The strongest influences in my life and my work are always whomever I love. Whomever I love and am with most of the time, or whomever I remember most vividly. I think that’s true of everyone, don’t you?

For years I wanted to be older, and now I am.

I go to cancer wards, and I tell them guys, ‚I’ve beaten it. You can, too.‘

Men are April when they woo, December when they wed. Maids are May when they are maids, but the sky changes when they are wives.

The best of us must sometimes eat our words.

I don’t think I’m tangible to myself.

I still learn, but I think it’s the best thing in life to have a kid.

You’re just left with yourself all the time, whatever you do anyway. You’ve got to get down to your own God in your own temple. It’s all down to you, mate.

The love of economy is the root of all virtue.

I know I’m talented, but I wasn’t put here to sing. I was put here to be a wife and a mom and look after my family. I love what I do, but it’s not where it begins and ends.

When I came into this industry, I was never afraid to be myself.

I believe in the spirit of equality and the spirit of this country as one of love and compassion and kindness.

I don’t have to be what you want me to be.

I love singing. I love it, and it doesn’t feel like a chore. It’s an expression.

I’m just trying to be myself. I’m not trying to be anyone else.

When I heard ‚Jesus, Take the Wheel,‘ I was like, OK. Some people look at it as a song written for an American Idol, Carrie Underwood, who is wonderful. But when you’re a songwriter listening to a song, you hear something else. I heard that song, and wow.

Love is like a friendship caught on fire. In the beginning a flame, very pretty, often hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering. As love grows older, our hearts mature and our love becomes as coals, deep-burning and unquenchable.

My parents taught me never to judge others based on whom they love, what color their skin is, or their religion.

Music is really driving my whole life.

One cannot violate the promptings of one’s nature without having that nature recoil upon itself.

It is very important to generate a good attitude, a good heart, as much as possible. From this, happiness in both the short term and the long term for both yourself and others will come.

I admire people who destroy themselves.

I love getting out of my comfort zone.

That which does not kill us makes us stronger.

A friend to all is a friend to none.

If I think too hard about a relationship, I’ll talk myself out of it.

Life is about growing and improving and getting better.

I don’t like it when people who are young act like they’re 40. That’s taking too much on. Putting up a shield and trying to act like you’re so mature or whatever – I don’t try to act mature. Some people might say I’m mature for my age, but it’s not something I’m trying to do, you know? I’m just me.

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

I love the name of honor, more than I fear death.

The work is the work. The work is not me.

I never saw myself as a folk singer.

I had a period in my life where I decided that I would never be bored again and that, if I had any free time at all, I would make plans, and I would always be doing things. It actually was great for a year or so, but then I lost all of my friends.

Rejoicing in our joy, not suffering over our suffering, makes someone a friend.

I make friends faster and easier than journalists.

When it comes to everybody else’s thing and their lane and their timing, I’m never doing anything intentional to, like, come after somebody. That will always be my biggest mistake or anybody’s biggest mistake if that’s their intention.

To an ordinary human being, love means nothing if it does not mean loving some people more than others.

I would love to continue in music, with writing… but I am not the kind of person who will hang around if I start to become irrelevant. If that happens, I will bow down gracefully, raise my kids, and have a garden. And I am going to let my hair go gray when I am older. I don’t need to be blonde when I’m 60!

You know what, I’m very attracted to someone who makes me laugh and is that charming. Really, I could be charmed by anyone. I’m just a sucker for somebody that is charming.

A part of me has become immortal, out of my control.

Polygamy: An endeavour to get more out of life than there is in it.

Every single one of the guys that I’ve written songs about has been tracked down on MySpace by my fans.

Diana Ross is a big inspiration to all of us. We all grew up watching everything about her – her mike placement, her grace, her style and her class.

Everything is my demon muse. I have a muse which whispers in my ear and says, ‚Do this, do that,‘ but it’s my demon who provokes me.

If I’m gonna write songs about my exes, they can write songs about me. That’s how it works.

I remember being in Japan when Destiny’s Child put out ‚Independent Women,‘ and women there were saying how proud they were to have their own jobs, their own independent thinking, their own goals. It made me feel so good, and I realized that one of my responsibilities was to inspire women in a deeper way.

Marriage is scary to me, man.

Freedom from effort in the present merely means that there has been effort stored up in the past.

I just got to feel that whoever I marry has some real regard for me.

I shall the effect of this good lesson keeps as watchman to my heart.

Becoming an inspiration for kids is great. I want to inspire them to do whatever they want to.

Let others lead small lives, but not you. Let others argue over small things, but not you. Let others cry over small hurts, but not you. Let others leave their future in someone else’s hands, but not you.

Many people mistake our work for our vocation. Our vocation is the love of Jesus.

Richard Burton came from the same town as me, so I thought I’d follow my nose, and follow my luck. I think I’ve been very lucky.

Test a servant while in the discharge of his duty, a relative in difficulty, a friend in adversity, and a wife in misfortune.

I just want to be myself.

I’m not a natural performer or exhibitionist. When I was younger, I hated the focus, and it made me feel strange.

Alimony – the ransom that the happy pay to the devil.

A lot of people like to do certain things, but they’re not that good at it. Keep going through the things that you like to do, until you find something that you actually seem to be extremely good at. It can be anything.

In those days he was wiser than he is now; he used to frequently take my advice.

Don’t gain the world and lose your soul; wisdom is better than silver or gold.