Rick Beneteau Quotes and Charts
Editors: You may use any and all of the following quotes and "charts" in your publication with attribution as follows:
© Rick Beneteau
www.TenMillionClicksForPeace.org


 

On Achievement:
 

A Hero is someone who the moment prior to becoming one was a reckless, irresponsible dreamer.

 

One is successful just in the sincere attempt to become successful.

 

You cannot climb a mountain if you will not risk a fall.

 

When your star is rising
And when it appears on high
Even when your star is falling
Let it shine bright

 

Mountains DO Move. . .
         . . . One Stone at a Time.

 

Risk None, Gain Nothing.

 

Luck is the mindset of success in motion.

 

It's how you deal with failure that determines your success.

 

Visionaries are NOT special people. The gift of true vision requires only a willingness to open your eyes to first, find the horizon. Once fixed on the horizon comes the ability to see beyond, where the true magic of life exists.



Behind every success is a succession of failures.

 

When failure is perceived as a possibility, it will most likely become your reality.

 

You'll never stand on the mountaintop
Unless you've stood in the valley.

 

It's usually the last ounce of effort that tips the scales of success.

 

Purpose is the seed from which a successful existence sprouts.

 

There is no road to the future. We are both the traveler and the roadbuilder and the end destination is one of our own choosing.

 

The measure of a person's greatness is not made by the number of people they have touched but by how they have touched them.

 

UNcommon sense is the core of innovation.

 

The simplest task will become a mountain to climb for the unenthused.

 

What is now within your grasp was once beyond your reach.


 

Extraordinary began life as ordinary.


The only thing you should really put off until tomorrow is procrastination.


 

Following in the footsteps of another just leads you to their destination.

 


 

On Fear:

 

FEAR! Most often the dividing line between Success and Failure.

 

Fear is the minds great mortal sin.

 

Do you know more about the things you Fear than the things you desire?

 

Not a single person has ever accomplished anything of significance without first feeling scared to death!

 

Fear is the cancer of the human spirit.

 

Fear is the imaginary mountain that hides the horizon.

 

Be Fearless, and Flourish!

 

We must fight our fear to forge ahead
And leave the safety of the ledge.


Traveling outside our comfort zone and beyond our safety net is what REAL Living is all about.
 



On Courage:

 

The greatest heroic feats in history cannot hold a candle to the courage it takes to raise one child .

 

There is true courage in the acts of every day living.

 

Courage is born of conviction.




On Family:

 

As the heart is to the body, so the family is to the soul .

 

If I die tonight in my sleep:

let me have hugged and told my children that I love them,
let me have told my mother how much she is loved and appreciated,
let me have helped a friend or better, a stranger,
let me have worked very hard these past hours in the name of my personal progress,  and, let me have gone to sleep with the knowledge that I did the very best I could do today.

 

If there's one thing I've learned as a parent it's that you never stop being one. The only thing that changes over time is the nature of the worries.





On Imagination:

The only things in life which know no boundaries and have no rules are Love and Imagination.

 

Imagination is the architect of all great progress.

 

Imagination is where the real magic of life exists.



On Leadership:

Give a shelterless man tools and he will build a home
Inspire him, encourage him, give him vision, and he will build an empire.

 

The taller one walks, the bigger a target they become.

 

If you want to lead, first learn how to follow.

 

Will your walk through life leave a trail?

 

On Life

Life is a Gift, not a Prize.

 

The river bends because it had no choice but to follow the lay of the land, where the law of gravity directed it. And so, our path in life is guided by the great laws of the Universe. But I ask, rivers don't run uphill, so why do we?

 

Life makes you walk that delicate balance between Making It Happen and  Letting It Happen.

 

The darkest nights bring the brightest days.

 

The high road often traverses the low valleys.

 

Our shoulders are never so narrow
That we cannot carry the weight of our own world.

 

So long as you have one enemy in your life, you will be held hostage and can be taken prisoner.

 

The greater good doesn't always feel great.

 

You'll never go wrong doing anything for the right reason.

 

Loss creates a vacuum into which something greater always flows.

 

Speaking your mind is an awfully dangerous thing to do. Choose your words carefully.

 

Little will change until you do.

________________________________________

Inches . . .

It takes many inches to make a mile. We can only move by inches, one inch at a time.

