It’s the end of the year. Most of us are winding down for a well earned break and hopefully a re-charge to start 2014 with a bang! I thought my column this week should include some lighter reading to help kick start the re-charge process. So here are some of my favourite quotes for motivation:

• “It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent. It is the one most responsive to change” (Charles Darwin).
• “The most valuable thing you can make is a mistake – you can’t learn anything from being perfect” (Adam Osborne).
• “Be bold. If you’re going to make an error, make a doozey, and don’t be afraid to hit the ball.” (Billie Jean King)
• “Perseverance is failing nineteen times and succeeding the twentieth.” (Julie Andrews).
• Most of us have trouble juggling. The woman who says she doesn’t is someone whom I admire but have never met.” (Barbara Walters)

I can only speak for myself, but my motivations also run deeper than ‘business success’. The following two quotes are my all time favourites for remembering the really important things in life:

• “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” (Maya Angelou).
• “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” (Anne Frank).

And at this time of year, this quote is particularly pertinent for female business owners:

• “Women need real moments of solitude and self-reflection to balance out how much of ourselves we give away.” (Barbara De Angelis).

Have a wonderful Christmas and a safe and happy New Year!

Michelle Grice writes a weekly column for business women in The Western Weekender