7 Favorite Will Rogers Quotes
Will Rogers, born in the Cherokee Nation, Indian Territory in 1879, was many things—actor, cowboy, humorist, columnist, even a vaudeville performer. With the moniker “Oklahoma’s Favorite Son,” he was famous and beloved by the American public. Rogers became a social commentator who penned over 4,000 newspaper columns. His quaint yet pithy aphorisms were often nostalgic and usually amusing. He died in 1935 in a plane crash in Alaska.
Here are seven of my favorite quotes from this witty observer of life.
“Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.”
Experience teaches lessons we can’t learn any other way, and some experiences turn out better than others. Outcomes we consider mistakes and failures can show us how to do things better to avoid poor decisions and blunders in the future.
Sometimes poor judgment leads to gaffes or serious errors—but we should learn from those situations. Let your bad judgment tutor your good judgment. The thing to avoid is making the same mistakes over-and-over.
“Don't let yesterday use up too much of today.”
Many people are preoccupied with the past, either re-experiencing successes or worrying about failures and regretting missed opportunities. Regrets can seize you and keep you in the past holding you back.
Recalling the past is fine but dwelling there is not. You can’t be present in your now while dwelling in your past.
Your victories should motivate you, and you can learn from yesterday’s mistakes. But, you have more contributions to make, so be fully present today.
“You've got to go out on a limb sometimes because that's where the fruit is.”
There’s a reason we call the comfort zone the comfort zone: it’s comfortable there. Rogers was saying that you’ve got to take risks (get out on the limb) to gain rewards (pick the fruit). Of course, we often prefer to grab the low hanging fruit we can easily reach from the comfort zone. Safe, but boring.
It’s out on the limb where breakthrough-thinking and brave actions position you to achieve outcomes and gain rewards unattainable from within your comfort zone. Scary, but exciting.
See that fruit? Go ahead, slide out on that limb and grab it!
“Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there.”
Zig Ziglar said, “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.” Your highest aspirations may be professional, personal, or both. You can’t sit around and expect to realize your dreams, reach your goals, or receive your rewards. Whatever they are, actively pursue them.
As you proceed toward achieving what you truly want to accomplish, it is best if you're on the right path, of course. If you are, then get up and get moving!
> You may enjoy 7 Favorite Zig Ziglar Quotes.
“Too many people spend money they haven't earned to buy things they don't want to impress people they don't like.”
We chuckle at this, but it’s the truth. And, it’s human nature. We want to impress others by having what they possess or deem valuable. We want to belong to the club, so we ante up with our plastic or favorite payment app to acquire stuff and do things so that we can impress those we want to, well, impress.
There is nothing wrong with wanting to make a good impression when we meet people. Acquiring possessions that enrich our lives is not wrong. It’s our motives that are sometimes questionable.
Trying to impress others can be tempting when we anticipate some reward. But, going into debt because we want to curry favor with people is a poor decision, especially when it’s people, as Rogers said, that we may not even like.
Even without cost, isn’t it debasing to permit others to dictate your actions so you can gain their acceptance? And, the people who are impressed only due to your possessions—are they worth it?
“The worst thing that happens to you may be the best thing for you if you don't let it get the best of you.”
As I said at the beginning, experiences teach us lessons we can’t learn any other way. Some things you’ve personally experienced may have been challenging, painful, or even tragic. I’ve had some of those experiences—and I’ve lived long enough to learn that they often convey powerful life lessons. But, we have to get through the experience to learn the lesson.
Enduring hardship is challenging, but perseverance is critical because you rarely see the benefits of a trial while going through it. Here’s one of my quotes about perseverance:
- “One who steadfastly continues their pursuit of a goal, especially while enduring recurrent setbacks, aptly demonstrates that perseverance is the singular characteristic that supplies the power to succeed.”
Don’t let what you’re going through defeat you; persevere, and you may find the greatest lesson you’ve ever learned.
“There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.”
Prudent individuals learn by using the first two methods and wisely avoid the third. Some people, however, are inclined to learn things the hard way.
Oh, peeing on an electric fence, that's bad judgment. But, it can lead to good judgment—if you stop peeing on the darn fence!
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Resources
- Listen to the author narrate this article here. (M4A file opens in browser).
- Get a PDF of this article here. Use the content for discussion with your colleagues in a team meeting or a class with your students.
- Learn more about Will Rogers here.
- Find these quotes and more at www.brainyquote.com.
- You may also enjoy 7 Favorite Quotes from Earl Nightingale and Paul Harvey.
NEW "7 Favorite Quotes" articles by Gary published every Thursday.
Gary J. Lanham is an analyst in the Learning Group at OneMain Financial and an experienced manager, trainer, and presenter. He received his MBA from Winthrop University where he volunteers as a mentor in the Mentoring Business Minds program in the College of Business Administration. Gary helps people develop effective personal work styles by focusing on organization, prioritization, workflow, and time management. Follow Gary on LinkedIn or Twitter @GaryJLanham. Contact him at [email protected].
Learn more about Winthrop University at www.winthrop.edu. Follow on Twitter @winthropu.
Keywords: #WillRogers #experience #learning #motivation #perseverance #risktaking #success