Inspirational Quotes by Ernie J. Zelinski

 Taken from Newspapers and Websites That Have Quoted Ernie

and from His Many Books 

The Elders Speak

Nice people are often not good people and good people are often not nice peopl

— from 101 Really Important Things You Already Know But Keep Forgetting by Ernie J. Zelinski

 

Anything great that has been accomplished in the history of humanity has started with one small thought. We all have those thoughts; few people do anything with theirs, however. What do you intend to do with yours? 

— from Look Ma: Life’s Easy by Ernie J. Zelinski

 

There are two principles for creative success — one general and one definitive.
The general principle is that everyone has the ability to be creative and make a big difference in this world.
The definitive principle is that almost everyone has volunteered to be exempt from the general principle.
— from The Lazy Person's Guide to Success (over 95,000 copies sold)

 

The best advice that anyone can give you for choosing a specific career is never to accept someone else's advice. Indeed, one of the biggest reasons for choosing the career you have chosen should be that no one told you to.

— from Career Success Without a Real Job
 

Being unemployed is the true test of who you really are:
— from The Joy of Not Working

 

 

If the grass on the other side of the fence is greener, try watering your side.
— from 101 Really Important Things You Already Know But Keep Forgetting 

 

It isn't much of a book of quotations if I'm not in it. 

— Ernie J. Zelinski (after being given a Book of Quotations for his birthday)

 

When you find yourself on the side of majority, question yourself about what you are doing and why. It is likely wrong.
— from Look Ma; Life's Easy 

 

Thank Heaven for Retirement!
— from How to Retire Happy, Wild and Free

 

 

Life is a game. Happy people are the players. Unhappy people are the spectators. Which would you like to be? 

— from The Lazy Person’s Guide to Happiness by Ernie J. Zelinski

 

Imagine that you are in control of your life. Now, the question is: Why do you have to imagine this?

— from Look Ma: Life’s Easy by Ernie J. Zelinski

 

Be clear about the purpose of money. Money is like health. It is necessary for survival but it is not what you live for.
— from Don't Hurry, Be Happy by Ernie J. Zelinski

 

Retirement: A Time to Become Much More than You Have Ever Been
— from How to Retire Happy, Wild and Free

 

Prosperity Comes When You Do the Right Things with Your Life
— from Career Success Without a Real Job

 

 

Have you ever considered that your perception of reality could be wrong? If you haven't, this is a pretty good sign that it is.
— from Look Ma: Life’s Easy by Ernie J. Zelinski

 

When money is lost, a little is lost. When time is lost, much more is lost. When health is lost, practically everything is lost. And when creative spirit is lost, there is nothing left."

— from The Lazy Person’s Guide to Happiness by Ernie J. Zelinski

 

To fear retirement is to fear life.
— from How to Retire Happy, Wild and Free by Ernie J. Zelinski

Ordinary People Attain Extraordinary Success — You Can Too!
— from 101 Really Important Things You Already Know But Keep Forgetting

Overnight Success Happens Only in Fairy Tales, Trashy Novels, and Bad Movies.
— from 101 Really Important Things You Already Know But Keep Forgetting

If you end up getting into a fight with someone, make sure that you win by at least half a mile.
— from The Lazy Person’s Guide to Happiness by Ernie J. Zelinski

 

According to the book Celebrate Today, June 18th is National Splurge Day. Besides being the birthday of Paul McCartney and Isabella Rossellini, it's also mine. Go ahead; celebrate my birthday and don't worry about the cost!

— from Don't Hurry, Be Happy by Ernie J. Zelinski

 

Comfort is a double-edged sword.  A little will increase health and happiness; too much — and it will destroy both.
— from the inspirational novel Look Ma, Life's Easy by Ernie J. Zelinski

 

People who observe no limits in attempting to get work done aren't nearly as smart as they think. Hard work can be done by any fool. But to be highly productive, and still have plenty of time to rest and play, this is where true genius resides.
— from The Lazy Person’s Guide to Success by Ernie J. Zelinski

Just one great idea can change your life dramatically.
Look for it.
It's there somewhere!
— from Career Success Without a Real Job by Ernie Zelinski

Know the moment when to work diligently.
Even more important, know the moment when not to work, but to relax and play instead.
This will not only benefit you immensely, but also will astonish your friends and competitors.
— from The Lazy Person's Guide to Success: How to Get What You Want Without Killing Yourself for It

 

To be more successful, learn to distinguish between the truly unimportant and the truly important. Eventually you will be considered not only a genius, but a messiah as well.
— from Look Ma: Life’s Easy by Ernie J. Zelinski

 

Your suffering is something you choose. Experience it fully. Without it you will not achieve personal growth and higher consciousness.
— from The Lazy Person’s Guide to Happiness by Ernie J. Zelinski

Do the Difficult and Uncomfortable If You Would Like an Easy and Comfortable Life.
— from 101 Really Important Things You Already Know But Keep Forgetting

Don’t Mess Around with Reality and Reality Won ’t Mess Around with You.
— from 101 Really Important Things You Already Know But Keep Forgetting

Take Special Care of Yourself — Because No One Else Will!
— from How to Retire Happy, Wild and Free

 

 

Get Creative — You Will Surprise Yourself and Change the World!
— from Career Success Without a Real Job

Happiness Doesn’t Care How You Get There
— from How to Retire Happy, Wild and Free

 

Do It Badly — But at Least Do It!
— from Career Success Without a Real Job

 

