Les Brown Quotes

I want to do work of meaning that speaks to a greater depth of who I am.

You want to make decisions that are meaningful to you, and that are going to continue to enhance you being who you really are and what your message to the world is, and everybody has one. The real important thing is to know what that message is and how you want to carry that forward.

I'm on this search trying to figure out exactly who I am and what I have to say to people.

We get so swept up in sort of what the media tells us to care about and all these other influences that we really have to dig down deep and figure out what is it that we as human beings really care about and want for ourselves. When you figure that out, you see who you really are.

If you can understand the inner life, then you can wear the uniform, the tattoos, or whatnot and realize that the things that are different about us become superficial.

You have got to discover you, what you do, and trust it.

How you go about moving within the world you live in says so much about who you are.

I see people as being what their personality is at the moment of expression.

Sports don't define us; it is not what we live for.

Never think you can separate who you are from what you're doing.

Tennis is great, but it doesn't necessarily define me.

I know what really matters in my life.

First and foremost, you do not have to live up to or emulate the lives of any of your predecessors. But at the very least, you should know about them. You will have your own life, interests, and ideas of what you want or do not want in life. Do what you enjoy doing. Be honest with yourself and others. Don't think of satisfying anyone: your elders, peers, government, religion, or children who will come after you. Develop meaningful ideals, and become conscious of others, their existence, and their lives.

To be mature you have to realize what you value most... Not to arrive at a clear understanding of one's own values is a tragic waste. You have missed the whole point of what life is for.

No matter what happens in life, never lose sight of who you are.

What does it mean to be yourself?” he asked. “If it means to do what you think you ought to do, then you’re doing that already. If it means to act like you’re exempt from society’s influence, that’s the worst advice in the world; you would probably stop bathing and wearing clothes. The advice to ‘be yourself’ is obviously nonsense. But our brains accept this tripe as wisdom because it is more comfortable to believe we have a strategy for life than to believe we have no idea how to behave.

My work is trying to at least define myself on my own terms, and then if other people enjoy things that's a lovely addition.

Make a list of what is really important to you. Embody it.

What I know for sure: Often we don't even realize who we're meant to be because we're so busy trying to live out someone else's ideas. But other people and their opinions hold no power in defining our destiny.

Do be true to yourself, whether it's bad doesn't matter. The important thing - you have to copy while you're studying. And culture is - each of us - is like one pearl added to another to make a chain. We each contribute to the other. And that's all right. But once you're on your own, do that which comes from within. And I feel this very strongly.

when asked, most folks will gladly tell us about ourselves, who we are, what we're feeling, and where we should be heading. And if we don't honor ourselves by listening to our lives, we'll believe them.

Figure out whether or not you believe in yourself, and if you don't, find a way to. Because even more than you want it, you must believe it. And learn about yourself. The rhythm of one's spirit is just as important as what you look like or what you sound like. Who are you? What's your voice? What are you dying to contribute?

Before his death, Rabbi Zusya said "In the coming world, they will not ask me: 'Why were you not Moses?' They will ask me: 'Why were you not Zusya?

It's important to be self-aware about what people are saying about you, but even more so, be very aware of who you actually are, and to have that be the main priority.

The biggest mistake we make in creating successful relationships is that we seek to experience who we are through others rather than allowing others to experience who they are through us.