Appreciation is a wonderful thing: It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.

What every genuine philosopher (every genuine man, in fact) craves most is praise although the philosophers generally call it recognition!

The career of a sage is of two kinds: He is either honored by all in the world, Like a flower waving its head, Or else he disappears into the silent forest.

Right now I’m just delighted to be alive and to have had a nice long bath.

My general attitude to life is to enjoy every minute of every day. I never do anything with a feeling of, ‚Oh God, I’ve got to do this today.‘

There is so much that people take for granted.

My life turned out to be beyond my greatest dreams.

No greater nor more affectionate honor can be conferred on an American than to have a public school named after him.

I’m screamingly funny, you know, I really am in the books. And that helps because I’m funnier than a lot of people, I think, and that’s appreciated by young people.

I give infinite thanks to God, who has been pleased to make me the first observer of marvelous things.

I want to thank my Eritrean fans for feeling connected to me and for supporting me. I feel extremely grateful.

I give thanks to God and to all the people in the U.K. who have supported me over the years.

I resent the implication that I’m less of a musician and a worse person for not appreciating certain works.

I walk every day, and I look at the mountains and the fields and the small city, and I say: ‚Oh my God, what a blessing.‘ Then you realise it’s important to put it in a context beyond this woman, this man, this city, this country, this universe.

To get a name can happen but to few; it is one of the few things that cannot be brought. It is the free gift of mankind, which must be deserved before it will be granted, and is at last unwillingly bestowed.

What we have once enjoyed we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us.

I guess we all like to be recognized not for one piece of fireworks, but for the ledger of our daily work.

I’ve been blessed in that regard through and through. So I’m just thankful for this opportunity to play the game that I love and share that with the world.

The best part of beauty is that which no picture can express.

It amazes me sometimes that even intelligent people will analyze a situation or make a judgement after only recognizing the standard or traditional structure of a piece.

After one has been in prison, it is the small things that one appreciates: being able to take a walk whenever one wants, going into a shop and buying a newspaper, speaking or choosing to remain silent. The simple act of being able to control one’s person.

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

I’m grateful to intelligent people. That doesn’t mean educated. That doesn’t mean intellectual. I mean really intelligent. What black old people used to call ‚mother wit‘ means intelligence that you had in your mother’s womb. That’s what you rely on. You know what’s right to do.

One thing I just want to say to the military families – while you might not wear a uniform, I know – we all know, the nation knows – that you serve and sacrifice right alongside of your loved ones. And we are so grateful and proud of all of you for your service to this nation.

Happiness is within the reach of everyone, rich or poor. Yet comparatively few people are happy. I believe the reason for this is that the majority don’t recognize happiness even when it is within their grasp.

To me a lush carpet of pine needles or spongy grass is more welcome than the most luxurious Persian rug.

Becoming a ‚Sir‘ is slightly uncomfortable at first, although it is a considerable honor. It is amazing how quickly you become accustomed to it.

When art dresses in worn-out material it is most easily recognized as art.

Few of us can stand prosperity. Another man’s, I mean.

I’m just glad I play for Coach Belichick.

I was a chemistry major, but I’m always winding up as a teacher in English departments, so I’ve brought scientific thinking to literature. There’s been very little gratitude for this.

We can’t all be heroes, because somebody has to sit on the curb and applaud when they go by.

Life is abundant, and life is beautiful. And it’s a good place that we’re all in, you know, on this earth, if we take care of it.

The minute you got the Nobel Peace Prize, things that I said yesterday, with nobody paying too much attention, I say the same things after I got it – oh! It was quite crucial for people, and it helped our morale because apartheid did look invincible.

I didn’t want to be a writer, but I became one. And now I have many readers, in many countries. I think that’s a miracle. So I think I have to be humble regarding this ability. I’m proud of it and I enjoy it, and it is strange to say it this way, but I respect it.

He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.

I certainly know that I would not be able to survive if it were not for the fact that I am being upheld by the prayers of so many people.

As far as a glass ceiling, I feel that all you can do is give it your absolute best with whatever gifts the universe has given you. And if you make it in some way that other people can recognize, that’s fine. But even if you don’t quote-unquote make it, you’re fine if you’ve given it your whole heart and soul.

I can barely walk, but it’s a privilege to be able to move at all.

A man makes you feel important – makes you glad you are a woman.

The only things one can admire at length are those one admires without knowing why.

Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation.

Oh, hour of forgiven sin, moment of perfect pardon, our soul shall never forget you while, within you, life and being find immortality!

I have this really high priority on happiness and finding something to be happy about.

An employer of mine back in the ’80s was kind enough to take me on after a rough patch, and it made a big difference in my life that I knew I was the sort of person who showed up on time. It’s a basic tell of character.

When any calamity has been suffered the first thing to be remembered is, how much has been escaped.

Human beings love poetry. They don’t even know it sometimes… whether they’re the songs of Bono, or the songs of Justin Bieber… they’re listening to poetry.

What good are fans? You can’t eat applause for breakfast. You can’t sleep with it.

The nice thing is that when people come up to me, it’s the football they remember, not all the other rubbish.

We sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm.

For the people who ostensibly wish me well or are worried about my immortal soul, I say I take it kindly.

By any accepted standard, I have had more than nine lives. I counted them up once, and there were 13 times I almost and maybe should have died.

I wake up every day inspiring myself, because God gave me life.

Mine is only one of the millions of hearts broken over the death of Whitney Houston, I will always be grateful and in awe of the wonderful performance she did on my song, and I can truly say from the bottom of my heart, ‚Whitney, I will always love you. You will be missed.‘

When you focus on how wonderful God is and all the great things He’s done… is doing… and even will do in your life, your natural response will be praise, adoration and awe. Don’t let yourself ever get used to it… stay amazed!

God has given us two hands, one to receive with and the other to give with.

A man who is eating or lying with his wife or preparing to go to sleep in humility, thankfulness and temperance, is, by Christian standards, in an infinitely higher state than one who is listening to Bach or reading Plato in a state of pride.

The first man gets the oyster, the second man gets the shell.

May the forces of evil become confused on the way to your house.

Here in America, we don’t let our differences tear us apart. Not here. Because we know that our greatness comes from when we appreciate each other’s strengths, when we learn from each other, when we lean on each other, because in this country, it’s never been each person for themselves. No, we’re all in this together. We always have been.

All the works of man have their origin in creative fantasy. What right have we then to depreciate imagination.