin to become successful the minute they decide to be. Harvey Mackay
I may not be there yet, but I'm closer than I was yesterday. Unknown Author
Set your goals high, and don't stop til you get there. Bo Jackson
Come on, come on / Jump a little higher "" 'Accidentally In Love'
Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do. John Wooden
Your goals, minus your doubts, equal your reality. Ralph Marston
Even if you are on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there."Will Rogers
If you aren't going all the way, why go at all? Joe Namath
You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them. Michael Jordan
Whether you think you can or you can't, you're probably right." Henry Ford
Always do what you are afraid to do." Ralph Waldo Emerson
Don't be afraid to fail. Be afraid not to try."Michael Jordan
Whenever you do a thing, act as if all the world were watching. Thomas Jefferson
It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves. Sir Edmund Hillary
Don't just bother to be better than your contemperaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself. William Faulkner
Never underestimate the heart of a champion. Rudy Tomjanovich
Don't ever try. Do it or don't."Sven Grodem
When odds are against me, I prove them wrong. When all else fails, I succeed. When all turns to ash, from it I rise. So it doesn't matter what you throw at me or what you do, I will rise above it. Unknown
To accomplish great things we must not only act, but dream. Not only plan, but also believe. Anatole France
Never let yesterday's disappointments overshadow tomorrow's dreams. Unknown
Gold medals don't make champions . . . hard work does.Unknown
If you train hard, you’ll not only be hard, you’ll be hard to beat. Herschell Walker
It is better to fall short of a high mark than to reach a low one. H. C. Payne
I can accept failure. Everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying.
Michael Jordan
It isn't hard to be good from time to time in sports.What's tough is being good every day. Willie Mays
You are never a loser until you quit trying. Mike Ditka
Somebody somewhere said,'I don't care if this is nuts and I don't care if it hurts. I'm doing it. I'm going to climb this insanely high mountain. Watch me." Stick It
Energy and persistence conquer all things. Benjamin Franklin
The future depends on what we do in the present. Mahatma Gandhi
Laziness is nothing more than the habit of resting before you get tired. Jules Renard
The will to win means nothing if you haven't the will to prepare. Juma Ikangaa
It's lack of faith that makes people afraid of meeting challenges, and I believed in myself. Muhammed Ali
It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop. Confucius
If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. William Edward Hickson
Reaching for something in the distance/so close you can almost taste it/Release your inhibitions! 'Unwritten', Natasha Bedingfield.
To do a common thing, uncommonly well, brings success. Henry John Heinz
Do a little more each day than you think you possibly can. Lowell Thomas
Who is stopping you but you? Dr. Virginia Satire
If you don't attempt to get over your doubts and fears, you'll never discover how wonderful it is to live without them. Colin McArty
The appetite of the lazy craves, and gets nothing, while the appetite of the diligent is richly supplied. Proverbs 13:4
Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence. Vince Lombardi
Obsessed is just a word the lazy use to describe the dedicated. Unknown Author
People begin to become successful the minute they decide to be. Harvey Mackay
I may not be there yet, but I'm closer than I was yesterday. Unknown Author
Set your goals high, and don't stop til you get there. Bo Jackson
Come on, come on / Jump a little higher "" 'Accidentally In Love'
Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do. John Wooden
Your goals, minus your doubts, equal your reality. Ralph Marston
Even if you are on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there."Will Rogers
If you aren't going all the way, why go at all? Joe Namath
You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them. Michael Jordan
Whether you think you can or you can't, you're probably right." Henry Ford
Always do what you are afraid to do." Ralph Waldo Emerson
Don't be afraid to fail. Be afraid not to try."Michael Jordan
Whenever you do a thing, act as if all the world were watching. Thomas Jefferson
It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves. Sir Edmund Hillary
Don't just bother to be better than your contemperaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself. William Faulkner
Never underestimate the heart of a champion. Rudy Tomjanovich
Don't ever try. Do it or don't."Sven Grodem
When odds are against me, I prove them wrong. When all else fails, I succeed. When all turns to ash, from it I rise. So it doesn't matter what you throw at me or what you do, I will rise above it. Unknown
To accomplish great things we must not only act, but dream. Not only plan, but also believe. Anatole France
Never let yesterday's disappointments overshadow tomorrow's dreams. Unknown
"If you don't leap, you'll never know what it's like to fly." -Guy
Finley
"You don't drown by falling in the water; you drown by staying
there."
