Motivational quotes are more than just... well... motivational! Quotes by high achievers not only have the capacity to fire you up with the drive and confidence you need to succeed like the great. Motivational quotes also have the power to light you up with the timeless, universal wisdom of how to succeed.

Short motivational quotes like the following by the great American psychologist and sage of the late 1800's and early 1900's, William James, provide an excellent example:
"The art of being wise is knowing what to overlook."
Whatever you pay attention to gets your energy and your time. Paying attention to great motivational quotes invests those precious resources into wisdom and inspiration .

Focusing on trivial matters wastes your time and energy, while deliberately letting some things go conserves your time and energy, giving you more to apply to more important matters.

For instance, overlooking the mistakes that others make is not always wise, but sometimes it is very wise. Some problems or imperfections are simply not worth the time and energy that would be spent in dealing with them. Similarly, not all writing is worthy of your attention. Motivational quotes, however, represent one of the most valuable focal points for your attention.

When we overlook things accidentally, though, it can lead to our undoing, particularly when that happens daily. Motivational quotes can empower us, but they cannot save us from the consequences of inattentiveness.

The success secrets conveyed by motivational! quotes of great achievers may not always leap out at you in an instant. So it will prove worth your while to make a list for yourself entitled: Motivational Quotes Of The Day. Choose one of the motivational quotes from the list in the morning, and let that thought "marinate" in your mind all day.

You can even use single words to enlighten you. For instance, you might choose a single word from the following list. Write it on the back of an old business card and carry it with you all day. Remind yourself of the word as often as you can, and just let the word sit in your mind as you consciously or subconsciously think about what it means.

Success
Power
Service
Courtesy
Creative
Positive
Prosperous
Peaceful
Inspirational
Motivational

Quotes that emanate from great minds, of course, give you more to think about than any single word possibly can. But the simple suggestion of a single positive word can bring to you useful insights. For instance, thinking of the word "power" attracts to your subconscious insights into powerful, rather than weak courses of action.

Motivational quotes like the following from the pen of the great 16th Century French philosopher, Michel de Montaigne, teach you in just 5 words how to create opportunity:
"A strong imagination begetteth opportunity."
The message here tells us that it is never our circumstances that limit our opportunities, only our creativity or imaginativeness. If you feel stuck, such motivational quotes can at once unstick you by shifting your focus to contemplation of your positive possibilities.

Reading motivational quotes and pondering them may give you a lift, and a flash of insight. But to gain all the power that motivational quotes offer, you need to put them into practice. Try doing that now with one of the multitude of motivational quotes by Albert Einstein:
"Your imagination is your preview of life's coming attractions."
This one may not be all that motivational. Quotes like this one have a double edge. It implies that you create the dreadful future you worry about. But it also implies that directing your imagination to focus on the possibilities you desire turns them into wonderful dreams -come-true! Such motivational quotes convey the success secret that your mind is creative, that your thoughts are re-produced by your circumstances.

Author's Bio: 

* Author, Seminar Leader, Motivational Speaker, Consultant ( www.wisie.com ) ( www.boblancer.com )
* Host of the WSB Radio Show Bob Lancer's Answers, focusing on the challenges of parenting, marriage and personal / professional development.
* Motivational Speaker for Large and midsized companies, associations, government agencies, schools, hospitals, youth groups and other organizations
* Child Behavior Expert of WXIA TV News (Atlanta's NBC TV affiliate)
* Host of Atlanta's Radio Disney show Ask Bob (helping kids deal with their issues)
* Featured Parenting Expert in local and national media
As a public speaker, seminar leader and consultant for over 25 years, Bob Lancer has been inspiring audiences around the nation and overseas, and setting them on a more direct and fulfilling path to total life-success, with his empowering insights and strategies.