James Cash Penney

The thought in my mind was that I must be a good merchant. If I were a good merchant, the rest would probably take care of itself.

Courteous treatment will make a customer a walking advertisement.

Change is vital, improvement the logical form of change.

The problem with the bronco is to get on and stay on. This is the problem with the Golden Rule-to understand and apply.

Selling is our No. 1 job. Never get away from selling a lot of merchandise personally. The more you sell the more you learn.

Every man must decide for himself whether he shall master his world or be mastered by it.

Fidelity is the sister of justice.

There are still many causes worth sacrificing for, so much history yet to be made.

Life is largely a matter of expectation.

Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.

There is a great deal of human nature in people.

We are eager to tunnel under the Atlantic and bring the Old World some weeks nearer to the New; but perchance the first news that will leak through into the broad, flapping American ear will be that the Princess Adelaide has the whooping cough.

Sir, a man who cannot get to heaven in a green coat, will not find his way thither the sooner in a gray one.

You may not always have a comfortable life and you will not always be able to solve all of the world’s problems at once but don’t ever underestimate the importance you can have because history has shown us that courage can be contagious and hope can take on a life of its own.

The torpid artist seeks inspiration at any cost, by virtue or by vice, by friend or by fiend, by prayer or by wine.

The Ancient Mariner would not have taken so well if it had been called The Old Sailor.

Men profess to be lovers of music, but for the most part they give no evidence in their opinions and lives that they have heard it.

You will find only what you bring in.

Knowledge is knowing that we cannot know.

He is a modest little man who has a good deal to be modest about.

Ahh, that mountain of self-discovery. Every time you have reached the summit, the clouds clear and you see there is still a ways to go. Don’t look up with thoughts of despair; thinking how much further do I have to go?! Take a moment and look back to see how far you have come. Don’t lose sight of your accomplishments, and focus on the continued commitment to self-discovery and development.