I am careful not to confuse excellence with perfection. Excellence I can reach for; perfection is God's business. Michael J. Fox More Quotes by Michael J. Fox More Quotes From Michael J. Fox The more I expect, the more unhappy I am going to be. The more I accept, the more serene I am. Michael J. Fox unhappy acceptance expectations I remember my son wanted to go to bed with his cowboy boots on, and we had this fight for like an hour. Then I realized that the only good reason I had for him not to do it is because I didn't want him to. There was really no other reason. And finally I said, "OK, fine." It was a great victory for me, because I realized it doesn't really matter. Michael J. Fox cowboy fighting son One's dignity may be assaulted, vandalized and cruelly mocked, but cannot be taken away unless it is surrendered. Michael J. Fox success motivational life Acceptance doesn't mean resignation; it means understanding that something is what it is and that there's got to be a way through it. Michael J. Fox acceptance motivational mean Our challenges don’t define us, our actions do. Michael J. Fox our-actions challenges action If you fixate on the worst-case scenario and it actually happens, you’ve lived it twice. Michael J. Fox worst-case-scenario cases happens I like to encourage people to realize that any action is a good action if it's proactive and there is positive intent behind it. Michael J. Fox action positive people Don't spend a lot of time imagining the worst-case scenario. It rarely goes down as you imagine it will, and if by some fluke it does, you will have lived it twice. Michael J. Fox worst-case-scenario flukes doe I have no choice about whether or not I have Parkinson's. I have nothing but choices about how I react to it. In those choices, there's freedom to do a lot of things in areas that I wouldn't have otherwise found myself in. Michael J. Fox parkinsons choices found Family is not an important thing. It's everything. Michael J. Fox vocabulary-words family inspirational Look at the choices you have, not the choices that have been taken away from you. In them, there are whole worlds of strength and new ways to look at things. Michael J. Fox choices taken looks Everything is cause and effect. If you don't move, nothing will move with you, and nothing will move toward you. Michael J. Fox cause-and-effect causes moving Do the right thing, and then do the next right thing, and that will lead you to the next right thing after that. Michael J. Fox right-thing next When life takes away, something of greater value is always given in return. Michael J. Fox given return positive The only thing worse than an opportunity you don't deserve is blowing an opportunity. Michael J. Fox deserve opportunity People want leadership, Mr. President, and in the absence of genuine leadership, they'll listen to anyone who steps up to the microphone. They want leadership. They're so thirsty for it they'll crawl through the desert toward a mirage, and when they discover there's no water, they'll drink the sand. Michael J. Fox leadership drinking discovery Optimism is a cure for many things. Michael J. Fox cures optimism The first part of my life was to be an actor and maybe have some success at that. Then [it was time] to find somebody to be in a relationship with and have a life that way. Because of Parkinson's, I had to change: How can I be of service here? Is there something unique to my situation that I can use to help people? I did not have the wherewithal to invent that. It just happened in front of me and had me join in. Michael J. Fox unique use people Happiness is a decision. Michael J. Fox happy happiness inspirational But the key to our marriage is the capacity to give each other a break. And to realize that it's not how our similarities work together; it's how our differences work together. Michael J. Fox differences keys giving