When life hands you lemons, say I like lemons, what else do you have? third sisterhood of traveling pants
Aerodynamically, bumblebees shouldn't be able to fly, but they don't know that so they continue flying anyway. third sisterhood of traveling pants
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit. Aristotle
When all else fails, try doing what your coach suggested. ten.o t-shirt
If gymnastics were easy, it would be called football. ten.o
10% talent, 90% hard work. Unknown
Winners train, whiners complain. ten.o
Lord, keep you arm around my shoulders and my feet on the beam. ten.o
Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. Teddy Roosevelt
We have nothing to fear but fear itself. Franklin D. Roosevelt
You gonna eat mat, you eat mat hard. Stick It
First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do. Epcitetus
There are always two choices, two paths to take. One is easy. And its only reward is that it's easy. Unknown
Continuous improvement comes from the willingness to raise the bar each time a goal is met. Unknown
Everyone gets scared, and everyone falls. The key is to get right back up and try again. Shannon Miller
The higher we soar, the smaller we appear to those who cannot fly. Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsch
Enjoy the successes that you have, and don't be too hard on yourself when you don't do well. Too many times we beat up on ourselves. Just relax and enjoy it. Patty Sheehan
You've got to get to the stage in life where going for it is more important than winning or losing. Arthur Ashe
Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall. Confucius
The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible. Arthur C. Clarke
Fall seven times, stand up eight. Japanese proverb
Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true. Leon J. Suenes
The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in a thing makes it happen. Frank Loyd Wright
"Gymnastics: Flying without wings."
When you're feeling down because your body hurts
When your hands are torn and your muscles ache
When the beam's so high and you feel you'll fall
When you feel you can't and want to stop it all
When the spring floor feels like concrete
When you feel you're spent and can't compete
And the bars, they seem so wide apart
And vaulting now is not in your heart
When all of this makes you feel like the pits
It's time to relax and think a bit
Of the hours and hours of hard work put in
It's time to collect the dividend
You know why you're here, what it's all about
You know there's no time at all for self-doubt
So get up, with both your body and your mind
And keep it going because you're going to find...
YOU CAN...you can do it with a little more grit
Get up, breathe deep - and GO FOR IT!!
What I Love
When you're heart's pounding
And you just want to stop
Go back home
Sit in your room and rot
When you feel it's not there
Not even way down deep
And you just want to
Call it quits and weep
You've got to remember
It's what you love
Going hard
And flying high above
Think of all those hours
Spent in the gym
Working hard all for
That one big win
When you're about to freeze
Before doing something new
Hear this in your head,
"It's what I love, it's what I do"
The Beast
Homework is done, time to get in the car
Back out of the driveway, the gym’s not that far
Heading down the road, my stomach’s in a knot
What group will I have, do they know I need a spot?
Slouching in the back seat, staring out into space
I used to be excited, but now that’s not the case
Mom interrupts, “let’s go honey, we’re running a bit late”
I snap out of my trance, not feeling too great.
Walking through the door, my palms feeling wet
Nodding at some friends, stretch hasn’t started just yet
Put my bag in the cubby, then on the floor to run,
My eyes glance at beam, this wont be much fun
You see I’m level 7 now and struggling with a new skill
I’m not even 12 years old, but I feel over the hill
It’s the back handspring on beam that’s dragging me down
Haven’t smiled in weeks, have a permanent frown
The groups have been split, level 7’s to BEAM
It could not have been worse, it’s like a bad dream
As we walk on over, I stare at the beast
Of all the events, I love you the least
Coach’s eyes meet mine, “go warm up your back”
“What a great opportunity, to get you on track”
Does he know that I’m scared, having a panic attack?
I have the desire, it’s the courage I lack
It’s my turn to go, I’m trying not to cry
My eyes feel wet, my throat is so dry
As I climb on the beam, my mind filled with fears
I set to go and….get nothing but tears
As a tear hits the beam, I’m in a frozen trance
My heart wants to go, my mind says no chance
Coach says “get down, let me explain something to you”
“When level 10’s are afraid, this is what they do”
“They SET and they GO, they don’t stop to think”
“Their arms go up, they jump back in a blink”
“They tighten their mind, if they hesitate they know”
“The fear will get in, then they just won’t go”
“Use your natural ability, you’ll know what to do”
“You have to trust yourself, as much as we trust you”
“Take a deep breath, and so there’s no misunderstanding”
“The only thought you should have, is to stick your landing”
Back up on the beam, moving kind of slow
My mind starts racing, then I hear “Set…go”
Wipe my hands on my legs, raise my arms over head
This is the moment I always freeze, but this time, instead..
