Bill Crawford Quotes

Our past is not, as some fear, a series of events carved in stone that we must carry around for the rest of our lives... but a kaleidoscope of experiences that, when viewed through different lenses, can 'color' (change) how we see our present and future.

Diversity, or the state of being different, isn't the same as inclusion. One is a description of what is, while the other describes a style of interaction essential to effective teams and organizations.

Courage isn't the absence of fear, but a decision that what we want is more important than what we are afraid of.

Selfish is caring for ourselves at others' expense ... Self-care is taking care of ourselves so that we can be there for others.

The journey of life is both too short and too precious to be sidetracked by guilt trips.

Until we become clear about our own worth and value, we will forever be searching for it in the eyes of others.

The way to encourage people to be accountable is to engage the responsible, accountable, trustworthy part of their brain.

When we take care of ourselves like we would take care of someone we love, the quality of our living and our giving goes up.

Regardless of the problem, as long as our solution requires someone else to change, we will never know the power and promise of self-determination.

As long as we define stress as how some person or situation is making us feel, we will have to change the world around us to find peace of mind.

Stress is an indicator of our belief in the value and validity of our worries and fears.

Never define people or situations in terms of their effect on you, unless you want to give them the power to make you feel that way.

In our lives, we can either be a reflection of the world around us . . . or a beam that enlightens the lives of others.

Serenity is not just an escape, but a precursor to acceptance, courage, wisdom, and change.

The act of giving is simply a behavior, and the gift merely a symbol. It is the energy behind both that will determine their impact on our lives.

We've all heard that in life, when one door is closed, another is opened. Unfortunately, many of us are so focused on the darkness left by what has been lost, we never see the light coming through the newly opened door.

A process for discernment: God is my ultimate source of truth and wisdom, and dwells forever at the center of my being. Therefore, any thought, emotion, or action that takes me further from my center can be neither truthful, nor wise.

There are two ways to respond to the trials and tribulations of our present and past . . . 'Ain't it awful?' . . . or . . . 'Good information!' Our choice of responses will determine our experience of life.

Sleep is simply a chemical change in our brain and body (melatonin) - It?s not a place we go, it is a state of being that we fall into.

The problem with lethargy is that doing nothing validates the fear that nothing can be done.

Many of us go from being taken care of as children to taking care of others as adults. Shouldn't there be a time when we learn to take care of ourselves?

When we engage people positively, we create a receptive platform for the ideas and information we wish to communicate.

Creating a meaningful life has less to do with how we feel about our past than what we do about our future.

All connections are infused with dreams of what is possible in the future. Thus, when we lose something or someone important to us, we aren't just grieving the loss, we are grieving the shattered dream.

There are only three things we 'have to' do in this world we have to be born, we have to die, and we have to live until we die. Everything else is a choice!

To change any aspect of our life we must be willing to change our mind... Unfortunately, that is the one thing most people are the least willing to do.

Problems occur when we tie our peace of mind to another's state of mind.

Nothing will sabotage our happiness and success more thoroughly than the fear that we are not enough.

The problem with righteous indignation is that even when you're right, you're still left feeling indignant.

One key to successful relationships is learning to say "no" without guilt, so that you can say "yes" without resentment.

To understand ourself, we must understand our "selves," or the parts of us that motivate our thoughts, decisions, and behaviors.

You never want to tie your responsibility to another's irresponsibility.

What we feed our mind becomes the material with which we build our life.

Sometimes our ability to accept what we can't change is tied to our willingness to change what we can.

We can't always choose how we feel. We can, however, choose what we do about it, which ironically can change how we feel!

A meaningful life is composed of a series of meaningful moments. If this is what we want, then the ability to infuse each moment with meaning would seem to be a skill worth practicing.

Our success and happiness depends not on simply knowing where we stand, but in where we are wanting to go.

To be influential in our conversations, we must first be aware of two things, (1) what do we want to bring to the conversation and (2) what do we want to bring out in others.

When faced with conflicting thoughts and emotions, we must decide what to trust, what we fear, or what we know. What's important is that this decision be made by the knowledgeable versus the anxious part of who we are.

Worry, shame, and fear can't be the energy with which we deal with food and weight. It only spurs us to eat more food and produce more glucose/sugar which gets stored as fat.

Never define yourself in terms of how you are negatively affected by others.

The past exists not as a factual recounting of what happened, but as an experience that we are constantly recreating in our mind which means we CAN change the past!

The cooperative, creative, and flexible parts of your children reside in the joyful part of their brain.

Remembering the past should help you create a purposeful future, not cause you to be afraid of it.

If you want to change your life, you must change your mind and change your brain? on purpose.

A relationship is like life. It isn't a process of preservation, but of change and growth. Unless you grow and change together, you will change ... and grow apart.

You can't use stress, anxiety, frustration, and worry to deal with your stress, anxiety, frustration, and worry. It's like pulling up to a burning building with a flame thrower. The energy of the problem can't be the energy behind a successful solution.

Life is not a means to an end but a series of experiences. Are you creating your series 'on purpose' ?

Never make your highest purpose, or the most important thing in your life something that is outside of your control.

To influence others, we must know what is influencing them... and they must know that we get it.