You can always make up in creativity what you lack in good fortune. Playing the game of life is like playing poker. Playing three aces badly won't get you as far as playing a terrible hand well.
— from The Lazy Person’s Guide to Success

 

If you're in a hurry to find happiness, slow down. Give it a chance to catch up with you.
— from The Lazy Person’s Guide to Happiness

 

Compromising your integrity for money, power, or fame will come back to haunt you.
— from 101 Really Important Things You Already Know But Keep Forgetting

 

If You Hang Around with a Bunch of Blunderers Long Enough, you Will Become One Yourself.
— from 101 Really Important Things You Already Know But Keep Forgetting 

 

Anyone can achieve something important. Contrary to popular belief, the key is not hard work, but finding the right thing to achieve.
— from The Lazy Person’s Guide to Success

 

If you expect to have it all, you will have nothing. Learn to be happy with nothing — and you will have it all!
— from The Lazy Person’s Guide to Happiness

 

Live a little. Laugh a little. Love a little. Happiness will find you in a big way.
— from The Lazy Person’s Guide to Happiness

Everyone seems to want to be somewhere they aren't. Choose to be where you are right now and you will be happier than 90 percent of humankind.
— from The Lazy Person’s Guide to Happiness

 

Occasionally, you will be given the chance to be either intellectual or pleasant. Leave being intellectual to others.
— from The Lazy Person’s Guide to Happiness

If you are a happy person, don't spend your time trying to make an unhappy person happy. Near as I can tell, you have to be a magician to pull it off.
— from The Lazy Person’s Guide to Happiness

 

Be good to others, but don't expect a lot of gratitude in this world. Remember that good deeds are seldom remembered and bad deeds are seldom forgotten.

— from The Lazy Person’s Guide to Happiness

 

Misery doesn't only love company. It demands it. For this reason, don't walk away from negative people. RUN!
— from The Lazy Person’s Guide to Happiness

 

There’s Insanity on Both Sides of the Debate When You Argue with an Idiot.
— from 101 Really Important Things You Already Know But Keep Forgetting

Financial Insanity Has Its Own Big Following — Including You and Me.
— from 101 Really Important Things You Already Know But Keep Forgetting

Try to earn your $$$$$$ before you spend them.
— from Don't Hurry, Be Happy i

Good deeds are seldom remembered; bad deeds are seldom forgotten.
— from 101 Really Important Things You Already Know But Keep Forgetting

 

Put money in it's place. Money can buy you cars, houses, trinkets, fleeting sex, shallow companionship, cheap attention, and unfulfilled status. However, it can't buy you peace, love, or happiness.
— from Don't Hurry, Be Happy

 

The Most Creative Shortcut to Success Is to Reevaluate What Success Means to You.
— from 101 Really Important Things You Already Know But Keep Forgetting

Instead of Criticizing Someone’s Success, Why Not Learn Something Valuable from It?.
— from 101 Really Important Things You Already Know But Keep Forgetting

You Are Already a Millionaire — Your Creativity Makes It So..
— from 101 Really Important Things You Already Know But Keep Forgetting

Quotes from The Lazy Person's Guide to Success

When you need something tedious done, and don't have time for it,
give it to a workaholic. This way, both of you will be happy.
— from The Lazy Person's Guide to Success 

 

Know the moment when to work diligently.
Even more important, know the moment when not to work, but to relax
and play instead.
This will not only benefit you immensely, but also will astonish your
friends and competitors.
— from The Lazy Person's Guide to Success 

 

Most people are too busy working on insignificant projects and pursuing
life's frivolities to tap their creative abilities.
It's a mistake to be one of them.
Striving for excellence where excellence doesn't matter is the stuff
misfits are made of.
— from The Lazy Person's Guide to Success 

 

The Lazy Achiever's Motto:
Regardless of how little time and work someone takes to perform a
task, there has to be a more efficient and effective way to perform
it.
— from The Lazy Person's Guide to Success 

 

You are fooling yourself whenever you think you are productive just
because you have worked fourteen hours in a day.
You will be truly productive when you do the same amount of work in
four hours, and take the other ten hours to enjoy the good things
life has to offer.
— from The Lazy Person's Guide to Success 

 

Understand that workaholics aren't productive people.
Quite the contrary.
A workaholic is someone who takes twice as much time to accomplish
half as much as a Lazy Achiever.
— from The Lazy Person's Guide to Success 

 

The universe defies you to answer the following questions:
What good is a high paying career if it leaves you continually stressed out and miserable?
What good is owning a large stately house if the only time you spend in it is when you sleep in it?
What good is having a lot of interesting possessions if you never have the free time to enjoy them?
Above all, what good is having a family if you seldom see any of its members?
— from The Lazy Person's Guide to Success

 

 

Refuse to be intimidated by the adage, "Anything worth doing is worth doing well."
This is one of the most ridiculous statements ever made.
The truth is, most things worth doing aren't worth your best efforts.
There are just a few really important things that are worth doing well.
After that, a greater number of things are worth doing adequately.
Even more things are worth doing in the most haphazard fashion possible just to get by.
Of course, most things aren't worth doing at all, best left for the misfits of this world to pursue.
— from The Lazy Person's Guide to Success

 

 

Unfortunately, money is more often misused and abused than used intelligently. Most people haven't figured out how to use money wisely to truly enhance their lives. Most, it seems, act rationally with their money only when they can't dream up any more irrational ways to spend it. To
be sure, financial insanity has developed its own big following including you and me..
— from The Lazy Person's Guide to Success