I think that I am better than the people who are trying to reform me.

A man of genius has been seldom ruined but by himself.

I am very fond of truth, but not at all of martyrdom.

How do you know what it’s like to be stupid if you’ve never been smart?

You can’t have it all all at once. Over my lifespan, I think I have had it all, but in given periods in time, things were rough. And if you have a caring life partner, you help the other person when that person needs it.

The people who truly know me know what I’m like. There have been people who try to say things that aren’t fair, and I check them. And then they don’t like me because I checked them.

I’ve never lived my life in the opinion of others. I believe I’m a good person. I believe I’m a good mom. But that’s for my kids to decide, not for the world.

Any man can make mistakes, but only an idiot persists in his error.

You have to take risks. We will only understand the miracle of life fully when we allow the unexpected to happen.

Accept the terrible responsibility of life with eyes wide open.

Never mistake motion for action.

There are people out there who hate me and who say I’m arrogant, vain, and whatever. That’s all part of my success. I am made to be the best.

If the structures of the human mind remain unchanged, we will always end up re-creating the same world, the same evils, the same dysfunction.

I’m just looking to learn, grow, stay focused, and become a better fighter and a better athlete.

To put it bluntly, I seem to have a whole superstructure with no foundation. But I’m working on the foundation.

Association with human beings lures one into self-observation.

I think so many people live their whole life in fear and doubt and shame.

I don’t want to be something that just comes and goes.

The more man meditates upon good thoughts, the better will be his world and the world at large.

Everything I read about hitting a midlife crisis was true. I had such a struggle letting go of youthful things and learning how to exist and have enthusiasm while settling into the comfort of an older age.

People who say they don’t care what people think are usually desperate to have people think they don’t care what people think.

If you leave the smallest corner of your head vacant for a moment, other people’s opinions will rush in from all quarters.

If you’re not very clever you should be conciliatory.

You have to like the present; if not your life becomes secondhand, if you think it was better before. Or that it will be better in the future.

Let our advance worrying become advance thinking and planning.

Get mad, then get over it.

I’ve never been reckless – it’s always calculated. I’m mischievous, but I’m calculated.

You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself. That is something you have charge of.

I’ve watched a lot of people who became famous who completely change and I think it’s because they tend to believe all the hype that’s out there. I don’t think there’s that much hype about me.

Do the thing you fear to do and keep on doing it… that is the quickest and surest way ever yet discovered to conquer fear.

People who don’t know the true character of God – who don’t believe He is merciful, gracious and slow to anger – can never have a close, personal, intimate relationship with Him.

Why don’t you start believing that no matter what you have or haven’t done, that your best days are still out in front of you.

To be conscious that you are ignorant of the facts is a great step to knowledge.

I am an over-achiever, and I want to be known for the good things in my life.

Many years ago, I concluded that a few hair shirts were part of the mental wardrobe of every man. The president differs from other men in that he has a more extensive wardrobe.

The man with insight enough to admit his limitations comes nearest to perfection.

Character is determined more by the lack of certain experiences than by those one has had.

We become what we repeatedly do.

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.

A belief is purely an individual matter, and you cannot and must not organize it. If you do, it becomes dead, crystallized; it becomes a creed, a sect, a religion, to be imposed on others.

Something I’ve realized lately, to my shock, is that I am an optimist, in that I think humans are almost infinitely capable of self-change and self-modification, and that we really can build the future that we want if we’re smart about it.

Do you want to know who you are? Don’t ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you.

I know who I am, I know what I can and can’t do. I know what I will and won’t do. I know what I’m capable of and I don’t agree to do things that I don’t think I can pull off.

I don’t see myself in terms of artifice. I see myself as a real person who chooses to live my life in an open way – artistically.

Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s ignorance.

He who does not think much of himself is much more esteemed than he imagines.

I am not ashamed to confess that I am ignorant of what I do not know.

I am who I am. That’s why my friends and peers respect and appreciate me. I don’t change or cater my actions to fit my surroundings. I’m myself 24/7. People appreciate that.

Nothing builds self-esteem and self-confidence like accomplishment.

Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence.

Sports are basically our way of feeling sorry for ourselves. Most men can’t become athletes. We’re watching guys who actually made it. We see them dunking and making touchdowns. Then we think about ourselves when we were younger.

Individuals need to be willing to face truth about their attitudes, behaviors, even what we want out of life.

Prison was the best thing that ever happened to me.

There are two things a person should never be angry at, what they can help, and what they cannot.

We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.

There are hunters, and there are victims. By your discipline, cunning, obedience, and alertness, you will decide if you are a hunter or a victim.

Sadly, the truth is, there aren’t many people who can be put in high positions who won’t start thinking highly of themselves.

Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm.

Daring to set boundaries is about having the courage to love ourselves, even when we risk disappointing others.

There are three kinds of intelligence: one kind understands things for itself, the other appreciates what others can understand, the third understands neither for itself nor through others. This first kind is excellent, the second good, and the third kind useless.

Fear clogs; faith liberates.