I flew up, arched back, my hands hit just right
As I fly over, I push hard and I fight to stay tight
And in an instant, and to the amazement of all
I had done a back handspring, I did not fall!
My teammates are all cheering, from coach a warm smile
I stuck it, I stuck it, I’m staying up here a while!
So the beast is gone, and now I love beam
It was in me the whole time, or so it would seem
Even though “SET…GO helped me, to get over my fear
There was something special, that I needed to hear
I knew all along, what I was supposed to do
But what really gave me courage, were the words “We trust you”
-unknown
A BLUEPRINT FOR ACHIEVEMENT
BELIEVE while others are doubting.
PLAN while others are playing.
STUDY while others are sleeping.
DECIDE while others are delaying.
PREPARE while others are daydreaming.
BEGIN while others are procrastinating.
WORK while others are wishing.
SAVE while others are wasting.
LISTEN while others are talking.
SMILE while others are pouting.
COMMEND while others are criticizing.
PERSIST while others are quitting
How can you get very far, If you don't know who you are?
How can you do what you ought,
If you don't know what you got?
And if you don't know which to do
Of all the things in front of you,
Then what you'll have when you're when you are through
Is just a mess without a clue.
Of all the best that can come true
If you know what and which and who.
Only as high
as I reach
can I grow,
Only as far
as I seek
can I go,
Only as deep
as I look
can I see,
Only as much
as I dream
can I be.
" To win without risk, is to triumph without glory "
" Face each day with the expectation of acheiving good,
rather than the dread of falling short "
" The difficult is really a step away, the impossible is two "
" A winner is an angry loser, who has came back to succeed "
" Motivation is a fire that is lit from within. If someone else tries to light the fire,
chances are, it will burn very briefly. "
" F.E.A.R. = False. Evidence. Appearing. Real."
" Never let yesterday's disapointments overshadow tommorow's dreams "
" You are not a failure, until you fail to try "
Find something good in every mistake
Be your own best expert
Turn weaknesses into strengths
Be willing to work hard
Be open to new ideas
Tough times don't last; tough people do
The greatest glory is not ever falling, but rising
every time you fall
Never let yesterday's disappointments overshadow
tomorrow's dreams
A problem is a chance to do your best
Nothing great was ever achieved without dedication
ATTITUDE
The longer I live the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.
Attitude, to me, is more important than facts,
than education,
than money,
than circumstance,
than failures,
than success,
than what other people think
or say or do.
It is more important than appearcance,
giftedness or skill.
It will make or break a company...
a church...a home.
The remarkable thing is that we have a choice
everyday regarding the attitude we will
embrace for that day.
We cannot change our past...
we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way.
We cannot change the ineveitable.
The only thing that we can do is play on the one string we have,
and that is our attitude...
I am convinced that life is 10%
what happens to me
and 90% how I react to it.
And so it is with you...
Patience
Patience is man's greatest virtue,
or so the saying goes.
A gymnast must have said it,
for a gymnast surely know.
That in this funny sport of ours,
discouragement runs high.
And at times the very best may find
this virtue's passed them by.
When hands are ripped and throbbing,
and every muscle's sore,
Can a gymnast still have patience,
to limp back in for more?
When you've lost old moves you used to do,
and progress seems so slow,
Can you still have faith in better days
and not feel so sad and low?
Can you admit you're firghtened,
yet not give in to fear?
Can you conquer pain, frustraion,
and often even tears?
When someone else does something,
you've tried so long to do,
Can you feel happy for them,
and not just pity for you?
If despite the tribulations
you can say I will not give in,
Maybe you'll discover
that it is your turn to win.
"Don't Quit"
When things go wrong,
As they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must-but don't you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As everyone of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When we might have won had we stuck it out;
Don't give up, though the pace seems slow-
You might succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than
It seems to a faint and faltering man.
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor's cup.
And he learned too late, when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out-
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt.
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit-
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.
When you're feelin' down and your body hurts
When your hands are torn and your muscles ache,
When the beam's so high and you feel you'll fall,
When you feel you can't and want to stop it all,
When the spring floor feels like concrete
When you feel you're spent and can't compete,
And the bars, they seem so wide apart,
And it all just isn't in your heart
When all of this makes you feel like the pits,
It's time to relax and think a bit,
Of the hours and hours of work put in,
It's time to collect the dividend
You know why you are here, what it's all about
You know there's no time for self doubt
So get up, with your body and your mind,
And keep goin', 'cause you're gonna find
You can do it with a little more grit
So get up, breathe deep and GO FOR IT!!!!
