“Tell me and I will forget. Show me and I will remember. Involve me and I will understand. Step back and I will act.” – Chinese Proverb
This quote hung on my bulletin board, was inscribed in my journal and is now part of my email signature. But more importantly, it helped guide my OT practice and influenced the career I enjoy so much. By keeping this quote close over the years, I was reminded to focus on the individual patient, carefully communicate the recommended therapy, and build a plan that led to the maximum degree of independence.
In a way it also led me develop my first handout. When I showed and involved patients and caregivers with handouts, patients enjoyed more success. All 280+ handouts included in the Occupational Therapy Toolkit were started with a particular patient in mind, and were designed to show, to involve and ultimately let me step back to help another.
As we celebrate Occupational Therapy Month and the 100th anniversary of our profession, take a few minutes to look for your own inspiration in my collection of quotes about perseverance, challenges and success.
| “The patient is the product, not the article he makes.” |
| -Susan Tracy |
| “Great acts are made up of small deeds.” |
| -Lao Tzu |
| “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” |
| ―Confucius |
| “You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” |
| -Martin Luther King |
| “Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.” |
| -Helen Keller |
| “Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off the goal.” |
| -Henry Ford |
| “Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.” |
| -Calvin Coolidge |
| “It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the ones most responsive to change.” |
| -Charles Darwin |
| “It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.” |
| -Sir Edmund Hillary |
| “I’m touched by the idea that when we do things that are useful and helpful – collecting these shards of spirituality – that we may be helping to bring about a healing.” |
| -Leonard Nimoy |
| “Healing requires from us to stop struggling, but to enjoy life more and endure it less.” |
| -Darina Stoyanova |
| “Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goals: my strength lies solely in my tenacity.” |
| -Louis Pasteur |
| “It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up.” |
| -Babe Ruth |
| “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” |
| -Nelson Mandela |
| “The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” |
| -William Ward |
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I just discovered this website. I am a “quote collector” too! I love these quotes, many of which I have not read before. Thank you for the inspiration and I have a feeling I will become a frequent visitor to this site.
Thanks ElleGee. Hope to hear from you again.