Thoughts—Character	
QUICK CHECK:
The beginning of a habit is like an invisible thread;  
and every time we repeat the habit we strengthen 
the thread adding to it another strand, until it 
becomes a cable and binds our thoughts and acts. 
   —Orison Marden
The individual who wants to reach the top in 
business must appreciate the might of the force of 
habit — and understand that actions are what create 
habits.  He must 
quickly break 
those habits that 
can break him 
—and quick to 
adopt those 
actions that will 
become habits 
that help him 
achieve the 
success he wants.
   —J. Paul Getty	
Be careful of your thoughts	
For your thoughts become your words.	
Be careful of your words	
For your words become your actions.	
Be careful of your actions	
For your actions become your habits.	
Be careful of your habits	
For your habits become your character.	
Be careful of your character.	
For your character becomes your destiny.	
—Author Unknown	
Sow an act . . . reap a habit;
Sow a habit . . . reap a character;
Sow a character . . . reap a destiny.
   — George Boardman
Character building begins in our infancy, and
continues until death.   —Eleanor Roosevelt
If you think about what you ought to do for other 
people, your character will take care of itself.
    —Woodrow Wilson
We first make our habits, and then our habits make 
us.    —John Dryden
If I take care of my character, my reputation will 
take care of itself.   —D. L. Moody
What you value is what you think about.  What you 
think about is what you become.  —Joel Weldon
Take charge of your thoughts.  You can do what you 
will with them.   —Plato
As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.
    —King Solomon
Character is like a tree and reputation is like its 
shadow.  The shadow is what we think of it; the tree 
is the real thing.    —Abraham Lincoln	
1. Top left:  a) What do your thoughts  become?  	
b) What do your words become?  c) What do 
your actions become?  d) What do your habits 
become?  e) What does your character become?	
2. Roosevelt:  a) When does character building 
 begin?  b) When does it end?
3. Wilson:  When will character take care of itself?
4. Dryden:  After making our habits, what do our 	
habits make?	
5. Plato:  Why should you take charge of your 	
thoughts?	
6. Lincoln: What is the — a) Tree? b) Shadow?
 c) Which is the real thing?
7. Marden:  How do you make the invisible thread 	
of habit turn into a cable?	
8. Getty:  a) What must an individual break?  
 b) What must a person quickly adopt?
9. List one habit that will:  a) Break a person's 	
career.  b) Help a person achieve success.
Thoughts & Quotes