Welcome to the Daily Quote – I'm Andrew McGivern.

This podcast is brought to you by the Great News podcast. Tired of all the doom and gloom news from mainstream media? You get none of that there. Instead you'll find inspiring stories and developments that are making the world a better place.

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Today's quote comes from Booker T. Washington, who was born into slavery, freed at age nine, and went on to become an educator, author, and one of the most influential African American leaders of his time.

He once said:

"If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else."

This seems backwards at first. If I want to rise, shouldn't I focus on myself? On my own growth? My own advancement?
Washington is saying no. The fastest way to lift yourself up is to lift someone else.

Here's why this works: when you help someone else succeed, you develop the exact skills and mindset you need for your own success.

Teaching someone makes you better at what you teach. Leading someone makes you a better leader. Encouraging someone strengthens your own resolve.

But there's something deeper happening too. When you focus entirely on yourself, on your own elevation, you become small. Isolated. Limited by your own perspective.

When you focus on lifting others, you become part of something larger. You build relationships. You create goodwill. You develop a reputation as someone who helps rather than just takes.

And here's what Washington knew from experience: people who lift others get lifted in return. Not always directly. Not always immediately. But consistently.

The person you help today might open a door for you tomorrow. Or they might tell someone who does. Or they might teach someone who eventually helps you.
You create an upward current that lifts everyone, including you.

Washington lived this. Born into slavery with nothing, he lifted up thousands of students through the Tuskegee Institute. And in lifting them, he lifted himself to become one of the most respected educators in America.

He didn't achieve that by only focusing on his own advancement. He achieved it by dedicating himself to lifting others.

So here's the question: Who could you lift up today? Who could you help, teach, encourage, or support?

Because if you want to lift yourself up, the fastest path is lifting someone else.

Start lifting. And watch what happens.

That's it for today. I'm Andrew McGivern – I'll see you in the next one with another Daily Quote.

Welcome to the Daily Quote – I'm Andrew McGivern.

Brought to you by the Great News podcast... tired of all the doom and gloom news from mainstream media? You'll get none of that there! Instead you'll find inspiring stories and developments making the world a better place.

Today's quote comes from A.J. Muste, a minister and pacifist who dedicated his life to social justice and nonviolent activism.

He said:

"There is no way to peace; peace is the way."

There is no way to peace. Peace is the way.
Read that again. He's not saying peace is the destination. He's saying peace is the journey.

Most people think: "Once I achieve this, then I'll have peace. Once I get the promotion, the relationship, the money, the recognition – then I'll be at peace."

Muste is saying you've got it backwards. You don't arrive at peace after achieving things. You practice peace while pursuing them.

Peace isn't something you reach. It's something you embody.
This applies to everything. Not just global conflicts, but personal ones too.

You can't create a peaceful life through anxious striving. You can't build peaceful relationships through conflict and aggression. You can't find inner peace by constantly fighting against yourself.

The means must match the end. If you want peace, you must practice peace now. Not later. Not once conditions are perfect.

Now.

This seems impossible at first. How can I be at peace when there's so much to do? So many problems to solve? So many obstacles to overcome?

Muste would say: that's exactly when you need peace. Not after you solve everything. During.
Peace isn't the absence of challenges. It's your response to them.

You can face difficulty with peace. You can work hard with peace. You can solve problems with peace. You can pursue goals with peace.

Or you can do all those things with anxiety, stress, and inner conflict. And even if you succeed, you won't have peace. Because you didn't practice it along the way.
Peace is the way. Not the destination.

So here's the question: What are you waiting for before you allow yourself peace? And what would happen if you practiced peace right now, in the middle of everything?
Because peace isn't where you're going. It's how you get there.

That's it for today. I'm Andrew McGivern – I'll see you in the next one with another Daily Quote.

Welcome to the Daily Quote: I'm your host Andrew McGivern and this podcast is brought to you by the Great News podcast.

Tired of all the doom and gloom news from mainstream media? You'll get none of that there! Instead you'll find inspiring stories and developments making the world a better place!

Follow the Great News Podcast in your favourite podcast app!

Today's quote comes from the Dalai Lama, who said:

"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible."

Whenever possible. It is always possible.

That second sentence changes everything.

The first sentence sounds reasonable. "Be kind whenever possible." Sure. When circumstances allow. When it's convenient. When people deserve it.

Then the Dalai Lama closes the loophole: It is always possible.
Always. Not sometimes. Not when it's easy. Not when you feel like it. Always.

He's saying kindness isn't dependent on external conditions.

It's not about whether someone deserves it, whether you're having a good day, whether it's convenient.
Kindness is always an option. Always within your power. Always possible.