Add iron and steel
To beauty and grace
Stir in the will to win
With a bright smiling face
Blend in love
For a Sport
And a friendship within
Fold in bruises and bumps
On the surface of skin
Mix in soft flowing arms
And straight pointed toes
With a twist of the head
To complete the pose
Pour in loyalty and dedication
For the rest of the team
For the gymnast is striving
To fulfill
A dream
The Walk Of A Lifetime
Walking a balance beam 4 inches wide and 4 feet high
teaches a young girl to concentrate on where she is going in life.
She quickly learns how to put her foot down...
and when to leap for her dreams.
Gymnastics gives young girls the tools they need to build a successful future:
The courage to explore unique talents.
The confidence to set lofty goals.
The creativity to reach them.
Above all, it develops the discipline to achieve.
| Show me a guy whos afraid to look bad, and I'll show you a guy you can beat every time. -Lou Brock Dont look back. Something might be gaining on you. -Satchel Paige If at first you dont succeed, you are running about average. -M.H. Alderson When someone tells me the is only one way to do things, it always lights a fire under my butt. My instant reaction is, I'm gonna prove you wrong. -Picabo Street |
The only way to overcome is to hang in. Even I'm starting to believe that.
-Dan OBrien
-Dan OBrien
When you're riding, only the race in which you're riding is important.
-Bill Shoemaker
It is a rough road that leads to the heights of greatness.
-Seneca
The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don't play together, the club wont be worth a dime.
-Babe ruth
The day you take complete responsibility for yourself, the day you stop making any excuses, thats the day you start to the top.
-O.J. Simpson
The country is full of good coaches. What it takes to win is a bunch of interested players.
-Don Coryell, ex-San Diego Chargers Coach
When you're playing against a stacked deck, compete even harder. Show the world how much you'll fight for the winners circle. If you do, someday the cellophane will crackle off a fresh pack, one that belongs to you, and the cards will be stacked in your favor.
-Pat Riley
-Bill Shoemaker
It is a rough road that leads to the heights of greatness.
-Seneca
The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don't play together, the club wont be worth a dime.
-Babe ruth
The day you take complete responsibility for yourself, the day you stop making any excuses, thats the day you start to the top.
-O.J. Simpson
The country is full of good coaches. What it takes to win is a bunch of interested players.
-Don Coryell, ex-San Diego Chargers Coach
When you're playing against a stacked deck, compete even harder. Show the world how much you'll fight for the winners circle. If you do, someday the cellophane will crackle off a fresh pack, one that belongs to you, and the cards will be stacked in your favor.
-Pat Riley
Adversity cause some men to break; others to break records.
-William A. Ward
Sweat plus sacrifice equals success.
-Charlie Finley
You have no control over what the other guy does. You only have control over what you do.
-A J Kitt
It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog.
-Archie Griffen, two-time Heisman winner ( 5ft 9)
There's no substitute for guts.
-Paul Bear Bryant
I really lack the words to compliment myself today.
-Alberto Tomba
How you respond to the challenge in the second half will determine what you become after the game, whether you are a winner or a loser.
-Lou Holtz
My motto was always to keep swinging. Whether I was in a slump or feeling badly or having trouble off the field, the only thing to do was keep swinging
-Hank Aaron
Besides pride, loyalty, discipline, heart, and mind, confidence is the key to all the locks.
-Joe Paterno
The will to win is important, but the will to prepare is vital.
-Joe Paterno
It's lack of faith that makes people afraid of meeting challenges, and I believed in myself.
-Muhammad Ali
Power is not revealed by striking hard or often, but by striking true.
-Honore de Balzac
The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that
whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.
-Vince Lombardi
You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.
-Michael Jordan
Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.
-John Wooden
If you train hard, you'll not only be hard, you'll be hard to beat.
-Herschel Walker
whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.
-Vince Lombardi
You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.
-Michael Jordan
Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.
-John Wooden
If you train hard, you'll not only be hard, you'll be hard to beat.
-Herschel Walker
The minute you start talking about what you're going to do if you lose, you have lost.
-George Shultz
Perhaps the single most important element in mastering the techniques and tactics of racing is experience. But once you have the fundamentals, acquiring the experience is a matter of time.
