SALT LAKE CITY — Stephen R. Covey, who taught the world to be highly effective at home and at work, would have turned 85 on Oct. 24.
The beloved Utah businessman and author died three months after a cycling accident in 2012, but his legacy endures, not only through his best-selling books but through his social media channels that remain active.
In honor of Covey's birthday, here are 24 of the best things the author of "The 7 Habits of High Effective People" ever said or wrote.
“Between what happens to us — that is the stimulus — and our response is a space. In that space lies our power and our freedom to choose our response. And in those choices lie our growth and our happiness.” ("Make Your Own Weather" video, Franklincovey.com)
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"Setbacks are inevitable. Misery is a choice." (The 8th Habit)
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"Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” (The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People)
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“Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough time on what is important.” (The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People)
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“I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions.” (The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People)
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"My friend, love is a verb. Love — the feeling — is a fruit of love, the verb." (The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People)
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"You have to decide what your highest priorities are and have the courage — pleasantly, smilingly, nonapologetically, to say 'no' to other things. And the way you do that is by having a bigger 'yes' burning inside." (The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People)
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"We are not human beings on a spiritual journey. We are spiritual beings on a human journey.” (The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People)
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"I think the most significant work we'll do in our whole life, in our whole world is done within the four walls of our home.” (The Wisdom and Teachings of Stephen R. Covey)
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"To retain the trust of those who are present, be loyal to those who are absent.” (The Wisdom and Teachings of Stephen R. Covey)
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"Principles are not values. A gang of thieves can share values, but they are in violation of the fundamental principles we're talking about. Principles are the territory. Values are maps." (The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People)
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"If you organize your family life to spend even 10 or 15 minutes a morning reading something that connects you with these timeless principles, it's almost guaranteed that you will make better choices during the day — in the family, on the job, in every dimension of life." (The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families)
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“Nothing energizes, unites and satisfies the family like working together to make a significant contribution.” (The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families)
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“The interesting thing is that, like it or not, you are a model. And if you’re a parent, you are your children’s first and foremost model.” (The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families)
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“The key to your family culture is how you treat the child that tests you the most.” (The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families)
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"If you adopt a pattern of life that focuses on golden eggs and neglects the goose, you will soon be without the asset that produces golden eggs." (The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People)
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"The root cause of almost all people problems is the basic communication problem — people do not listen with empathy." (Principle-Centered Leadership)
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"Be patient with yourself. Self-growth is tender; it’s holy ground. There’s no greater investment.” (The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People)
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"I strongly believe that we should turn the TV way down in our lives and get back to reading – reading broadly, deeply, outside our comfort zones and outside our professional fields." (The Eighth Habit. To see the books Covey recommends, see his list at Stephencovey.com.)
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"Private victories precede public victories." (The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People)
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"The core of any family is what is changeless, what is always going to be there — shared vision and values. By writing a family mission statement, you give expression to its true foundation." (The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families)
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"Look at the weaknesses of others with compassion, not accusation. It’s not what they’re doing or should be doing that’s the issue. The issue is your own chosen response to the situation and what you should be doing." (The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.)
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"To knowingly take things into the body that are harmful or addicting is foolishness. More people in America die of overeating than of hunger." (Principle-Centered Leadership)
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"Good families, even great families, are off track 90 percent of the time. The key is that they have a sense of destination. They know what the 'track' looks like. And they keep coming back to it time and time again." (The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families)