By Tom Polanski, EVP, eBrand Media and eBrand Interactive

I remember watching a grainy black and white film of Albert Einstein accepting his Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921. What struck me was that he expressed gratitude for his intuition which put him on the path to his great discovery. I’ve often wondered why he didn’t express gratitude for his intelligence, his mathematical skills or his ability to conceptualize and express what was then inconceivable. But, instead, he chose to mention specifically his intuition. More than that; I’m impressed that he had the courage to follow his intuition. How often have you felt on a cellular level that you should do something, take a path that’s contrary to logic, only to think yourself out of it?

One of my favorite Einstein stories is the based on his famous quote that God doesn’t play dice with the Universe. During an interview this quote was mentioned and the person conducting the interview asked, “Well, if you believe in God, Mr. Einstein, how do you explain His maliciousness? Einstein supposedly replied, “I don’t believe that God is malicious….I think that He is very, very sophisticated.”

Here are a few quotes that I hope will add value to your day:

“I know half the money I spend on advertising is wasted, but I can never find out which half.” – John Wanamaker (widely considered the father of modern advertising)

“Any seeming deception in a statement is costly, not only in the expense of the advertising but in the detrimental effect produced upon the customer, who believes she has been misled.” -  John Wanamaker

“Many persons have an idea that one cannot be in business and lead an upright life, whereas the truth is that no one succeeds in business to any great extent, who misleads or misrepresents” -  John Wanamaker

“What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.” – Pericles

“Effective leadership is not about making speeches or being liked; leadership is defined by results not attributes.” – Peter F. Drucker, Author and Management Expert

“Don’t tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results.” – George S. Patton, US Army General

“Good ideas are not adopted automatically. They must be driven into practice with courageous patience.” – Hyman Rickover, Admiral

“Knowledge is power, but enthusiasm pulls the switch.” – Ivern Ball, Poet

“Heroism consists of hanging on one minute longer.” – Norwegian Proverb

“Trying times are not the times to stop trying.” – Ray Owen, Writer

“The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches, but to reveal to him his own.” – Benjamin Disraeli