You Can, You Will: 8 Undeniable Qualities of a Winner (Joel Osteen)- Book Summary and Quotes
Chapter One (Keep your vision in front of you )
Keep something in front of your eyes that you are passionate about and it will motivate you every time it catches your attention. Have a vision, dream bigger, and never settle for less. Big things might not be visible right away but when you put in the effort things will start to get better and you will eventually succeed, don’t be limited by your imagination, it is what's holding you back from evolving. You may have no one to cheer for you but that’s fine, don't be disappointed the future holds better than the past, be positive and keep moving with a positive attitude because when you have a vision and belief go will help you and when god helps you no one can shut it.
Quotes
"Where there is no vision, people perish."
"If you don’t have a vision for it, it’s not going to happen."
Chapter Two (Run your race)
You can’t be hoping to excel while being what everyone expects you to be, people usually try to control others and try to squeeze others into their molds, but don’t fall into their trap, run your race, do whatever excites you every day, people may care and try to advise you, appreciate that and say no thanks because not everyone has the same vision. No matter what, there will always be haters but don’t let that discourage you, don’t let criticism affect you, focus on your goals and forget everything else. Sometimes your near ones like family members would discredit you and not be nice to you. There will also be people who will try to use you, don’t fall into their trap, don’t do things out of guilt, you can’t be responsible for every human being, let them worry about themselves and you worry about yourself. Be mindful of who you’re friends with, don’t spend too much time with manipulative and negative people, a lot is going on in your life already, don't be more negative in it, and try to add positivity as much as you can. Sometimes we are forced into a negative environment (e.g. friends, work, etc) make sure we show up encouraged and filled up, don't go feeling drained as it will bring you further down. You have got to build up resilience, be positive about your thoughts and keep your hopes high. Everyone has potential in them, don't settle for less, be the best version of yourself and live the best life. Some toxic people feel jealous of others' happiness. They don’t want others to be happy, they are miserable and make others feel miserable too don’t let that happen, encourage yourself not to settle and because you were created to shine and live the best life.
Quotes
“I wish I had been true to who I was and not just lived to meet the expectations of others.”
“At twenty years we all wonder what everybody thinks about us and at forty years old we don’t care what anybody thinks about us, then at sixty we realize that nobody was thinking about us”
“Everyone has the right to an opinion, and I have every right to not listen to it.”
“If you try to keep every person happy, the only person that will not be happy is you.”
Chapter Three (Expect good things)
Expect good and positive things to happen with you. Don’t let a few disappointments hold you back from having a positive attitude. We are always negative, we always think about when the next bad break is going to happen to us, when will the next disappointment knock on our doors, but remember it affects you negatively keep your thoughts in check, studies have found out that our mind tends to gravitate towards negatives so it’s our job to turn this around and think about positives. As soon as a negative happens we tend to have a series of negative thoughts for instance you get a rejection, on your mind, you then think about all your previous rejections all the negatives that previously happened to you, rather think about the positives and have a series of positive thoughts in your mind as it will help you to get yourself back up every time you face a problem. Dwelling over the previous mistakes won’t make things better. Learn from it and move forward knowing that now you have experience that will help you face ease. Always find positive in negative. When dealing with problems, think back to when you previously solved a problem and believe that you will solve this one. Remember that God has helped you in the past and will keep doing it in the future too, keep trying and never give up. We are very lucky that we have the technology which makes almost everything easy. Ancient people used to carry suits to remember important dates or events.
Quotes
“Don’t expect to be overcome. Expect to be the overcomer.”
“Study says that a person will remember losing fifty dollars more than he will remember gaining fifty dollars.”
“Be disciplined on what you dwell on.”
“Dwelling on defeats, failure, and unfair situations will keep you stuck.”
Chapter Four (Have a positive mindset )
We should always have a positive mindset, we decide to choose our attitude no one has control over our attitude. When faced with negative thoughts believe that it will pass and things will be alright. Our life is like a car. It has a forward and a reverse gear, it doesn't take any extra effort to go forward and backward, it's just our mindset. Everything happens with god's permission, don’t wait for the right time to have a positive mindset because now is the right time. Have good thoughts right from the morning, be positive, and instead of having a victim mindset have a vector mindset. During difficult situations instead of pulling yourself down try to pull yourself up because that is the time you need to be positive the most, being discouraged just makes your life hard nothing else it never makes anything better. Remember, it doesn't matter how many bad breaks you had you just need one good break to change your life. A study was done with arthroscopic knee surgery patients where the patient's knees were worn down and they needed the joint to be cleaned out. One group of patients were put under anesthesia and made three tiny incisions around the knee to look as if they had done something, and then there was another group of patients who went through the real procedures of the surgery. When patients from both groups woke up they thought that the surgery was performed. To everyone's surprise, the patients who had fake surgery reported as much relief from the pain as those who went through the real one. Why? It is because they both thought that the surgery was done and they were positive that their leg will get better. They had a positive mindset. Study shows that negative thoughts decrease our serotonin level causing us to feel miserable. Motivate yourself to be better every day.
Quotes
“Your happiness is all about your approach to life.”
