Greg DePriest began as my pastor and evolved into a great friend and mentor in my life. I’ve often shared quotes and thoughts I’ve gleaned from Greg’s teaching and sharing.
“Think Like a Horse: Lessons in Life, Leadership, and Empathy from an Unconventional Cowboy,” read like a recap of everything Greg has taught me over the past 20+ years.
Here are a few quotes from the book:
- The words we choose to use when describing a person, or a horse, are powerful indeed because they reveal what we believe. Our beliefs determine our actions, and our actions determine our destiny.
- Words go straight into your soul.
- We create our worlds with our words.
- Holding on to resentment and anger is like drinking poison and hoping someone else will die.
- Forgiveness is a gift we give ourselves.
- If you compromise your boundaries for the sake of the relationship, sooner or later you will lose the relationship.
- Respect comes before friendship.
- Make the right thing easy and the wrong thing difficult – and give them the freedom to choose.
- A boundary is not a physical constraint or a punishment. It’s a line of choice with a consequence attached for crossing it.
- At times, a boundary isn’t between us at all; it is used to say “Stay here with me” rather than “Stay away from me.”
- Be slow to take and quick to give.
- There is a point where you just have to get on and expect the best. Face your fear, let go of control, and trust that things will work out.
- You must give trust in order to get trust.
- Honor the slightest try and the smallest change.
- Trust is not just a feeling. It’s also an action, and it’s a process that happens over time.
- Respect comes before friendship.
- Discipline without love is abuse, but love without discipline is also abuse.
- Be as soft as you can but as firm as necessary.
- If you deal with an attitude, you don’t have to deal with an action.
- On the surface, anger and fear might look the same.
- Dealing with an attitude doesn’t always mean being harsh or disciplinary.
- Bad things do happen; how I respond to them defines my character and the quality of my life. – Walter Anderson
- It was more about connection and relationship than methods.
- Even in our darkest moments, we do have a choice about how we react.
- It’s easy to be bitter, but it’s hard to live that way. – Steven Millward
- Failure just means you figured out what doesn’t work.
- If you never fail or make mistakes, you’re playing it so safe you’re hardly living at all… There are two reasons for this: either they’re too scared or they’re too proud.
- Pride and fear might seem like very different things, but they have the same end result: you stop moving, stop learning, and stop growing.
- There’s little growth in the comfort zone and little comfort in the growth zone.
- The greatest challenge he faced was coming home.
- Under pressure, we learn who we are.
- It’s struggle that gives things value. – Micah Fink
- Purpose… is a way of living every day.
- Humility is not putting yourself down or denying your strengths; rather, it is being honest about your weaknesses. – Rick Warren
- Your title makes you a manager, your people will decide if you’re a leader. – Bill Campbell