A lot of my heartbreak songs are inspired by things my sisters are going through, or friends.

When you are organizing a group of people, the first thing that we do is we talk about the history of what other people have been able to accomplish – people that look like them, workers like them, ordinary people, working people – and we give them the list: these are people like yourself; this is what they were able to do in their community.

One element of Madonna’s career that really takes center stage is how many times she’s reinvented herself. It’s easier to stay in one look, one comfort zone, one musical style. It’s inspiring to see someone whose only predictable quality is being unpredictable.

Public sentiment is everything. With public sentiment, nothing can fail. Without it, nothing can succeed.

Once we start to act, hope is everywhere. So instead of looking for hope, look for action. Then, and only then, hope will come.

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

There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.

Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.

Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.

In art, at a certain level, there is no ‚better than.‘ It’s just about trying to operate for yourself on the most supreme level, artistically, that you can and hoping that people get it. Trusting that, just because of the way people are built and how interconnected we are, greatness will translate and symmetry will be recognised.

Never lose a holy curiosity.

As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.

Ideas can be life-changing. Sometimes all you need to open the door is just one more good idea.

You know, as a writer, I’m more of a listener than a writer, cuz if I hear something I will write it down.

Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is God’s handwriting.

When I started Virgin from a basement in west London, there was no great plan or strategy. I didn’t set out to build a business empire… For me, building a business is all about doing something to be proud of, bringing talented people together and creating something that’s going to make a real difference to other people’s lives.

Our brand of democracy is hard. But I can promise that a year from now, when I no longer hold this office, I’ll be right there with you as a citizen – inspired by those voices of fairness and vision, of grit and good humor and kindness that have helped America travel so far.

Whatever your life’s work is, do it well. A man should do his job so well that the living, the dead, and the unborn could do it no better.

I remember when I was in high school I didn’t have a new dress for each special occasion. The girls would bring the fact to my attention, not always too delicately. The boys, however, never bothered with the subject. They were my friends, not because of the size of my wardrobe but because they liked me.

A good model of how to ‚work with the enemy‘ internally is presented by the Dalai Lama, in his endless caretaking of his soul as he confronts the Chinese government that invaded Tibet.

What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?

All truly great thoughts are conceived by walking.

You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.

The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.

Deep down, I know I have this intuition or instinct that a lot of creative people have, that their demons are also what make them create.

Sometimes I write about my own life. And sometimes I write about situations I see my friends going through. Sometimes I write about a scene I saw in a movie. I take inspiration from all different places.

Music is the voice that tells us that the human race is greater than it knows.

There is no blue without yellow and without orange.

A word after a word after a word is power.

When you’re traveling constantly, every day you become inspired, and it shows in my work, sonically, lyrically, visually. Conversations with women with different accents and stories told in those accents. I like to create characters based on different people I’ve met, and relationships. I like to tell stories loosely based on real-life events.

Writing and cafes are strongly linked in my brain.

‚Lives‘ is one of those books I should really have written when I was younger. It is the classic childhood, adolescence, breakthrough-into-maturity book. Every beginning writer has that material – and after that, you’re not sure what you can do.

On Sundays when I speak, I hopefully give somebody something that they can use the next day at work or at home.

The human race is governed by its imagination.

I have certain guys who I looked up to. Jordan, Kobe, those guys. Passing that on to doing my part to kind of keep that influence of basketball where it should be is kind of why I play the game.

How oft the sight of means to do ill deeds makes ill deeds done!

Imagination decides everything.

You cannot hope to sweep someone else away by the force of your writing until it has been done to you.

You do things when the opportunities come along. I’ve had periods in my life when I’ve had a bundle of ideas come along, and I’ve had long dry spells. If I get an idea next week, I’ll do something. If not, I won’t do a damn thing.

I grew up in a rural area called Vega Baja and I’m the first of so many talented people in this area to make it out. I take great pride to represent where I come from and I am able to show my fans, and everyone who listens and watches me, that anything is possible.

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.

I want a president with a record of public service, someone whose life’s work shows our children that we don’t chase fame and fortune for ourselves: we fight to give everyone a chance to succeed.

Having listened to great songwriters like James Taylor and Carole King, I felt there was nothing new that was coming out that really represented me and the way I felt. So I started writing my own stuff.

There are 309 million people out there that are trying to improve their lot in life. And we’ve got a system that allows them to do it.

Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere.

The idea that is not dangerous is not worthy of being called an idea at all.

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.

Tones sound, and roar and storm about me until I have set them down in notes.

Wine gives a man nothing… it only puts in motion what had been locked up in frost.

When I’m 40 and nobody wants to see me in a sparkly dress anymore, I’ll be like: ‚Cool, I’ll just go in the studio and write songs for kids.‘

I’ve been blessed to be somebody that’s been climbing that success mountain top for years of hard work, you know, but now it’s all connecting. And now, the whole world is watching, you know what I’m saying, and it feels good ‚cause it’s good energy. This is all positive vibes, and good vibes and good energy, so it feels incredible.

What is true of the individual will be tomorrow true of the whole nation if individuals will but refuse to lose heart and hope.

Faith Hill is a big role model.

We can never learn too much of His will towards us, too much of His messages and His advice. The Bible is His word and its study gives at once the foundation for our faith and an inspiration to battle onward in the fight against the tempter.

To all the musicians who are making reggaeton, let’s put some more effort into it and bring something new to the people!

Music is really driving my whole life.

Through perseverance many people win success out of what seemed destined to be certain failure.

Bill Gates has always been a mentor and inspiration for me even before I knew him. Just growing up, I admired how Microsoft was mission-focused.

I think my biggest musical hero growing up was probably Ian MacKaye. He set a great example for all of us local musicians. Still, to this day, I see him as the best example of a right-on musician.

There is a fundamental question we all have to face. How are we to live our lives; by what principles and moral values will we be guided and inspired?

Two things awe me most, the starry sky above me and the moral law within me.