“One good break can make up for all the bad breaks”
“You control the doorway to your mind”
Chapter 5 (Commit to excellence)
You can never be the best by using shortcuts and cutting corners, be a good example for everyone around you, set your bars high, and never settle for anything less. To be rewarded, always push yourself to the next level and do more than what is required. For example, if you want to get promoted at work you can’t be sloppy you must reach there on time, be more productive than everyone in the office, and put your heart and soul over there then you can think of promotion because you deserve it, otherwise if you even get a promotion or raise know that you don’t even deserve it. Always strive to be better, never keep yourself stuck in one position. Every human being is responsible for their actions and God is watching, we will be judged and rewarded by our actions. Be a cut above, make sure people notice your excellence, be an example for the world to look up to. Be disciplined, raise your standards and commit to excellence. That's how people will respect you. Represent yourself as the best, it will help you to be more confident and improve your self-esteem. Along with taking care of your family members and your loved ones, never forget to take care of yourself and build a nice habit. Don’t judge others neither belittle them, spread love. Don’t fall for distractions, do what you think is the best for you.
Quotes
“You should be so full of excellence that other people want what you have.”
“I don’t want to be at the same level next year as I am now. I want to be more effective, more skilled, and make a greater impact.
“People of excellence go the extra mile to do what’s right.
Chapter Six (Keep growing)
Studies show that 50 percent of High-school students never study another book. We are responsible for our growth. It is not automatic. We need to put in the effort to grow, we need to read books, watch educational videos. Don’t be a dull person, learn something every day and put it into practice. No matter how successful you think you are, never settle, keep growing. We all have resources on the internet that utilize it, don't misuse them. Don’t wait for the perfect time, take action now. Don’t say you don’t have time to learn or sharpen your skills. That’s the wrong attitude. There were two lumberjacks who were out chopping down trees. One said I am going to take a break and sharpen my axe. The other said I don’t have time to stop, I have got too much work to do sharpening will put me behind. The other man went and sharpened his axe and came back after 3 hours. By the end of the day, he chopped twice as many trees as his other friend. Sometimes you need a break and sharpen your skills to be more productive in less time. Opportunities will knock on your door when you put in the effort. You don’t need to be a pro if you do what you’re passionate about every day for 2 hours in the next 3 years you will be an expert. Be grateful but remain hungry and stretch yourself to your highest potential. Be a problem solver, when you have a problem make sure you have the solution ready as well. The world is moving so fast and you have to match with it, strive to better yourself every day. Don’t be limited to anything, grow and expose yourself to the world, make yourself visible and hang out with smart people. Enjoy yourself, life is too short to be miserable.
Quotes
“ Have you come down with the destination disease? You’re comfortable, not learning anything new, there is nothing wrong with that, but you have so much more in you.”
“Studies tell that the average person only uses only 11 people of the brain”
“God has given us 86,4000 seconds each today”
“If you are the smartest one in the group, then your group is too small”
“The wealthiest places on earth are not the oil fields of the middle east or diamond mines of South Africa. The wealthiest places are the cemeteries. Buried in the ground are businesses that were never formed, books that were never written, songs that were never sung, dreams that never came to life, the potential that was never released.”
Chapter Seven (Serve others)
It’s not always about you trying to help others because that's how you grow, by lifting others. Sometimes you may not be appreciated by others but it's okay god sees everything he will help you. Always remember that you are not alone. Serve others to be fulfilled. Do small acts of kindness and see how your life changes, help others you will feel more appreciated and respected. Be a blessing to others. There is nothing wrong with relaxing and having fun. Try not to waste any time, time is very valuable. Nothing goes unnoticed, remember that you will be rewarded in some way or another, have patience and do good with genuine intentions.
Quotes
“You are never too successful. You are never too high to bow down low and serve another person.”
Chapter Eight (Stay passionate)
We were not created to drag through our days, we were created to stay excited and motivated only then we will get good breaks. Keep in mind that each second is a gift, don’t waste it, don't take anything for granted, what you take for granted may be the world of blessing to someone else. Don’t let miracles be common, be excited about them, never lose the fire inside you. Live with passion, enthusiasm instead of dragging through life. Don’t be ungrateful, be happy about who you are and your blessings, jealousy is very bad, never fall into it. There are still individuals out there who quit living just because of some disappointments, don’t be like them, keep working hard, and have patience, your turn will come. Just because you think you’re an amateur you don’t need to be on the sidelines, try it, keep doing it and keep sharpening your skills. Don’t let previous heartbreaks ruin your present and your future, don’t let your emotions control you, be bold and accountable. Let go of the previous sufferings, don’t carry that heavy load of garbage on your shoulder.
Quotes
“Studies show that enthusiastic people get better breaks.”
“ The day you quit being excited about your future is the day you quit living.”
“When you quit being passionate about your future, you go from living to merely existing.”
“If you want to remain passionate, you cannot let what once was a miracle become ordinary.
“Whatever you do, do it will all your heart and you are honoring god”
“You may retire from your job, but don’t ever retire from life.”
“ When you quit being productive, you start slowly dying.”
“You wouldn't be breathing if God didn't have something great in front of you.”
Trouble is inevitable, but misery is optional.”
“You can’t do anything about the past, but you can do something about right now.”
“Don’t be just barely alive. God wants you to be really alive.”