The Best of Harvey Mackay - 17 Great Quotes

Harvey Mackay - publicity photo

Have you ever read Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive (1995) or Beware the Naked Man Who Offers You His Shirt (1990)? They're two of Harvey Mackay's best-selling success books. I love reading Harvey Mackay because his writing is so full of common sense wisdom. You get the feeling that the man knows what he's talking about and is telling you the truth.

He's one of the top-tier gurus, having sold more than 10 million books worldwide. His sixth and most recent book is Use Your Head to Get Your Foot in the Door: Job Search Secrets No One Else Will Tell You (2010). What a title! He's also a nationally syndicated columnist and one of the most popular speakers in the world.

Harvey Mackay is famous for making bold, clever, succinct statements. For this reason, once you read one of his quotes, it's hard to forget it. And you think: hmmm...practical wisdom - ignore it your peril!

This is why I have nearly 50 Harvey Mackay quotes in my database. Here are 17 of my favorites. Read them and you'll see what I mean...

On ATTITUDE - “Attitudes are every bit as important as aptitudes.”

On COMPASSION -  “Say and do what you mean, but never say and do it meanly.”

On COMPOSURE - “Don't let ups and downs leave you down and out.”

On COOPERATION - “Even the Lone Ranger had Tonto.”

On RELATIONSHIPS - “Unless you work in demolition, don't burn bridges.”

On CREATIVITY - "One sure-fire way to stay creative: force yourself to learn something new."

On EMPOWERMENT - “A mediocre person tells. A good person explains. A superior person demonstrates. A great person inspires others to see for themselves.”

On EXCELLENCE - “For the real winners, there are no finish lines.”

On GRATITUDE - “Anyone too busy to say thank you will get fewer and fewer chances to say it.”

On INITIATIVE - "Ideas without action are worthless."

On OPEN-MINDEDNESS - “Minds are like parachutes—not much good unless they are open.”

On PERSEVERANCE - "Be like a postage stamp. Stick to it until you get there."

On PROACTIVITY - "Failures don't plan to fail; they fail to plan."

On SELF-AWARENESS - “I know that you don't know, but you don't know that you don't know.”

On SELF-CONFIDENCE - “Believe in yourself, even when no one else does.”

On SELF-DISCIPLINE - "Time is free, but it's priceless. You can't own it, but you can use it. You can't keep it, but you can spend it. Once you've lost it, you can never get it back."

On VISION - “When you're thirsty, it's too late to think about digging a well.”

Classic stuff!

Post by Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D., Copyright 2011. Building Personal Strength .