-Greg LeMond
To succeed...You need to find something to hold on to, something to motivate you, something to inspire you.
-Tony Dorsett
Ask not what your teammates can do for you. Ask what you can do for your teammates.
-Magic Johnson
Set your goals high, and dont stop till you get there.
-Bo Jackson
I learned that if you want to make it bad enough, no matter how bad it is, you can make it.
-Gale Sayers
The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a mans determination
-Tommy Lasorda
Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.
-Coach Darrel Royal
You can become a winner only if you are willing to walk over the edge.
-Damon Runyon
It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired you quit when the gorilla is tired.
-Robert Strauss
If you can believe it, the mind can achieve it.
-Ronnie Lott
The principle is competing against yourself. It's about self-improvement, about being better than you were the day before.
-Steve Young
-Steve Young
I know that Im never as good or bad as any single performance. Ive never believed my critics or my worshippers, and I've always
been able to leave the game at the arena.
-Charles Barkley
Whats the worst thing that can happen to a quarterback? He loses his confidence.
-Terry Bradshaw
Ain't no chance if you dont take it.
-Guy Clark
In war there is no substitute for victory.
-Douglas MacArthur
| You need to play with supreme confidence, or else you'll lose again, and then losing becomes a habit. -Joe Paterno You have to perform at a consistently higher level than others. Thats the mark of a true professional. -Joe Paterno Concentration is the ability to think about absolutely nothing when it is absolutely necessary. -Ray Knight To be prepared is half the victory. -Miguel Cervantes |
The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.
-Vidal Sassoon
The best and fastest way to learn a sport is to watch and imitate a champion.
-Jean-Claude Killy
Everyone has limits on the time they can devote to exercise, and cross-training simply gives you the best return on your investmentbalanced fitness with minimum injury risk and maximum fun.
-Paula Newby-Fraser
Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fearnot absence of fear.
-Mark Twain
Courage is the price that life exacts for granting peace.
-Amelia Earhart
Before you can win a game, you have to not lose it.
-Chuck Noll, ex-Pittsburgh Steelers Coach
When you're are playing for the national championship, it's not a matter of life or death. Its more important than that.
-Duffy Daugherty
The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will.
-Vincent T. Lombardi
My thoughts before a big race are usually pretty simple. I tell myself: Get out of the blocks, run your race, stay relaxed. If you run your race, you'll win....Channel your energy. Focus.
-Carl Lewis
The winners in life think constantly in terms of I can, I will, and I am. Losers, on the other hand, concentrate their waking thoughts on what they should have or would have done, or what they can't do.
-Dennis Waitley
There are only two options regarding commitment. You're either IN or youre OUT. There is no such thing as life in-between.
-Pat Riley
The game isn't over till it's over.
-Yogi Berra
Ingenuity, plus courage, plus work, equals miracles.
-Bob Richards, Pole Vaulter
It's what you learn after you know it all that counts.
-John Wooden
I'll always be Number 1 to myself.
-Moses Malone
I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.
-Thomas Jefferson
Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.
-Thomas Edison
You learn you can do your best even when its hard, even when you're tired and maybe hurting a little bit. It feels good to show some courage.
-Joe Namath
If you don't do whats best for your body, you're the one who comes up on the short end.
-Julius Erving
If you set a goal for yourself and are able to achieve it, you have won your race. Your goal can be to come in first, to improve your performance, or just finish the raceits up to you.
-Dave Scott, Triathlete
I've always made a total effort, even when the odds seemed entirely against me. I never quit trying; I never felt that I didnt have a chance to win.
-Arnold Palmer
Each Warrior wants to leave the mark of his will, his signature, on important acts he touches. This is not the voice of ego but of the human spirit, rising up and declaring that it has something to contribute to the solution of the hardest problems, no matter how vexing!
-Pat Riley
If you chase two rabbits, both will escape.
-Author unknown
Even if you are on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there.
-Will Rogers
I will always be someone who wants to do better than others. I love competition.
-Jean-Claude Killy
Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance.
-Samuel Johnson
Other people may not have had high expectations for me... but I had high expectations for myself.
-Shannon Miller
I always felt that my greatest asset was not my physical ability, it was my mental ability.
-Bruce Jenner
In order to win you must be prepared to lose sometime. And leave one or two cards showing.
-Van Morrison
He who stops being better stops being good.
-Oliver Cromwell