You're stuck in traffic. Frustrated. Someone cuts you off. You can choose kindness. Let it go. Don't react.

You're having a terrible day. Everything's going wrong. The cashier is slow. You can choose kindness. A smile. Patience.

Someone hurt you. Betrayed you. You're angry. You can still choose kindness. Not weakness. Not letting them off the hook. But responding with humanity rather than cruelty.

The Dalai Lama isn't saying be kind because it's easy. He's saying be kind because it's always possible. Even when it's hard. Especially when it's hard.

This removes every excuse. You can't say "I couldn't be kind because..." Because it's always possible.

So here's the question: When was the last time you said kindness wasn't possible? What excuse did you use?
Because according to the Dalai Lama, there are no valid excuses. It is always possible.

Not always easy. But always possible. And that's what matters.

That's it for today. I'm Andrew McGivern – I'll see you in the next one with another Daily Quote.

Welcome to the Daily Quote – I'm Andrew McGivern.

Today's quote comes from Princess Diana, who was known worldwide for her compassion and humanitarian work.

She said:

"Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day, someone might do the same for you."
Random. No expectation. Might.

Three words that define how this works.
Random means it's not calculated. Not strategic. Not because someone deserves it or earned it. Just because you can.

No expectation means you don't do it for thanks. For recognition. For payback. You do it and walk away.

Might means there's no guarantee. Someone might help you one day. Or they might not. That's not the point.

Diana lived this. She held hands with AIDS patients when people were terrified to touch them. She walked through minefields to draw attention to their danger. She comforted the dying and the forgotten.

Not for reward. Not for recognition – though she got it anyway. Because she believed in creating a chain of kindness that ripples outward.

Here's the beautiful thing about random acts of kindness: they're contagious.

When someone experiences unexpected kindness, they're more likely to pass it on. Not to you necessarily. To someone else. Who passes it to someone else. Who passes it to someone else.

You start a chain reaction. You'll never see most of it. You'll never know how far it goes. But it goes.
And here's Diana's faith: if enough people do this, if enough chains of kindness are moving through the world, eventually one will reach you when you need it.

Not because you earned it. Not because someone owes you. But because someone, somewhere, continued a chain that you might have started years ago without knowing.
So here's the question: What random act of kindness could you do today? Not for reward. Not for recognition. Just to start a chain.

Because one day, someone might do the same for you. Or they might not. But the chain keeps moving either way.
Start one today.

That's it for today. I'm Andrew McGivern – I'll see you in the next one with another Daily Quote.

Welcome to the Daily Quote – I'm Andrew McGivern.

Today's quote comes from Mark Twain, who said:

"Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see."

The deaf can hear it. The blind can see it.

Twain's saying kindness transcends the senses. It doesn't need ears or eyes to be understood.

Think about what that means. Kindness communicates at a level deeper than words or appearance.
You can say all the right things, but if there's no kindness behind them, people feel it. The words might be perfect, but something's missing.

Or you can barely speak the same language as someone, but if you act with genuine kindness, they understand you perfectly. The words don't matter. The kindness translates.

This is why kindness is the most powerful form of communication we have. It bypasses everything that normally separates us.

Different languages? Kindness translates. Different cultures? Kindness is universal. Different backgrounds? Kindness connects.

You can't fake it. People sense kindness – or the lack of it – regardless of what you say or how you look.

A kind gesture to a stranger communicates more than a thousand eloquent words without kindness behind them.

And here's what Twain understood: kindness isn't just received through the senses. It's felt. Directly. Immediately.
That's why the deaf can hear it and the blind can see it.

Because kindness speaks to something deeper than hearing or sight. It speaks to our shared humanity.

So here's the question: What are you communicating today? Are your words kind but your actions cold? Or are you speaking the universal language of kindness?
Because you can speak kindness to anyone, anywhere, regardless of language or ability. And they'll understand you perfectly.

That's it for today. I'm Andrew McGivern – I'll see you in the next one with another Daily Quote.

Welcome to the Daily Quote – I'm Andrew McGivern.

Today's quote comes from Orison Swett Marden, founder of Success Magazine and a pioneer in personal development writing.

He said:

"Every tomorrow has two handles. We can take hold of it by the handle of anxiety, or by the handle of faith."

Two handles. Same tomorrow. Your choice which one you grab.

Marden's saying something profound here: tomorrow isn't determined yet. It has potential. Possibility. It could go many different ways. But how you approach it – which handle you grab – shapes what actually happens.

The handle of anxiety says: "What if it goes wrong? What if I fail? What if the worst happens?"