It's when we look miles ahead and wonder "how are we going to get so far?" that we fail to move forward at all.

We can choose to live life fully focused on the moment at hand and live happily, making great progress, moving by inches.

Or, we can keep staring "in the rear view mirror", stuck with thoughts of what could have been, instead of what can now be.

Most important, we must always keep in mind that anytime we suffer a setback while moving forward, it will always be just a matter of inches, never miles. 

________________________________________

You might be poor, and unhappy but become suddenly rich, and you will still be unhappy.

 

Isn't it ironic that the world has become such a complicated place when in fact there are so few, simple universal truths with which to simplify things?

 

Those who can't, of course become critics!

 

Make a small difference in the life of one person and you have
made a significant difference in the world.

 

One happy, positive thought is more powerful than the most potent weapon in the arsenal of unhappy men.

 

A single smile can wipe away a lifetime's worth of suffering.

 

Quite often in life we get what we are looking for when we aren't even looking.

 

When you shine a light, doesn't the darkness disappear?

 

Make a difference in someone else's life and you make a difference in your own.

 

You have better things to think about, don't you?

 

The good farmer’s hands are always calloused.

 

On the menu of life, suffering is ala-carte.

 

Changing yourself is the quickest way to change things around you.

 

May your body, spirit and soul ~ dance, sing and laugh!


 

True wealth is not tied to the strings of the purse but rather the strings of the heart.


Doesn't it seem those with the loudest voices contribute the least?


When you lift another you raise yourself.


What will you do today to brighten the life of another?


Your first love should always have been you.

We tend to desperately pray for answers when the Universe appears to be conspiring against us when in fact the Universe is simply rattling our cage providing solutions we so direly need.

Laugh lots and live large!


The only thing you need to add up in life is your blessings. All other arithmetic is meaningless.

When one lives their life purpose they never lack passion.

The most sacred place in the world is your mind. Guard it ferociously.

Be careful where you step when you follow the herd.

It takes no effort to go with the flow and tremendous effort to go against it.


Wherever you are you can be in heaven.


Every word you speak and indeed, every thought you have, must make better the silence which it fills.

The default setting for Life is Good.

When your heart and head act in perfect harmony life will become that most perfect song.

Your vision is always perfect when looking from the heart.

Since when has the darkness lasted?

Amazing what you can hear in the silence.

Most people are running from things that aren’t even chasing them.

Nothing else will add up if your blessings don’t.

What we behold before our eyes is what we’ve been holding in our minds.

The most important affirmation of all: I Matter.

The best prayer is to act as if the answer is already on its way.

When our self-talk is too loud we’ll never hear the truth.

When your world is upside down stand on your head to move forward.

Mind the mind but mine the heart.

It’s rather easy to shine in the light but to glow in the dark...that's mastery!

Why write your Life with a dull pencil? Get a point!

One need not look far to find the goodness that permeates the Universe.

The biggest abuse is to punish yourself!

If you don’t have faith in yourself how can you have faith in anything else?

Find a hole in your heart and fill it with grace.

Isn’t becoming all you can be all that there is?

The heavier the load the more rewarding the delivery.

The choice is always yours: Smile or scowl, faith or fear, happy or heartbroken, gratitude or greed.

It’s rather easy to shine in the light but glowing in the dark is what a master does.

On Wisdom

Wisdom is the lesson learned, applied.

 

You only have one head so why wear all the hats?

 

Every answer you seek and every solution you need is out there in the universe just waiting to be invited into your life.

 

We seem to seek the truth when it in fact seeks us.

 

We need teachers. We need to be teachers. Knowing when for each, is wisdom.


 

 

On Business

A slave to making money is just a slave.

 

Acquiring wealth, for the sake of acquiring wealth Is a lonely and unsuccessful existence.

 

No angry customer can keep being angry when 'confronted' with kindness.


 


On Learning:
 

The Learning Curve never flattens.

The greatest educators are children.

 

 

On Peace:
 

It's when we look at how much we are alike that our differences disappear.

 

The world will never be peaceful to a soul not at peace.

 

There is great inner peace to be found when you forgive.

 

Lack is the breeding ground for discontent, disenfranchisement and violence.

