Presidential Wisdom for You on This Presidents’ Day

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are a leader.” -John Quincy Adams</li><li>“You must pay the price if you wish to secure the blessing.” -Andrew Jackson</li><li>“It is easier to do a job right than to explain why you didn’t.” -Martin Van Buren</li><li>“Times change, and we change with them.” -William Henry Harrison</li><li>“Popularity, I have always thought, may aptly be compared to a coquette — the more you woo her, the more apt is she to elude your embrace.” -John Tyler</li><li>“Gratitude should be commensurate with the boundless blessings which we enjoy.” -James K. Polk</li><li>“Never judge a stranger by his clothes.” -Zachary Taylor</li><li>“It is not strange… to mistake change for progress.” -Millard Fillmore</li><li>“If your past is limited, your future is boundless.” -Franklin Pierce</li><li>“The test of leadership is not to put greatness into humanity, but to elicit it, for the greatness is already there.” -James Buchanan</li><li>“You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.” -Abraham Lincoln</li><li>“If you always support the correct principles then you will never get the wrong results!” -Andrew Johnson</li><li>“The most confident critics are generally those who know the least about the matter criticized.” -Ulysses S. Grant</li><li>“Every expert was once a beginner.” -Rutherford B. Hayes</li><li>“A pound of pluck is worth a ton of luck.” -James A. Garfield</li><li>“Be fit for more than the thing you are now doing.” -Chester A. Arthur</li><li>“In calm water, every ship has a good captain.” -Grover Cleveland</li><li>“Prayer steadies one when he is walking in slippery places — even if things asked for are not given.” -Benjamin Harrison</li><li>“That’s all a man can hope for during his lifetime — to set an example — and when he is dead, to be an inspiration for history.” -William McKinley</li><li>“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” -Theodore Roosevelt</li><li>“Enthusiasm for a cause sometimes warps judgement.” -William Howard Taft</li><li>“If you want to make enemies, try to change something.” -Woodrow Wilson</li><li>“Ambition is a commendable attribute, without which no man succeeds. Only inconsiderate ambition imperils.” -Warren G. Harding</li><li>“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Educati

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on will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.” -Calvin Coolidge</li><li>“Be patient and calm; no one can catch fish in anger.” -Herbert Hoover</li><li>“The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.” -Franklin D. Roosevelt</li><li>“If you can’t stand the heat get out of the kitchen.” -Harry Truman</li><li>“Faith is the mightiest force that man has at his command. It impels human beings to greatness in thought and word and deed.” -Dwight Eisenhower</li><li>“Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.” -John F. Kennedy</li><li>“You aren’t learning anything when you’re talking.” -Lyndon Johnson</li><li>“A man is not finished when he is defeated. He is finished when he quits.” -Richard Nixon</li><li>“Never be satisfied with less than your very best effort. If you strive for the top and miss, you’ll still ‘beat the pack.’” -Gerald Ford</li><li>“We must adjust to changing times and still hold to unchanging principles.” — Jimmy Carter</li><li>“We are never defeated unless we give up on God.” -Ronald Reagan</li><li>“In crucial things, unity. In important things, diversity. In all things, generosity.” -George H.W. Bush</li><li>“We all do better when we work together. Our differences do matter, but our common humanity matters more.” -Bill Clinton</li><li>“In the end, leaders are defined by the convictions they hold.” -George W. Bush</li><li>“If you’re walking down the right path and you’re willing to keep walking, eventually you’ll make progress.” -Barack Obama</li><li>“As long as you are going to be thinking anyway, think big.” -Donald Trump</li><li>“Failure at some point in your life is inevitable, but giving up is unforgivable.” -Joe Biden</li></ul>There you have it — 45 quotes from the presidents of the United States!Once again, in providing this list of quotes, I’m not endorsing each president and all that he did in office (or out of office). I just believe the above quotes are worthy of our reflection.All of the above presidents were flawed men — some more than others. And some of them still evoke strong feelings in the minds of many Americans. But every single one attained the highest political office in our land.As such, they deserve to be recognized as the leaders of consequence that they were — and, in a few cases, still are.And we can all learn at least something from each of them.</article></body>

Here are quotes from all 45 American presidents for you to ponder

Presidents’ Day is upon us. This year, that holiday falls on Monday, February 21, giving most Americans a three-day weekend. And for those who take it, it’s an opportunity to reflect on the legacy of America’s forty-five presidents.

Originally established in 1885 to honor the father of the United States of America, this month’s holiday was moved by the Monday Holidays Act of 1971 from George Washington’s actual birthday to the third Monday in February. Since then, Washington has effectively lost his own holiday and must now share it with all the other presidents.

