Uncommon Tony Dungy Quotes

It's okay to wander.

Everyone, everywhere, needs encouragement on a regular basis. Start with people you know and add to your list.

Avoidance doesn’t solve anything; it merely serves as a temporary salve.

Life is challenging. I wish I could tell you that you’ll always be on top of the mountain, but the reality is that there are days when nothing will go right, when not only will you not be on top, you may not even be able to figure out which way is up. Do yourself a favor, and don’t make it any harder than it has to be. In those moments,      be careful how you speak to yourself;      be careful how you think of yourself;      be careful how you conduct yourself;      be careful how you develop yourself.

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. Matthew 6:33

Look for opportunities to share a word of comfort and grace with someone today—perhaps through a story of what God has done in your life.

God’s Kingdom is being held in check by any church that is quick to criticize and disrespect others.

It’s sometimes easier to do the wrong thing, but it’s always better to do the right thing.

Don’t worry that children never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you. ROBERT FULGHUM

When society pummels you with messages that make you feel defeated and worthless, listen to the Person who loves you more than anyone else, and receive His gift of grace. Thank Him for it right now.

Moving from desire to actually doing better is only achieved with self-discipline, and self-discipline only works effectively when you trust in Him to help. Amp up your self-discipline in the areas you need it most.

When things happen to us that aren’t exactly what we had hoped for, there are a number of ways we can respond. But there’s only one response that will help us to move on toward the promise of a new day full of opportunities. Get over it, get up, and try it again. Olympian Eric Liddell once said, “In the dust of defeat as well as the laurels of victory there is a glory to be found if one has done his best.” Get over it, get up, and try it again.

Respect isn’t a right. We aren’t entitled to it, and we can never earn it by demanding it. It’s something we earn because of our character—and by giving it to others. If we want to be respected, we have to show ourselves to be worthy of it, not by our status, possessions, or accomplishments, but by honesty, integrity, and responsibility.

The great thing about integrity is that it is truly no respecter of position or wealth or race or gender. It is not determined by shifting circumstances, cultural dynamics, or what you’ve previously achieved. From the moment you are born, you—and you alone—determine whether you will be a person of integrity. Integrity does not come in degrees—low, medium, or high. You either have integrity or you do not. In

The light which experience gives is a lantern on the stern, which shines only on the waves behind us.

Keep the faith that God’s plan is always best. When we walk with Him, we’re walking with someone who knows where He is going.

I will show you my faith by my good deeds.” James 2:17-18

Be intentional and choose to envision a life of significance, possibility, and impact.

I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

I couldn’t control whether I would be hired for those positions. When you do your part to prepare, you can trust God for the results. In His timing, He’s the one who enlarges your territory. Your job is to make yourself ready for it.

It is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. Hebrews 11:6

God’s loving plan to save sinners started with Jesus’ death and resurrection. The influence God calls you to have for His Kingdom is very simple: just tell the world what He did for you.

When people criticize you, it’s not always for your actions but for what you represent. If they’re really criticizing you for your faith, it’s important to maintain your focus and continue on the pathway that God has set before you, even in the midst of criticism.

But when Christ said, “It is finished” and breathed His last breath on the cross, the curtain covering the “Holy of Holies” was immediately torn in half, signifying that we now had—through Christ’s death—direct access to God the Father. It’s still hard to fathom. But the picture of Him standing with open arms waiting for me, rather than being unapproachable behind a curtain, is a welcoming vision.

For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 2 Timothy 3:2

You’ll not find the life God intended for you in relationships seeking immediate and personal gratification—even the

Albert Camus once said, “Integrity has no need of rules.” I tend to agree.

also made it abundantly clear that no one was indispensable. We knew that if one of our star players was injured, we could still play well and still win. So even though we had many Hall of Fame players, our games were never about individual accomplishments. Teamwork was valued above all. It was not about “I” or “me” but about “us” and “we.” This was the primary reason that Coach Noll brought in assistant coaches from the college ranks. Similarly, when he traded players away (like me!), he always looked to get draft picks in return, not players from other teams. He wanted people who would buy into the “Steeler Way” and not try to bring other ideas into play. Other teams may have good ideas that work well for them, but we would win the Steeler Way. And every Steeler believed that, which is one of the reasons we were so successful.

Transformation doesn’t happen overnight, and yet incremental changes in diet and exercise can make dramatic differences when done consistently over a period of time. Health and satisfaction result. And hope.

I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell . . . nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. ROMANS 8:38-39

The little things we fail to do or fail to see—and the result is less than we planned. The little things we fail to do can make us come up short of where we wanted to be. How many victories in our lives are we missing because we fail to do the little things or we pull up just a couple of yards short? How many victories in our lives are just around the next corner, but we stop walking and never get to that corner?

But more and more, people will say things and then later claim they were misunderstood or were simply joking. I think the real misunderstanding was their lack of understanding of how their words would be received.

If we can’t separate what we do from who we are, we’ll be defined by the words of people who really aren’t qualified to shape our identities. And if their words are negative, our perception of ourselves takes a huge blow.

Determine where you are and make adjustments. Stay close to God, and let His wisdom and leading guide you.

UNCOMMON KEY > It is by grace, not works, that you are saved. However, your works may shed significant light on whether you ever had the moment of life-changing salvation that Christ offers.

Perception doesn’t accomplish goals; substance does. Know who you really are and where you are going, and then pursue your goals.

on what God can do through us—and on His promise that if we delight in Him, He will give us the desires of our hearts—we become confident and able to achieve whatever we were designed to achieve.

It’s true that this kind of living feels like a sacrifice, which is the term Paul used in Romans 12:1. But I’m telling you from firsthand experience that once you decide to live by God’s plan, you’ll save yourself from lots of pain and grief. Think of it: you don’t have to cover up a sin you never committed. You don’t have to perpetuate a lie you never told. You don’t have to hide a habit you never picked up. Righteousness may require sacrifice initially, but over time? Right living is a relief.

God was very intentional about your design, your opportunities, and your purpose. Thank Him and look for ways to use what He has given you in the best way possible.

UNCOMMON KEY > Be a gracious and authentic person for Christ—He can do wonders through your interactions with others for His Kingdom. Be ready to learn and possibly share your own knowledge.

You only go around once in this life. You can spend it looking for the negative, or like Buck O’Neil, you can use God’s gift of life as an opportunity for joy and grace.

Wise people treasure knowledge, but the babbling of a fool invites disaster. PROVERBS 10:14

God has given you one life to live—make it count for Him. Carpe diem—seize the day! Today and tomorrow and the next day . . . as long as He determines.

Gather ye rosebuds while you may, Old time is still a-flying; And this same flower that smiles today Tomorrow will be dying.

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