A moral compendium

Readers of this column are remarkable when it comes to telling me what they like most about my weekly musings. Of course, I’m honored when they tell me they have posted my words on company bulletin boards or used the lessons as motivation.

But without question, the most frequent feedback I get is that the column-ending morals are a very useful summation of the message. Occasionally, I compile a list of my favorite morals from the past couple of years. Be my guest to share them!

- Whatever you’re selling, you’re selling yourself first.

• Don’t presume what you assume is correct.

• If you live by a great value system, your life will have great value.

• Accountability is the ability to accept responsibility.

• You are only as happy as you decide to be.

• To be a standout, you must stand for only your best.

• Some of the best lessons we ever learned, we learned from our mistakes and failures.

• A sense of humor is almost as important as our other five senses.

• Be respectful or be regretful.

• Don’t let excess stress get in the way of extreme success.

• Teamwork divides the task and multiplies the success.

• Even if you can’t achieve perfection, you should never stop trying.

• Unhappiness always seeks to get. Happiness always seeks to give.

• If you want to have the time of your life, make the most of your minutes.

• Great brainstorms should produce plenty of en-lightning!

• If you are persistent, you will get it. If you are consistent, you will keep it.

• Clean up your act, or be prepared to clean out your desk.

• Your job is always to make someone else’s job easier.

• You can’t buy confidence, but you can sell it!

• Parents teach lessons even when they think no one is watching.

• You are only one question away from success, if it’s the right question.

• Negotiation is not just about winning. It’s about win-win.

• A little hiccup won’t end your career, but be careful not to let it choke you.

• Confidence is keeping your chin up. Overconfidence is sticking your neck out.

• Optimists are people who make the best of it when they get the worst of it.

• Persuasion is an art. The tongue can paint what the eye can’t see.

•misunderstandings can be costly.

• Let curiosity turn “I don’t know” into “I want to find out.”

• The biggest mistake you can make is pretending that you didn’t make one.

• When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at often change.

• When you talk to yourself, make sure you listen carefully.

• Don’t let your fears get in your head — get ahead of them.

• Take control of your attitude before it takes control of you.

• Don’t worry about what you could do if you lived your life over; get busy with what’s left.

• A little spark can lead to a blazing success.

• You don’t have to uproot the whole tree to turn over a new leaf.

• Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare.

• Optimal customer service is not optional.

• Don’t let your mood turn into your doom.

• The hardest sale you’ll ever make is to yourself. But once you’re convinced you can do it, you can.

• When life tests your mettle, nothing succeeds like an iron will.

Mackay’s Moral: Don’t just make a living, make a life worth living.

Harvey Mackay is the author of the New York Times best-seller “Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive.” He can be reached through his website, www.harveymackay.com, by emailing harvey@mackay.com or by writing him at MackayMitchell Envelope Co., 2100 Elm St. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414.