Curious about Difference: What Does It Mean to You? What Makes a Difference – In the Lives of Others, In Your Life, in the World?

Difference Definition: The act of differing; the state or measure of being different or unlike; distinction; dissimilarity; unlikeness; variation. That by which one thing differs from another; that which distinguishes or causes to differ; mark of distinction; characteristic quality; specific attribute.

Close to a year ago, I wrote a blog with the theme, “difference.” This was mainly because the network marketing company I work with had part of its mission statement, “Making a Difference.” I do believe that a majority of the people I am involved with have the goal and value of making a difference.

However, I was inspired to write again about “Difference” because I have been reading the excellent book, “The Difference Maker,” by John C. Maxwell. As he explains, “The goal of this book is not to snow you by saying that attitude is everything, but to show you that your attitude is the difference maker in your life. . .

“Your attitude colors every aspect of your life. It is the mind’s paintbrush. It can paint everything in bright, vibrant colors – creating a masterpiece. Or it can make everything dark and dreary. . . There is not a single part of your current life that is not affected by your attitude. And your future will definitely be influenced by the attitude you carry with you from today forward.”

So, how about you? Are you painting with bright, vibrant colors? I hope so. We do need them now in these challenging economic times.

The other good part about using the theme difference again is that there are so many more quotations than I have ever found before. Let’s get to the wisdom expressed by a plethora of experts.

• “Life is not what it's supposed to be. It's what it is. The way you cope with it is what makes the difference.” - Virginia Satir, American psychologist
• “Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage.” - Niccolo Machiavelli, Italian writer
• “There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. The little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative.” - W. Clement Stone, American businessman
• “It's not what you do once in a while, it's what you do day in and day out that makes the difference.” - Jenny Craig, Australian celebrity
• “There is a real magic in enthusiasm. It spells the difference between mediocrity and accomplishment.” - Norman Vincent Peale, American clergyman
• “Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.” - Winston Churchill, English statesman

And, a few more (there were so many great ones):

• “Strong people make as many mistakes as weak people. Difference is that strong people admit their mistakes, laugh at them, learn from them. That is how they become strong.” - Richard Needham, British politician
• “The difference between perseverance and obstinacy is that one often comes from a strong will, and the other from a strong won't.” - Henry Ward Beecher, American clergyman
• “It's not what you've got, it's what you use that makes a difference.” - Zig Ziglar, American author
• “The difference between the possible and the impossible lies in a person's determination.” - Tommy Lasorda, American coach
• “The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will.” - Vince Lombardi, American coach
• “The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world's problem.” - Mohandas Gandhi, Indian leader

And, a couple more quotations for the road and to think about and apply:

“There is a difference between conceit and confidence. Conceit is bragging about yourself. Confidence means you believe you can get the job done.” - Johnny Unitas, American athlete

“The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.” - Jimmy Johnson, American coach

I urge you to examine your “Difference Maker” (attitude) and adjust it to bring you the best results possible.