Thank You Thoughts

"The only way to get people to like working hard is to motivate them. Today, people must understand why they're working hard. Every individual in an organization is motivated by something different." -Rick Pitino

Thank You Thoughts

"The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated." - William James

Thank You Thoughts

"Flattery is from the teeth out. Sincere appreciation is from the heart out." -
Dale Carnegie

Thank You Thoughts

"Admiration, n. Our polite recognition of another's resemblance to ourselves." - Ambrose Bierce

Thank You Thoughts

"In the arena of human life the honors and rewards fall to those who show their good qualities in action." - Aristotle

Thank You Thoughts

I thought we'd go beyond My Friend Mark today, and look at some other sources for some inspiration on recognition.

Don't worry when you are not recognized, but strive to be worthy of recognition. - Abraham Lincoln

Stay tuned for the next "Thank you Thought!"

My Friend Mark!

Some Twain wisdom for your Friday...

We are unanimous in the pride we take in good and genuine compliments paid us, in distinctions conferred upon us, in attentions shown us. There is not one of us, from the emperor down, but is made like that. Do I mean attentions shown us by the great? No, I mean simply flattering attentions; let them come whence they may. We despise no source that can pay us a pleasing attention--there is no source that is humble enough for that.

- "Does the Race of Man Love a Lord?"

My Friend Mark!

More on recognition from Mark himself...

It is a talent by itself to pay compliments gracefully and have them ring true. It's an art by itself.

- "I Was Born for a Savage" speech, 1907

My Friend Mark!

Some more words of wisdom from my friend Mark Twain!

Do not offer a compliment and ask a favor at the same time. A compliment
that is charged for is not valuable.- Notebook, 1902-1903

My Friend Mark!

Some more words of wisdom from my friend Mark!

The happy phrasing of a compliment is one of the rarest of human gifts and the happy delivery of it another.
- Mark Twain's Autobiography

My Friend Mark!

Some more words of wisdom from my friend Mark!

Praise is well, compliment is well, but affection--that is the last and final and most precious reward that any man can win, whether by character or achievement.
- Affection speech, 1907

My Friend Mark!

This week's words of wisdom from Mark Twain...

An occasional compliment is necessary to keep up one's self-respect. The plan of the newspaper is good and wise; when you can't get a compliment any other way, pay yourself one.
- Notebook, 1894

My Friend Mark!

This week's words of wisdom from Mark Twain...

I have been complimented many times and they always embarrass me; I always feel that they have not said enough.
- Speech, September 23, 1907

My Friend Mark!

I can live for two months on a compliment! - Mark Twain

One of my all time favorite authors is Samuel Clemens who is better known by his pen name… Mark Twain!

Born in Missouri in 1835, many consider Mark Twain to be the father of American literature.

He gained widespread fame and celebrity for books such as “Innocents Abroad,” “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” and “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.”

Mark Twain passed away in 1910 but his wit, satire and words live on today. His perspective on recognition and praise is amazing and can teach everyone some very basic lessons on how to live and work with one another!

For the last several years, my colleagues and I have finished many a presentation with Mark Twain’s famous comment “I can live for two months on a compliment!”

My good colleague Louise Sa has gathered a number of Mark Twain Nuggets and I’ll post one a week under the heading “My Friend Mark!”

I hope you enjoy and learn from them!

Thank You Thoughts Archives

"It is up to us to give ourselves recogniton. If we wait for it to come from others, we feel resentful when it doesn't, and when it does, we may well reject it." --Spencer Tracy

"Don't worry when you are not recognized, but strive to be worthy of recognition." --Abraham Lincoln

"Motivation is the art of getting people what you want them to do beacasue they want to do it." --Dwight D. Eisenhower

"Management is nothing more than motivating other people." --Lee Iacocca

"People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing -- that's why we recommend it daily." --Zig Ziglar

"What every genuine philosopher (every genuine man, in fact) craves most is praise -- although the philosophers generally call it ‘recognition’!” —William James

"The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated." - William James

"Flattery is from the teeth out. Sincere appreciation is from the heart out." - Dale Carnegie

"Admiration, n. Our polite recognition of another's resemblance to ourselves." - Ambrose Bierce

"In the arena of human life the honors and rewards fall to those who show their good qualities in action." - Aristotle

"Don't worry when you are not recognized, but strive to be worthy of recognition." - Abraham Lincoln

"The only way to get people to like working hard is to motivate them. Today, people must understand why they're working hard. Every individual in an organization is motivated by something different." -Rick Pitino