This week we gave NAPA Net readers the opportunity to weigh in, and vote as to which word(s) of wisdom they found most inspiring. This is, of course, the time of year when graduation speakers seek to influence and inspire graduates. Some do, and some don’t, of course. After a time most of the words fade, but some bring with them that rare insight or sharing of experience that give them a resonance beyond a single graduation speech.
The most highly voted quote was:
- “A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds,” by Francis Bacon.
The rest of the top five quotes that readers said inspired them were:
- “If you aren’t fired with enthusiasm, you will be fired with enthusiasm.”— Vince Lombardi
- “Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” — Dr. Seuss
- “Keep in mind that neither success nor failure is ever final.” — Roger Babson
- “Things turn out best for the people who make the best out of the way things turn out.” — Art Linkletter
And if that’s not inspirational enough, here’s the rest of the top 20:
- “What we are is God’s gift to us. What we become is our gift to God.” — Eleanor Powell
- “Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.” — Judy Garland
- “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” — Les Brown
- “In the business world, everyone is paid in two coins: cash and experience. Take the experience first; the cash will come later.” — Harold Gen
- “Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.” — Albert Einstein
- “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” — Henry Stanley Haskins
- “Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
- “Do not follow where the path may lead. Go, instead, where there is no path and leave a trail.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
- “My father always told me, "Find a job you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life." — Jim Fox
- “It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” — e.e. cummings
- “If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” — Milton Berle
- “We cannot direct the wind but we can adjust the sails.” — Author Unknown
- “The trouble with learning from experience is that you never graduate.” — Doug Larson
- “Excellence is not a skill. It is an attitude.” — Ralph Marston
- “It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.” — Edmund Hillary
Thanks to everyone who participated in our weekly poll. Got a suggestion for a future poll? Email me at [email protected], or post it in the comments section below.
