Yet More Museum Motivational Quotes

Such was the astonishing lack of reaction to my first set of quotes to inspire you in 2014, I thought I would do it again. It's too easy to repeat a blog on the same topic I hear you cry. Guilty as charged, but I call the BBC, ITV, Sky, etc. as my fellow defendants in the dock. In the true spirit of sequels the quotes are more of the same - just not as good. Regard this as the Jaws 2 of motivational quotes and you will derive enough innocent pleasure to make reading it worthwhile, whilst at the same time saying 'the first one was better'. Mind you, Godfather 2 was better than the original... and Toy Story 2, but they are exceptions to the rule ... oh and Aliens as well. But at least Godfather 3 was rubbish as were the rest of the Alien films - and what about Toy Story 3, I was in floods of tears and permanently drunk the week after. Now, where was I? Ah yes - more quotes:

1. "Cherish your visions and your dreams as they are the children of your museum, the blueprints of your exhibitions." Napoleon Hill


2. "The key to success is to focus the museum on things the audience desires not things they fear." Brian Tracy


3. "Success is getting what you want for your museum. Happiness is wanting what you get for your museum." Dale Carnegie


4. "Objects are necessary for success because in museums, as in all displays of importance, victory comes only after many struggles with display cases and countless labels." Og Mandino


5. "A real museum decision is measured by the fact that you've taken a new action. If there's no action, you haven't truly decided." Tony Robbins


6. "If you can't control your anger, you are as helpless as a museum without displays wanting to be visited." The Book of Proverbs


7. A mediocre museum tells. A good museum explains. A superior museum demonstrates. A great museum inspires others to see for themselves." Harvey Mackay


8. "Education delivery, accreditation standards, accessioning, must constantly be exercised, even at the risk of inconvenience." Jack Vance


9. "Take care of your museum. It's the only place you have to work." Jim Rohn


10. "You can have everything out of museum work you want, if you will just help visitors get what they want." Zig Ziglar


11. "The number of times I succeeded in writing the perfect label was in direct proportion to the number of times I failed but kept on writing." Tom Hopkins


12. "If you have every object you want, you need to build something far bigger than your current stores." Seth Godin

Yet again joyfully borrowed and amended from Inc. Magazine. Read the actual quotes here http://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/12-great-motivational-quotes-for-2013.html

Inspirational Museum Quotes for 2014

Enough New Year reflective nonsense for the time being. Reading some motivational quotes for New Year* I have been inspired to inspire you to greater efforts in 2014 by sharing the wisdom of great thinkers throughout the centuries. Had any of them been museum managers this is what they would have said:

"An artefact cannot be polished without friction, nor a curator perfected without excellent accreditation documents." Seneca

"Don't go around saying the heritage sector owes you a living. The heritage sector owes you nothing. It was here first." Mark Twain

"Enthusiasm, backed up by nonsense and persistence, is the quality that most frequently makes for a museum." Dale Carnegie

"It doesn't matter whether the Dow is 5000 or 50,000. If you're an idiot, there is no bad time to start a museum." Guy Kawasaki

"Opportunities to find deeper powers within ourselves come when the museum visitor seems most challenging." Joseph Campbell

"The problem with many a museum is that it takes away the requirement to set your own visitor route, to explore your own learning, to find your story." Seth Godin

"You are your museum's greatest asset. Put your time, effort and money into training, grooming, and encouraging your greatest asset." Tom Hopkins

"It is only necessary to have storage, for artefacts without storage facilities are useless." Casanova

"If money is your hope for survival you will never have it. The only real security that a museum will have in this world is a reserve of knowledge, experience, and ability." Henry Ford

"Museums that are unable to motivate themselves must be content with mediocrity, no matter how impressive their objects." Andrew Carnegie

"If you have no confidence in your collection, you are twice defeated in the race for visitors. With confidence, you have great exhibitions even before you have started." Cicero

"It is not the strongest of the museums that survive, nor the most intelligent of staff that survives the cuts. It is the ones that are the most adaptable to change." Charles Darwin

*All quotes gleefully ripped off and improved from Inc. on-line magazine. 

If you want to read the actual quotes they can be found here. http://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/12-great-motivational-quotes-for-2014.html