Americans adore me and will go on adoring me until I say something nice about them.

I thank you God for this most amazing day, for the leaping greenly spirits of trees, and for the blue dream of sky and for everything which is natural, which is infinite, which is yes.

It definitely has learning a lesson about the way you’re living your life. I wouldn’t compare our movie to that, but it has a structure where it’s about a man who doesn’t appreciate all that he has and finds out at the end that life has been great and he has to enjoy that.

There are things around, and I know where they can be got quite easily, but I quite like waking up to the sunshine.

When good Americans die they go to Paris.

A man’s interest in a single bluebird is worth more than a complete but dry list of the fauna and flora of a town.

I think everybody deserves an equal amount of appreciation whether how old they are, but I mean, I’m cool with the praise. I’m good.

I think when the president of the United States calls for military action, he should do it for a united people, especially when the methods have been so cruel, so explicitly directed at Americans.

If you truly get in touch with a piece of carrot, you get in touch with the soil, the rain, the sunshine. You get in touch with Mother Earth and eating in such a way, you feel in touch with true life, your roots, and that is meditation. If we chew every morsel of our food in that way we become grateful and when you are grateful, you are happy.

You tend to feel very hurt when people attack you and feel indifferent when you get praise. You think, ‚Of course they like it. They should like it.‘

We can be thankful to a friend for a few acres, or a little money; and yet for the freedom and command of the whole earth, and for the great benefits of our being, our life, health, and reason, we look upon ourselves as under no obligation.

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

The wish to acquire more is admittedly a very natural and common thing; and when men succeed in this they are always praised rather than condemned. But when they lack the ability to do so and yet want to acquire more at all costs, they deserve condemnation for their mistakes.

Joy in looking and comprehending is nature’s most beautiful gift.

The best effort of a fine person is felt after we have left their presence.

Sometimes, reading a blog, which I do infrequently, I see that generations of Americans have been wilfully crippled, and can no longer spell or write a sentence.

Everybody loves you when you’re six foot in the ground.

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.

There is as much difference between the counsel that a friend giveth, and that a man giveth himself, as there is between the counsel of a friend and of a flatterer. For there is no such flatterer as is a man’s self.

Fear keeps us focused on the past or worried about the future. If we can acknowledge our fear, we can realize that right now we are okay. Right now, today, we are still alive, and our bodies are working marvelously. Our eyes can still see the beautiful sky. Our ears can still hear the voices of our loved ones.

The last thing you want is to not be recognized for all of the hard work you put in.

One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today.

Tell your wife often how terrific she looks.

As I’ve said, there were patriots who supported this war, and patriots who opposed it. And all of us are united in appreciation for our servicemen and women, and our hopes for Iraqis‘ future.

I believe that the greatest form of prayer is praise to God.

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

I’ve been a lot more into Facebook and Twitter and Instagram, which was a bit complicated for me to understand the language of each social media, because they all talk in different ways. It’s a nice way for me to tell people I appreciate them, which I forget to do sometimes.

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.

We should not look down on our first ancestors.

It’s so clear that you have to cherish everyone. I think that’s what I get from these older black women, that every soul is to be cherished, that every flower Is to bloom.

Praise undeserved, is satire in disguise.

I think Canadians are more interested in international events than Americans because it is such a small country, so politics affect it more.

I value my garden more for being full of blackbirds than of cherries, and very frankly give them fruit for their songs.

Glorious bouquets and storms of applause are the trimmings which every artist naturally enjoys.

To gather with God’s people in united adoration of the Father is as necessary to the Christian life as prayer.

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

Because in a split second, it’s gone.

Always have something beautiful in sight, even if it’s just a daisy in a jelly glass.

All our actions, as well as our thoughts and words, should praise Him who always blesses us.

We are motivated by a keen desire for praise, and the better a man is the more he is inspired by glory. The very philosophers themselves, even in those books which they write in contempt of glory, inscribe their names.

I do not doubt that we would become more useful if we praised God more, and others would join us, for they would see that God has blessed us.

When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.

Americans play to win at all times. I wouldn’t give a hoot and hell for a man who lost and laughed. That’s why Americans have never lost nor ever lose a war.

True praise comes often even to the lowly; false praise only to the strong.

Remember that a gesture of friendship, no matter how small, is always appreciated.

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

It is easy to say how we love new friends, and what we think of them, but words can never trace out all the fibers that knit us to the old.

Friends applaud, the comedy is over.

When we recognise the virtues, the talent, the beauty of Mother Earth, something is born in us, some kind of connection, love is born.

Never take anything for granted.

Every man supposes himself not to be fully understood or appreciated.

The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.

There’s people that appreciate what I do; there’s people that criticize it.

When one’s expectations are reduced to zero, one really appreciates everything one does have.

Europeans are much more serious than we are in America because they think that a good place to discuss intellectual matters is a beer party.

It was such a leap in my career when ‚Truman Show‘ came along. It’s always been a long process for me insofar as recognition goes, but that’s OK because you appreciate it when it comes.

Art! Who comprehends her? With whom can one consult concerning this great goddess?

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.

The higher the sun ariseth, the less shadow doth he cast; even so the greater is the goodness, the less doth it covet praise; yet cannot avoid its rewards in honours.

In my entire life, any time I’ve ever lost something, I’ve gotten something even better going around the next corner. It’s like one door closes and another door opens. As long as I can walk through the produce section in every grocery store in this country and eat the grapes that they’re going to throw away, I know I can be fine.

I’ll tell you who I absolutely adore: Ian McEwan.