I enjoy looking for quotes. Quotes help me reflect on certain situations and circumstances, gain clarity, and eliminate noise.
I stumbled upon some that can enrich one’s life immensely. These quotes not only unveil the truth about one’s existence but also provide a keen insight into the state of the world and our lives.
I am Helmut Meckelburg, the international hotelier and author of the book “The Perfect Hotel Career.” I implore you to read it as a colleague and fellow hotelier. If you are in mid-management or even a hotel manager, gift this book to your employees for performance excellence on their work anniversary or birthday. It will help them on their career path and their path thru life.
As the founder of The Career Hotelier, I assure you that confusion and insecurities will be a thing of the past, and grand aspirations can become a reality. In this blog, I have compiled some great and famous quotes of all time; One of my favorite quotes is by the Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard. He said, “If you have only a few friends, then you have much life experience.” Everyone wants to have much life experience, don’t want we all?
His idea is brimming with wisdom, especially considering today’s trend, where having many friends on Facebook or Instagram is regarded as the pinnacle of social connectedness. The term “friend” is thrown around so casually nowadays that its value has been severely diminished. Kirkegaard’s quote reminds us that true friendships are rare and that we should cherish them as they enhance the quality of our lives.
As the church asserts, the truth is that a dearth of friends bestows more extraordinary life experiences. It implies that many lack the precious essence at the core of friendship, which currently suffers from oversupply. Nowadays, having many friends is conflated with having an army of Facebook connections, followers, and “influencers,” the modern version of dangerous and subliminal marketing dressed up as entertainment and information. The wealthy, the successful, and the healthy attract such types, but once they become ill and lose their wealth or status, those people disappear like a puff of smoke because they are not true friends but mere acquaintances. Then, they stand alone.
In life, one can hardly have more than a handful of genuine friends because every friendship requires roots, which take time to grow. Our life is finite, and we cannot tend to companies like daisies in a meadow, one after the other, or else we will find that these so-called friendships will wither away. They need genuine roots. If you finally comprehend how to disentangle yourself from unsuitable individuals and live your life authentically, let me give you a tip: read the new book of Germany’s top career coach Martin Wehrle, who has been my mentor in his 365-Day Challenge program over the past year.
“When Everyone Likes You, No One Takes You Seriously.” In his book, you will find many sagacious quotes and stories and a specific guide on how to avoid being exploited by others, set clear boundaries, and be unyielding in any situation. The book is available on my website: so seize the day and get it yourself.
Let me impart my second wise quote. You already know its origin, that is, from Heraclitus. The quote relevant to our times is this: “You cannot step into the same river twice.” It suggests that knowing many things can mean something other than understanding them. I find these thoughts significant and captivating. In a literal sense, the phrase means that if you were to step into a river, step out, and step back in, the river would have changed. The water flowing in the river will have shifted, the rocks and debris on the riverbed may have moved, and the temperature and other environmental factors may be different.
In this way, even though you are stepping into the same physical space, the river is different. Bottomline: Our circumstances will constantly change and depend on many factors. In practical terms, for hotel professionals, success and failure are relative to the surroundings and your ability to adapt your behavior and skillset to the ever faster-changing hotel industry and environment and the culture of the companies, you are working with.
And wait, this one is getting me started: You know this quote very well: It is again from Kierkegaard and has been claimed by many others over the years, which should contribute to its validity.
“What you think, you are. What you are, you radiate. What you radiate, you attract.” There are many variations of this quote. Henry Ford, for example, said: “If you can do a thing or not, You are right.” Then there is Earl Nightingale: “We become, what we think about,” and Ralph Waldo Emmerson: “A man is what he thinks all day long.”
Is it all just a bunch of nonsense? If you are unsuccessful in life or career, it’s because you don’t believe in yourself enough? Many say: “That’s ridiculous.”
I take a pragmatic answer to this quote and let the philosophers debate while my clock ticks. In my book, “The Perfect Hotel Career, ” I have given some examples of my approach. Yes, life is more complex than these simplistic platitudes. Positive thinking alone and studying “The Secret” will not solve your problems alone.
That is why I love Henry Ford’s interpretation the most. He brings it to the point by saying that if you think you can do it or not, you are right. In other words: “When you’re parched and dying of thirst, the amount of water in the glass doesn’t matter. What matters is that you drink and quench your thirst. Discussions are completely pointless if the glass is half full or half empty. Important is that you drink, or in other words, that You take “ACTION!” That’s the only way you’ll get anywhere in life. Take action on whatever you dream about, whatever you want to become. But take action. That is, how you move your career.
I want to share another quote with you that I love. Confucius said, “He who does not cultivate himself but his appearance is wrong.” It’s true. We spend more than 35 minutes daily on our physical appearance, but how much time do we spend on our spiritual hygiene? Do you care for your soul as much as your body? How much time do you spend observing and controlling your thoughts? How much time do you spend sorting your thoughts, separating mental garbage from inspiring ideas?
Again, Henry Ford’s interpretation of the earlier quote goes hand in hand with this one. At its very molecular level, the one, which counts for everything and anything, You will do in life. Create your life’s dream, plan your career along this line, and you will succeed. And at the end of the day, you and only you decide if You can do it or not!
And here’s my favorite quote from Socrates: “The more people believe in something, the more likely it is that their view is wrong.
The majority is not always suitable.” It’s true. The majority is often wrong, yet so many of us are controlled by the opinions of others. Centuries ago, people were burned when they challenged the church’s dogma that the earth is flat. A mere 80 years ago, a whole country was brainwashed thru propaganda and demagogery and blindly followed the Nazi regime and Hitler into the horrors of the last world war and the Holocaust. Back then, propaganda was controlled and channeled. Today’s propaganda runs on social media and is rampant worldwide.
We see the dangerous impacts of social media poisoning the USA, resulting in the MAGA movement and the resurrection of racism and right-wing extremism. It is shocking to see this resurgence not only in Europe but especially in the USA, and it shows how fast lessons of history can be forgotten. There is a new transparent, and present danger arising from social media.
The more time you spend on social media, the more you are manipulated into believing others want you to feel, whether right or left-wing, clima- or gender crazies. Use your brain, turn off your PC and phone, read a good book, reflect on yourself, and rediscover what all cultures have in common. It is called common sense.
Don’t be controlled by the opinions of others. Look behind the curtains and have different sources of information. Be it politically, scientifically, or concerning your career. The latter falls short most of the time, so I urge my clients to turn off the phone for one hour a day and read a book related to their careers. The sad truth is that only 20% of them do it because they are too busy at work. As a hotelier, I understand this thinking only too well. Older hoteliers know what I am talking about. The young generation of hoteliers will only find out years later that they have deprived themselves of necessary time out from assessing their career progress properly and planning the actions for the next advancement. Instead, they watch endless YouTube videos about career planning and resume writing from numerous career coaches and experts promising solutions and expect miracles to happen by manifesting.
If you believe in yourself and have a goal, take time out, buy and read good books, at least the ones I have selected for you on my website and embrace their teachings and content. It will last a lifetime and free you from career prophets online who try to teach you how little you know and that you need their services. Follow your path, believe in yourself, and trust your instincts. Refrain from being swayed by what the majority thinks because they’re often wrong. Remember, the approach worth taking is always your own; if you are still deciding, get yourself a mentor.
The difference with a coach is that a good mentor is highly involved and invested in your progress and participates in it. His biggest reward lies in his guidance helps you to succeed!
Now l am at the end of my daily wisdom and leave you alone with your thoughts, busy schedule, and entertaining guests.
Make the best of it; if I can help, you know where to find me.
Helmut H Meckelbug
The Career Hotelier