 

Create a nurturing environment for attracting abundance and you erase every reason for war.

 

In stillness you discover silence. In silence, peace.

 

We must find the inner peace of the child we were.

 

Peace is an attitude. An attitude of gratefulness, acceptance and generosity.

 

As long as there is poverty, injustice and inequality, there will be no peace.

 

Being victorious in war is not winning the peace.

 

A clenched fist is no match for an opened hand.

 

Wipe out poverty. Watch peace flourish.

 

Peace does not come to you. You come to a place of peace.

 

The fiercest war of all is within ourselves.

 

Doing what you are most passionate about will bring you much inner peace.

 

Our opinions can clash but never our hearts.

 

All wars begin in the home.

 

Where there is no peace in the home there is no peace in the world.

 

Unpeaceful thoughts are the real weapons of mass destruction.

 

Every war in the history of man was started with a single, unpeaceful thought.

 

Letting go of that which you cannot control will bring you much inner peace.

 

Finding peace in every moment is the key to a peaceful life.

 

Peace begins with good parenting.

 

Peace means little to the starving man.

 

Is not the shape of the bullet and the pen that signs the truce, the same?


In the chaos that can be life there is always peace lurking in the silence.

Stop taking sides. Start creating solutions.

Wherever you are you can be in heaven.

Peace through Change. Change through Action.
 


Rick's Audios

 

The Legacy You Leave


click Play to hear the audio version


All You will leave behind for the world to remember is 
Your Legacy, so ask yourself:


Will you have earned the respect of your peers and the
admiration of your critics?

Will you have acted humbly at the peak of success and graceful in
the face of defeat?

Will you have kept your childlike wonder and reveled in the
beauty of the world and the small miracles that each day brought?

Will you be remembered for how often you laughed and brought
smiles to the hearts of others?

Will small children and the elderly have been overjoyed to be around you?

Will others have trusted you with their inner most secrets?

Will you have forgiven and offered heartfelt apology?

Will you have looked for the very best, and done your utmost to build worth, in others?

Will you have fed a hungry child or clothed a naked man or given hope to a stranger in dire need?

Will you have left this world a better place by the life you have lived?


What Legacy will You Leave?


©2000 Rick Beneteau

 


The Entrepreneurs Prayer
 
click Play to hear the audio version

As I awaken with the gift of yet another day and prepare for the tasks at hand, I offer up this most ardent prayer:

I pray for continued clarity of purpose so that I may hold my vision steady and keep my focus on the needs and success of others, which in turn shall bring me my success.

I pray for the wisdom to expect abundance in my life, that it surrounds me and is available for the taking and to be shameless and unapologetic upon its receipt, for I deserve abundance.

Ipray for a cheerful countenance, be it clear or cloudy skies and that I may radiate and infect others with my positive attitude.

I pray for the trust of others that they may recognize my sincerity and true intentions so that we may move forward together.

I pray for the strength to fend off adversity and use my desire and determination as both weapon and shield.

I pray for the courage to carry forth my convictions during the battle of business and to resist temptation to a quicker monetary result when such temptation compromises these things for which I stand.

I pray that I may be used as a lightning rod to collect the amazing ideas already present in the universe and when blessed with such inspiration, that I may be able to apply my talents and abilities to turn the power of thought into measurable advancement of my goals.

I pray to retain my childhood wonder so that I can recognize and revel in the small miracles of each day that others may miss.

I pray for an infinite supply of self-confidence for it alone fortifies faith, strengthens my resolve and conquers the largest enemy I will ever face - fear.

I pray for a compassionate spirit and the patience to offer those who seek my advice and my help, my full and undivided attention.

I pray for good health and a feeling of well being, and the continued desire to improve those areas of my physical life I may be neglecting in the name of my spiritual and entrepreneurial advancement.

I pray that today is a day of excellence and at its conclusion I can acknowledge and be grateful for the forward motion I have made and the growth I have experienced.

I pray most of all for the understanding and support of those closest to my heart, my family, that they will equate what may seem like endless hours of apparent pre-occupation with affairs of business to what is at the very core of my being, that which drives me, for once I achieve what I have set out in its fullest, I will become that more complete being I strive to be.

It is for these things that I pray, for I am an entrepreneur.


