John Wooden

There are many things that are essential to arriving at true peace of mind, and one of the most important is faith, which cannot be acquired without prayer.

It’s the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.

I’d rather have a lot of talent and a little experience than a lot of experience and a little talent.

Success is never final, failure is never fatal. It’s courage that counts.

The main ingredient of stardom is the rest of the team.

Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.

Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.

You can’t live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.

Winning takes talent, to repeat takes character.

It isn’t what you do, but how you do it.

Adversity is the state in which man most easily becomes acquainted with himself, being especially free of admirers then.

Be prepared and be honest.

Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be.

The worst thing about new books is that they keep us from reading the old ones.

Don’t let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.

Success comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming.

Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming.

It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.

Ability is a poor man’s wealth.

A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment.

If you’re not making mistakes, then you’re not doing anything. I’m positive that a doer makes mistakes.

Consider the rights of others before your own feelings, and the feelings of others before your own rights.

If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?

Never mistake activity for achievement.

You can’t let praise or criticism get to you. It’s a weakness to get caught up in either one.

It’s not so important who starts the game but who finishes it.

Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.

Material possessions, winning scores, and great reputations are meaningless in the eyes of the Lord, because He knows what we really are and that is all that matters.

Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.

What you are as a person is far more important that what you are as a basketball player.

Don’t measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability.