The ‚Maddox Jolie-Pitt‘ Foundation’s work is inspired by our children and their connections to particular countries.

I used to – my earliest memory of waking up with a melody in my head was, you know, 8, 9, 10. I’ve always heard kind of melodies in my head.

A word of encouragement from a teacher to a child can change a life. A word of encouragement from a spouse can save a marriage. A word of encouragement from a leader can inspire a person to reach her potential.

Our lifestyle was not in any way a negative. That was not the problem. That is and will remain one of the wonderful opportunities we are able to give our children.

I love the song ‚I Hope You Dance‘ by Lee Ann Womack. I was going to write that song, but someone beat me to it.

No man should bring children into the world who is unwilling to persevere to the end in their nature and education.

Philanthropy is commendable, but it must not cause the philanthropist to overlook the circumstances of economic injustice which make philanthropy necessary.

Pursue some path, however narrow and crooked, in which you can walk with love and reverence.

K to 12 is partly about babysitting the kids so the parents can do other things.

I gather from motivation around me – from a lot of personalities who have done well in their respective fields.

My biggest hobby is hanging out with my family and kids.

Even if you have nothing to write, write and say so.

Labor gives birth to ideas.

Everywhere I go, the kids call me ‚the book lady.‘ The older I get, the more appreciative I seem to be of the ‚book lady‘ title. It makes me feel more like a legitimate person, not just a singer or an entertainer. But it makes me feel like I’ve done something good with my life and with my success.

Asking is the beginning of receiving. Make sure you don’t go to the ocean with a teaspoon. At least take a bucket so the kids won’t laugh at you.

Better the rudest work that tells a story or records a fact, than the richest without meaning.

Blessed is the influence of one true, loving human soul on another.

When people are around us, they should leave better off than they were previously. Rather than feeling discouraged or defeated, people should feel challenged and inspired after spending any time with you and me.

People who identify themselves as conservatives donate money to charity more often than people who identify themselves as liberals. They donate more money and a higher percentage of their incomes.

Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.

The purest and most thoughtful minds are those which love colour the most.

If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on.

Americans want students to get the best education possible. We want schools to prepare children to become good citizens and members of a prosperous American economy.

The man of genius inspires us with a boundless confidence in our own powers.

If a man does his best, what else is there?

The good parts of a book may be only something a writer is lucky enough to overhear or it may be the wreck of his whole damn life and one is as good as the other.

If children grew up according to early indications, we should have nothing but geniuses.

When a person is going through hell, and she encounters someone who went through hellish hell and survived, then she can say, ‚Mine is not so bad as all that. She came through, and so can I.‘

The strongest influences in my life and my work are always whomever I love. Whomever I love and am with most of the time, or whomever I remember most vividly. I think that’s true of everyone, don’t you?

I think any activity you have your kids in, you’re all trying to live vicariously through them. And you’re jealous of the kid that’s naturally more talented or has the facility, the body, the genes, or the God-given talent. People get jealous of that.

What kind of people do they think we are? Is it possible they do not realize that we shall never cease to persevere against them until they have been taught a lesson which they and the world will never forget?

Pennies do not come from heaven. They have to be earned here on earth.

‚The Lion‘ all began with a picture of a faun carrying an umbrella and parcels in a snowy wood. This picture had been in my mind since I was about sixteen. Then one day, when I was about forty, I said to myself, ‚Let’s try to make a story about it.‘

Courage is knowing what not to fear.

People who don’t like my work say that the connections seem too arbitrary. But that’s how life is.

Until we’re educating every kid in a fantastic way, until every inner city is cleaned up, there is no shortage of things to do.

When Hillary was First Lady, we went to the Beijing Women’s Conference. She courageously stood up and spoke out on behalf of human rights and women’s rights, inspiring millions to fight for a better future.

Execute every act of thy life as though it were thy last.

I read to my kid, but I can’t stand reading.

There is a ‚sanctity‘ involved with bringing a child into this world: it is better than bombing one out of it.

I go to sleep thinking about my kids being spoiled and I wake up thinking about it.

Whenever death may surprise us, let it be welcome if our battle cry has reached even one receptive ear and another hand reaches out to take up our arms.

No pressure, no diamonds.

Why do I like to write short stories? Well, I certainly didn’t intend to. I was going to write a novel. And still! I still come up with ideas for novels. And I even start novels. But something happens to them. They break up. I look at what I really want to do with the material, and it never turns out to be a novel.

Never deprive someone of hope; it might be all they have.

Sometimes people make it seem like you have to have certain prerequisites or a crazy life story in order to be successful in this world. But the truth is you really don’t.

That is my wish, hope, instruction for all of you: Take your education seriously, okay? Always do that. Because I wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for my education.

Art is not a treasure in the past or an importation from another land, but part of the present life of all living and creating peoples.

Leaders must be close enough to relate to others, but far enough ahead to motivate them.

Somebody once asked me what my theory of life was, and I said, ‚Don’t try.‘ That fits the writing, too. I don’t try; I just type.

I believe that of all the things I have done, exciting though many of them have been, there’s no doubt in my mind that the most worthwhile have been the establishing of schools and hospitals, and the rebuilding of monasteries in the mountains.

I do not think there is any thrill that can go through the human heart like that felt by the inventor as he sees some creation of the brain unfolding to success… such emotions make a man forget food, sleep, friends, love, everything.

When we speak of faith – the faith that can move mountains – we are not speaking of faith in general but of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

I like nonsense; it wakes up the brain cells.

Great countries are those that produce great people.

We need to try to unite audiences, unite countries, join musical tastes, unite people.

Whatever that means, however you got on that mountain, why not try to climb it? And do it in your own way.

If we’re going to bring out the best in people, we, too, need to sow seeds of encouragement.

Almost everything that is great has been done by youth.

I believe in Coach Louis Wong. He is so much more than just a football coach.

I never thought I’d have children; I never thought I’d be in love, I never thought I’d meet the right person. Having come from a broken home – you kind of accept that certain things feel like a fairy tale, and you just don’t look for them.