©2000 Rick Beneteau


The Seller’s Creed
 

 
 
click Play to hear the audio version

I will not make sales. I will make Customers.  

 

I will target the heart of my Customer. Never their wallet.  

 

My Customer is the lifeblood of my business.

 

Though I may sell my Customers what they want,
I will deliver what they need and make their lives better.  

 

Courtesy and Service are cornerstones of my relationship with my Customer.  

 

I will view complaints as opportunities . . . opportunities to create lifelong Customers.  

 

The quality of my products and how I treat my Customers will determine the level of My Success.  

 

My prosperity will come from ‘growing’ people.  

 

My best advertisement is my product, and, the Customer service behind it.  

 

Making money without making friends is not good business.  

 

I will guide my business with the perfect blend of heart and mind.  

 

I will make Integrity my trademark. After all, isn’t integrity all I have and all I will be remembered for?  

 

I will compete only against myself as the only true measurement is against myself.  

 

It is fine to fail. In fact, it is most often a requirement of success.  

 

My reputation is everything - my ego, nothing.   

 

Every pittance I earn unjustly is a debt of fortune I must repay.  

 

No matter the fame or fortune that may follow me,
My values, My family and My friends must remain at the very core of my being.  

 

Better I be trusted and respected, than be materially rich.  

 

Better I be a dolphin swimming with sharks, than a shark.


If I Were


If I were a mountain path, I’d be the trail you blaze.

If I were a valley, I’d be the fertile ground from which you could see the mountain top.

If I were a grain of sand, I’d lie in the footprint you left for others to follow.

If I were the sun, I’d be the glorious sunrise upon which you gaze.

If I were a tree, I’d bear delicious fruit on branches that would shade you on summer days.

If I were the moon, I’d be the light that illuminates your darkest night.

If I were a wave, I’d be the swell that lifts and propels the vessel you sail.

If I were the wind, I’d be the gust that firmly presses against your back.

If I were a flower, I’d be the bud that bursts into bloom before your eyes.

If I were a butterfly, my wings would light gracefully on your shoulder.

If I were a cloud, I’d lift a rainbow to fill your heart with joy.

If I were a song, I’d be a symphony that moves your soul like no music before.

If I were a thought, I’d be the happiest thought you’ll ever have.

If I were a wish, I’d be your fondest dream come true.


©2010 Rick Beneteau


My Prayer for You


I pray that…

... your eyes see goodness in all people and all things.
... you feel love toward every living creature.
... gratitude fills your heart and every thought and all your conversations.
... your positive attitude is infectious, even contagious.
... your smile makes happy all hearts surrounding you.
... your joyful spirit fills the emptiness of others.

I pray that…

... your words are kind and your actions kinder.
... compassion is at the core of all you do.
... seeds of forgiveness find fertile ground upon which to flower.
... your generosity touches not only those next to you but reaches beyond to those you may never meet.
... patience prevails.

I pray that…

... you are blessed with absolute clarity of mind, and precious purpose.
... the fuel of passion burns ever so brightly in every task you undertake.
... courage and caution strike an even more perfect balance in your life.
... integrity and excellence are at the forefront of all your works.
... humility becomes the foundation of your every accomplishment.
... you ask for, and receive the Divine Inspiration that is duly yours.

I pray that…

... the breezes of peace and serenity fill your sails for the remainder of your journey.
... the light that is You burns as an even brighter beacon to illuminate all that is right, and just.
... your heart and hands will always be busy building a better world.

May your body, spirit and soul ~ dance, laugh and sing!

©2010 Rick Beneteau


Our World at Peace


I close my eyes and I am at peace…
and it is so.

I close my eyes and see into
the hearts and homes of families…
and they are at peace.

I close my eyes,
and every child on the planet has been fed.

I close my eyes,
and there is no lack in any life
or in any land.

I close my eyes,
and Mother Earth and all Her creatures
are respected and cared for.

I close my eyes,
and forgiveness fill the hearts
of the offended.

I close my eyes,
and a single strand of pure light
runs through every soul of every citizen
of the world.

And in that moment,
the divisive borders
of nations, race, and religion...

disappear.

I close my eyes,
and every present and future act
of war and violence vanishes.

And finally, as I open my eyes,
every man, woman, and child is holding
this same vision of our world…

At Peace.