While this author strongly believes the father of our country deserves a holiday of his own, I will nevertheless bow to cultural reality and (for the purpose of this article) reluctantly embrace the unofficial but common name for the February holiday — “Presidents’ Day.”

What lessons can Americans learn for our lives by studying the forty-five leaders who attained the highest political office in our country?

In that spirit, I’ve selected a quote from each of our forty-five Presidents and offer these forty-five quotes for your enjoyment and reflection.

In offering up these quotes, I’m not signaling any political endorsement or affirming everything that these men believed, said, or did.

I’m simply suggesting that these quotes are worthy of our attention and reflection.

I also know there have technically been forty-six presidencies since one of our presidents served non-consecutive terms. But I’m not giving Grover Cleveland two quotes. He just gets one.

Here we go!

“It is better to be alone than in bad company.” -George Washington

“If conscience disapproves, the loudest applauses of the world are of little value.” -John Adams

“When angry, count ten, before you speak; if very angry, a hundred.” -Thomas Jefferson

“If man is not fit to govern himself, how can he be fit to govern someone else?” -James Madison

“A little flattery will support a man through great fatigue.” -James Monroe

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” -John Quincy Adams

“You must pay the price if you wish to secure the blessing.” -Andrew Jackson

“It is easier to do a job right than to explain why you didn’t.” -Martin Van Buren

“Times change, and we change with them.” -William Henry Harrison

“Popularity, I have always thought, may aptly be compared to a coquette — the more you woo her, the more apt is she to elude your embrace.” -John Tyler

“Gratitude should be commensurate with the boundless blessings which we enjoy.” -James K. Polk

“Never judge a stranger by his clothes.” -Zachary Taylor

“It is not strange… to mistake change for progress.” -Millard Fillmore

“If your past is limited, your future is boundless.” -Franklin Pierce

“The test of leadership is not to put greatness into humanity, but to elicit it, for the greatness is already there.” -James Buchanan

“You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.” -Abraham Lincoln

“If you always support the correct principles then you will never get the wrong results!” -Andrew Johnson

“The most confident critics are generally those who know the least about the matter criticized.” -Ulysses S. Grant

“Every expert was once a beginner.” -Rutherford B. Hayes

“A pound of pluck is worth a ton of luck.” -James A. Garfield

“Be fit for more than the thing you are now doing.” -Chester A. Arthur

“In calm water, every ship has a good captain.” -Grover Cleveland

“Prayer steadies one when he is walking in slippery places — even if things asked for are not given.” -Benjamin Harrison

“That’s all a man can hope for during his lifetime — to set an example — and when he is dead, to be an inspiration for history.” -William McKinley

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” -Theodore Roosevelt

“Enthusiasm for a cause sometimes warps judgement.” -William Howard Taft

“If you want to make enemies, try to change something.” -Woodrow Wilson

“Ambition is a commendable attribute, without which no man succeeds. Only inconsiderate ambition imperils.” -Warren G. Harding

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.” -Calvin Coolidge

“Be patient and calm; no one can catch fish in anger.” -Herbert Hoover

“The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.” -Franklin D. Roosevelt

“If you can’t stand the heat get out of the kitchen.” -Harry Truman

“Faith is the mightiest force that man has at his command. It impels human beings to greatness in thought and word and deed.” -Dwight Eisenhower

“Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.” -John F. Kennedy

“You aren’t learning anything when you’re talking.” -Lyndon Johnson

“A man is not finished when he is defeated. He is finished when he quits.” -Richard Nixon

“Never be satisfied with less than your very best effort. If you strive for the top and miss, you’ll still ‘beat the pack.’” -Gerald Ford

“We must adjust to changing times and still hold to unchanging principles.” — Jimmy Carter

“We are never defeated unless we give up on God.” -Ronald Reagan

“In crucial things, unity. In important things, diversity. In all things, generosity.” -George H.W. Bush

“We all do better when we work together. Our differences do matter, but our common humanity matters more.” -Bill Clinton

“In the end, leaders are defined by the convictions they hold.” -George W. Bush

“If you’re walking down the right path and you’re willing to keep walking, eventually you’ll make progress.” -Barack Obama

“As long as you are going to be thinking anyway, think big.” -Donald Trump

“Failure at some point in your life is inevitable, but giving up is unforgivable.” -Joe Biden

There you have it — 45 quotes from the presidents of the United States!

Once again, in providing this list of quotes, I’m not endorsing each president and all that he did in office (or out of office). I just believe the above quotes are worthy of our reflection.

All of the above presidents were flawed men — some more than others. And some of them still evoke strong feelings in the minds of many Americans. But every single one attained the highest political office in our land.

As such, they deserve to be recognized as the leaders of consequence that they were — and, in a few cases, still are.

And we can all learn at least something from each of them.