There wasn’t much as a kid that inspired me in what I did as an adult, but I was always very interested in what motivates people, and in telling stories and building things.

Difficulties should act as a tonic. They should spur us to greater exertion.

I know of no single formula for success. But over the years I have observed that some attributes of leadership are universal and are often about finding ways of encouraging people to combine their efforts, their talents, their insights, their enthusiasm and their inspiration to work together.

Cast away your sloth, your lethargy, your coldness, or whatever interferes with your chaste and pure love for Christ, your soul’s husband. Make Him the source, the center, and the circumference of all your soul’s range of delight.

Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome.

I think a role model is a mentor – someone you see on a daily basis, and you learn from them.

At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.

Anger is wonderful. It keeps you going. I’m angry about bankers. About the government.

Nothing succeeds like success. Get a little success, and then just get a little more.

If you really want to know what Middle-earth is based on, it’s my wonder and delight in the earth as it is, particularly the natural earth.

The artist alone sees spirits. But after he has told of their appearing to him, everybody sees them.

Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose.

If you’ve got a talent, protect it.

And the idea of just wandering off to a cafe with a notebook and writing and seeing where that takes me for awhile is just bliss.

So long as a man imagines that he cannot do this or that, so long as he is determined not to do it; and consequently so long as it is impossible to him that he should do it.

When I write, I write about my surroundings. Sometimes it’s light, and sometimes it gets very dark.

You can live to be a hundred if you give up all the things that make you want to live to be a hundred.

I don’t know anything that builds the will to win better than competitive sports.

Don’t tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results.

I have always been pushed by the negative. The apparent failure of a play sends me back to my typewriter that very night, before the reviews are out. I am more compelled to get back to work than if I had a success.

I’d be so bored if I wasn’t going out there, knowing that I could still do it. So, I’m going to work hard to be ready to go, and I still plan on playing for a long time.

Music is really driving my whole life.

Life must be lived and curiosity kept alive. One must never, for whatever reason, turn his back on life.

People who are unable to motivate themselves must be content with mediocrity, no matter how impressive their other talents.

There is one thing that gets you out of bed in the morning, and that is discipline. Because your dreams and your goals are not there waking up for you in the morning.

If there was nothing wrong in the world there wouldn’t be anything for us to do.

Every person who wins in any undertaking must be willing to cut all sources of retreat. Only by doing so can one be sure of maintaining that state of mind known as a burning desire to win – essential to success.

I no have education. I have inspiration. If I was educated, I would be a damn fool.

This is Sunday, and the question arises, what’ll I start tomorrow?

A great part of courage is the courage of having done the thing before.

Business opportunities are like buses, there’s always another one coming.

My dear sisters, whatever your calling, whatever your circumstances, we need your impressions, your insights, and your inspiration. We need you to speak up and speak out in ward and stake councils.

I need music. It’s like my heartbeat, so to speak. It keeps me going no matter what’s going on – bad games, press, whatever!

Every once in a while, I get mad. ‚The Lorax‘ came out of my being angry. The ecology books I’d read were dull… In ‚The Lorax,‘ I was out to attack what I think are evil things and let the chips fall where they might.

It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan.

Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.

I am not designed to come second or third. I am designed to win.

Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure… than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.

I was a housewife, so I learned to write in times off, and I don’t think I ever gave it up, though there were times when I was very discouraged because I began to see that the stories I was writing were not very good, that I had a lot to learn, and that it was a much, much harder job than I had expected.

Success is getting what you want. Happiness is liking what you get.

I believe the destiny of your generation – and your nation – is a rendezvous with excellence.

Emotion creates reality, reality demands action.

Young people can create beautiful things.

In the world today many people rightfully feel entitled to have success and the good things in life, but they usually understand it will require sacrifice and hard work.

My philosophy in life is, Decide what you want to do. You have to have something to hope for.

The world has the habit of making room for the man whose actions show that he knows where he is going.

I’m sticking to the script, I’m putting that organic feeling back in the game.

Life is one big road with lots of signs. So when you riding through the ruts, don’t complicate your mind. Flee from hate, mischief and jealousy. Don’t bury your thoughts, put your vision to reality. Wake Up and Live!

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.

The good things of prosperity are to be wished; but the good things that belong to adversity are to be admired.

Of course it’s the same old story. Truth usually is the same old story.

Man is not made for defeat.

No, it’s not a very good story – its author was too busy listening to other voices to listen as closely as he should have to the one coming from inside.

Carry the battle to them. Don’t let them bring it to you. Put them on the defensive and don’t ever apologize for anything.

The genesis of a poem for me is usually a cluster of words. The only good metaphor I can think of is a scientific one: dipping a thread into a supersaturated solution to induce crystal formation. I don’t think I solve problems in my poetry; I think I uncover the problems.

Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.

Whether you believe you can do a thing or not, you are right.

As much as I love the Western genre, I figured if I kept doing those, I’d eventually run out of steam on that, and that would’ve been the end of it.

Not only must we be good, but we must also be good for something.

Desperation is sometimes as powerful an inspirer as genius.

When I was little, I used to adore gold. It was something special.