For only then will it be so.

©2010 Rick Beneteau


The Parent's Creed


I recognize and honor that being a parent is the most important role I will ever play in life, and that I have the opportunity to be the most influential teacher in the life of my child, so I affirm …


I will teach my child to be compassionate, that we as human beings are all connected.

 I will teach my child to be tolerant, that we are all much more alike than different.

I will teach my child to love themselves unconditionally, to fully believe they are a special miracle in the world as this will be the only way they can truly love others.

I will encourage my child to explore their sense of wonder as curiosity is the core of real learning.

I will teach my child to be fair so they will learn justice.

I will praise my child each day for their self-worth will be the most valuable quality they will carry forward in life.

I will teach my child to praise others.

I will show my child kindness so that they may learn to be kind and considerate toward others.

I will teach my child to share freely so that they may learn that giving is the only way to receive.

I will teach my child to recognize and be grateful for the many blessings that enrich their life.

I will teach my child to laugh, dance and live joyously in every moment.

I will teach my child to work with enthusiasm and always be busy building a better version of himself.

I will demonstrate courage and strive to infuse fearlessness in my child in all they do.

I will teach my child to feel proud of all they are, and do, and be humble in that feeling.

I will prove to my child that respect is always earned.

I will teach my child to have reverence for, and take great care of, planet Earth and all its creatures.

I will teach my child to serve.

I will show my child that the Universe is biased towards goodness and the good will always outweigh the bad.

I will teach my child to forgive for in forgiveness lies magnificent freedom.

I will forgive myself for every failing I may have as a parent.

Above all, I will teach my child by my own example.

©2010 Rick Beneteau


In My Life


In My Life
I have savored the sweetness of Victory.

In My Life
I have been Vanquished and know too well the bitter taste of Defeat.



In My Life
I have been so overwhelmed with Joy that I thought I could not contain it.

In My Life
I have been so overwrought with Sorrow that I believed
I could not bear another moment of it.



In My Life
I have Believed so strongly that no person or
circumstance could impair my conviction.

In My Life
I have Doubted so deeply that a single criticism could sway my belief.




In My Life
I have been so Optimistic there wasn't a single dream
of mine that I was not convinced I could make a reality.

In My Life
I have been so Discouraged that I dare not dream.




In My Life
I have lived with Hope and been magnificently empowered.

In My Life
I have been Hopeless and rendered powerless.

 


In My Life
I have enjoyed Abundance where I felt no person or
circumstance could ever take away my worldly possessions.

In My Life
I have lost all my worldly possessions and been humbled by destitution.




In My Life
I have recklessly Judged and caused pain for others.

In My Life
I have felt the brutal sting of being Judged.




In My Life
I have been Admired so ardently that it was almost embarrassing.

In My Life
I have been Despised so deeply that I felt like crawling away and hiding.




In My Life
I have Apologized and felt the amazing healing.

In My Life
I have Forgiven and felt the amazing freedom.




In My Life
I have flown with Angels and felt the true comfort they brought.

In My Life
I have danced with the Devil, delving into
shameful worldly temptations.




In My Life
I have bathed in the pure calm of Peace.

In My Life
I have endured the calamity of Chaos.




In My Life
I have been Charitable and made a difference in someone's life.

In My Life
I have accepted Charity that made a difference in my life.

In My Life
I have been Selfish and made a difference to no one.




In My Life
I have Compromised and created a better outcome.

In My Life
I was too ignorant to know when Compromise was a
good thing and there was no outcome at all.




In My Life
I have been a Hero - to my partner, to my children,
to my parents, to my siblings, to my friends, and to strangers.

In My Life
I have acted Cowardly - towards my partner, my
children, my parents, my siblings, my friends, and strangers.




In My Life
I have been willing to Sacrifice for the greater good.

In My Life
I have been so reluctant to risk my Security that
I missed so much goodness.




In My Life
I have learned that I will never do wrong by
doing anything for the right reason.

In My Life
I have learned that I will never be right by doing anything for the wrong reason.



In My Life
I have discovered that the greater Good doesn't always feel good.

In My Life
I have discovered that when the greater Good was not my goal,that nothing good was accomplished.


©2002 Rick Beneteau



 

 

 ©1998-2011 Rick Beneteau