Edward Whitacre Jr. Quotes

A lot of things have been thrown at me in life, and I've got through it all without a rule book, taking it one day at a time.

You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself. That is something you have charge of.

Do you know how many times my career has been close to rock bottom? Each time, I was like, 'Girl, figure it out. Reinvent yourself.' Just the other day, I was having lunch with my mom, and she said, 'You've taught me so much. You are so resilient.'

I could sit around and cry about losing jobs because I'm not a TV star, or I could go and take something into my own hands and try to make it in this world, too.

Your ability to adapt to failure, and navigate your way out of it, absolutely 100 percent makes you who you are.

I just try to do what I can, control what I can, and let the rest handle itself.

A disability can be anything that you are insecure about, and I teach people that when challenges come your way, you need to face them, you need to embrace these new norms and these challenges, and you need to defy them and conquer them.

I am not a victim. I do not blame anyone for the circumstances of my life.

Life isn't always great, but it's all about how we react to things.

Do you know how many times my career has been close to rock bottom? Each time, I was like, 'Girl, figure it out. Reinvent yourself.'

I am someone who always gets up again, even if there are setbacks. I have a survivor instinct. I'm not sure where it comes from, but probably from all the little things that make you into who you are.

I'm a big believer in the idea that while we are the sum of our tears, we are also the product of our choices in how we deal with those tears.

They, that unnamed 'they,' they've knocked me down but I got up. I always get up-and I swear when I went down quite often I took the fall; nothing moves a mountain but itself. They, I've long ago named them me.

Instead of focusing on that circumstances that you cannot change - focus strongly and powerfully on the circumstances that you can.

The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure, the process is its own reward.

The important thing to know is that life will always deal us a few bad cards, but we have to play those cards the best we can. And we can play to win. This was one lesson I picked up when I was a teenager. It has been my guiding principle ever since. When I wanted something, the best person to depend on was myself.

When you're doing what you love to do, you become resilient. You create a habit of taking chances on yourself. If you do what's expected of you, and things go poorly, you will look to external sources for what to do next, because that will be your habit. You will be standing there frozen. If you are just filling a role, you will be blindsided.

But I've had to act and not depend on my voice so much.

Once you lose everything, what's the worst that's going to happen to you? You develop a self-assurance.

The important thing isn't the house. It's the ability to make it. You carry that in your brains and in your hands, wherever you go... It's one thing to carry your life wherever you go. Another thing to always go looking for it somewhere else.

In my life I had no other choice than to become a strong person.

If anything, my mother taught me how to sur-thrive. That's my word for it.

Even if it's not what you planned, you can make a life for yourself on your own and be happy.

I've taken my destiny into my own hands and I'm in a happy place.

I'm a fighter and not a victim. Think of yourself and make the most of life.