“If we conducted ourselves as sensibly in good times as we do in hard times, we could all acquire a competence.”
What this quote means
This reflection by William Feather highlights the irony of our behavior: we are often more cautious and sensible in hard times, while prosperity makes us careless. If we applied the same wisdom in good times, we could build lasting competence or wealth. It resonates because it's easy to get carried away by the euphoria of success, forgetting lessons learned in adversity. It invites us to consistency and moderation.
How to apply it daily
Choose an area where you have recently succeeded. Write down the prudent habits you had during difficult times and apply them now to consolidate your gains.
Continue
Related quotes
Same author or same theme — keep reading.
“The only way to do great work is to love what you do.”Create visual
“Believe you can and you're halfway there.”Create visual
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”Create visual
“The only impossible journey is the one you never begin.”Create visual
“Don't watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.”Create visual
“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”Create visual
More quotes by William Feather
“Of 'I Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.”Create visual
“The prizes go to those who meet emergencies successfully. And the way to meet emergencies is to do each daily task the best we can; to act as though the eye of opportunity were always upon us. In the hundred-yard race the winner doesn't cross the tape line a dozen strides ahead of the field. He wins by inches. So we find it in ordinary business life. The big things that come our way are seldom the result of long thought or careful planning, but rather they are the fruit of seed planted in the daily routine of our work.”Create visual
“If we don't discipline ourselves, the world will do it for us.”Create visual