When you grab that handle, you approach tomorrow defensively. Scared. Hesitant. Looking for threats. Expecting problems. And guess what you find? Problems. Because that's what you're looking for. That's what the anxiety handle shows you.

The handle of faith says: "What if it goes right? What if I succeed? What if the best happens?"

When you grab that handle, you approach tomorrow openly. Confident. Ready. Looking for opportunities. Expecting possibilities. And you find them. Because that's what you're looking for. That's what the faith handle shows you.

Same tomorrow. Different handle. Different experience. Different outcome.

Here's what's powerful: Marden isn't saying tomorrow is predetermined. He's not saying "just believe and it will work out." He's saying you get to choose your approach.
And your approach changes what you see, how you act, and what becomes possible.

Anxiety narrows your vision. You see threats, so you play defense, so you miss opportunities, so your fears often come true.
Faith expands your vision. You see possibilities, so you take chances, so you create opportunities, so your hopes often come true.

The tomorrow hasn't changed. But which handle you grab determines which version of that tomorrow you experience.
So here's the question: Which handle are you grabbing right now? Are you approaching tomorrow with anxiety or with faith?

Because the tomorrow exists either way. But which handle you choose determines which version of it you experience.
Choose the faith handle. See what happens.

That's it for today. I'm Andrew McGivern – I'll see you in the next one with another Daily Quote.

Welcome to the Daily Quote – I'm Andrew McGivern.Today's quote comes from Martin Seligman, the founder of positive psychology and one of the leading researchers on optimism and well-being.He said:"Optimism is a happiness magnet. If you stay positive, good things and good people will be drawn to you."Optimism is a happiness magnet. Think about what that means.Seligman isn't saying optimism magically creates good outcomes. He's saying it attracts them.And here's why: people are drawn to optimistic people. Not because optimists are naive or ignore problems, but because they're energizing to be around.When you're around someone who sees possibilities instead of only obstacles, who believes solutions exist instead of only problems, who moves forward instead of staying stuck – you want to be part of that.Good people are drawn to optimism because they want to build things, solve things, create things. And you can't do that with someone who's convinced everything will fail.Good opportunities are drawn to optimism because people offer opportunities to those who seem capable of executing them. And optimists seem capable because they believe things can work.But here's the mechanism Seligman discovered through decades of research: optimism isn't just attracting external things. It's changing how you see what's already there.When you're optimistic, you notice opportunities you would have missed. You take actions you would have avoided. You connect with people you would have ignored.The magnet isn't just pulling things toward you. It's making you more receptive to what's already available.Pessimists and optimists can be in the same room, with the same opportunities, surrounded by the same people. The pessimist sees nothing. The optimist sees possibilities everywhere.Same room. Different magnet. Different results.So here's the question: What kind of magnet are you right now? Are you attracting good things and good people? Or are you repelling them with pessimism?Because optimism isn't about ignoring reality. It's about being the kind of person that good things and good people want to be around.Be the magnet.That's it for today. I'm Andrew McGivern – I'll see you in the next one with another Daily Quote.

Welcome to the Daily Quote – I'm Andrew McGivern.Today's quote comes from Thomas Edison, who tested thousands of materials before finding the right filament for the light bulb.He said:"Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time."Just one more time. Not ten more. Not a hundred more. Just one more.Edison isn't asking for heroic persistence. He's asking for one additional attempt.Think about what he's saying. The most certain way to succeed isn't talent. Isn't luck. Isn't genius. It's trying one more time than you think you can.Most people quit right before the breakthrough. They try. They fail. They try again. They fail again. And then they decide they've tried enough.But Edison's telling us: that's exactly when you need to try once more.He tested over 3,000 materials before finding the right filament for the light bulb. Imagine if he'd stopped at 2,999. The world would have stayed in the dark a little longer.The difference between failure and success often isn't ability. It's one more attempt.Here's why this works: when you're at the point of giving up, you've already learned everything that didn't work. You've eliminated thousands of wrong answers. You're closer to the solution than you've ever been.That's the worst time to quit. That's when one more try has the highest chance of succeeding.But it's also when it feels hardest. When you're tired. When you're discouraged. When you've already failed so many times that trying again feels pointless.Edison understands that. He's not saying it's easy. He's saying it's necessary. Just one more time.Because giving up is guaranteed failure. But trying one more time? That's the most certain path to success.So here's the question: What are you about to give up on? And what would happen if you tried just one more time?Not ten more. Not forever. Just once more.Because our greatest weakness is giving up. And the solution is simpler than you think. One. More. Time.That's it for today. I'm Andrew McGivern – I'll see you in the next one with another Daily Quote.