‚Tis not enough to help the feeble up, but to support them after.

I find with most of my readers are kind of like me, sort of people who were a little bit naive in life and then learned the hard way that this is what’s going on, the political games and most of my readers write to me telling me that the book helped them open their eyes to what other people are doing to them.

When you sing with a group of people, you learn how to subsume yourself into a group consciousness because a capella singing is all about the immersion of the self into the community. That’s one of the great feelings – to stop being me for a little while and to become us. That way lies empathy, the great social virtue.

My own eight children all march to the beat of their inner music, and in some cases, it is definitely far away from what I hear. I’ve had to honor their instincts and their choices, and merely guided them out of harm’s way until they could be their own guides.

I will do my best. That is all I can do. I ask for your help – and God’s.

We can’t afford not to educate girls and give women the power and the access that they need.

If you treat people right they will treat you right… ninety percent of the time.

If anything, we should feel sorry for the people who want us to feel bad about ourselves, because they are the ones struggling for approval. In middle school, bullies tortured other kids because they thought it would make people like them more.

I believe that of all the things I have done, exciting though many of them have been, there’s no doubt in my mind that the most worthwhile have been the establishing of schools and hospitals, and the rebuilding of monasteries in the mountains.

Respect your efforts, respect yourself. Self-respect leads to self-discipline. When you have both firmly under your belt, that’s real power.

If I have a platform and a voice, I should use it for my people.

It seems that when you have cancer you are a brave battler against the disease, but when you have Alzheimer’s you are an old fart. That’s how people see you. It makes you feel quite alone.

Technology is nothing. What’s important is that you have a faith in people, that they’re basically good and smart, and if you give them tools, they’ll do wonderful things with them.

I have never left another senator out to dry. Never.

I just genuinely feel that that’s what you do when you’re an artist: You stick up for the people around you.

If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.

Though she be but little, she is fierce.

Sadly, of course, there is real evil in the world. You watch the news, and you see all of the people suffering and so much cruelty.

I know so many people who feel hopeless, and they ask me, ‚What should I do?‘ And I say: ‚Act. Do something.‘ Because that is the best medicine against sadness and depression.

Ignorant kindness may have the effect of cruelty; but to be angry with it as if it were direct cruelty would be an ignorant unkindness.

When a thoughtless or unkind word is spoken, best tune out.

The man of genius inspires us with a boundless confidence in our own powers.

An unimaginative person can neither be reverent or kind.

I’m not going to change the world. You’re not going to change the world. But we can help – we can all help.

Working with our military community has been the biggest honor of my life.

But for me to have the opportunity to stand in front of a bunch of executives and present myself, I had to hustle in my own way. I can’t tell you how frustrating it was that they didn’t get that. No joke – I’d leave meetings crying all the time.

It takes a lot of courage to show your dreams to someone else.

Many religious confessions share common values. They teach that we should do unto others as we would have them do unto us.

Either you’re the one erasing or you’re the one being erased.

Listen with your eyes for feelings.

The fact is that when you do something from your heart, you leave a heart print.

The more you know of your history, the more liberated you are.

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.

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.

Time and money spent in helping men to do more for themselves is far better than mere giving.

I feel like my message is to let people know that God is a good God, that He’s on their side, and no matter what happens, He has a great plan for them.

We can learn to see each other and see ourselves in each other and recognize that human beings are more alike than we are unalike.

Few things can help an individual more than to place responsibility on him, and to let him know that you trust him.

We have to wake up. We have to refuse to be a clone.

The people will save their government, if the government itself will allow them.

I’ve always been surrounded by many great people and professors, but my family, especially my mom who was a teacher, was the person who encouraged me to study and pushed me to continue. When we’re young, we don’t understand why our parents bug us so much with school and doing homework, but it’s a blessing to have that support at home.

When we’re looking for compassion, we need someone who is deeply rooted, is able to bend and, most of all, embraces us for our strengths and struggles.

You don’t need anybody to tell you who you are or what you are. You are what you are!

I have found the best way to give advice to your children is to find out what they want and then advise them to do it.

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.

I don’t have an alarm clock. If someone needs to wake me up, then I have my BlackBerry next to me.

The just is close to the people’s heart, but the merciful is close to the heart of God.

You throw batting practice, you warm up pitchers, you sit and cheer. You do whatever you have to do to stay on the team.

All major religious traditions carry basically the same message, that is love, compassion and forgiveness the important thing is they should be part of our daily lives.

I think it matters whether someone has a good heart.

Freedom lies in being bold.

Things in themselves have no life in them. A car can’t comfort or encourage you. A house means nothing if there’s no life and love inside.

God has equipped you to handle difficult things. In fact, He has already planted the seeds of discipline and self-control inside you. You just have to water those seeds with His Word to make them grow!

When your dream is bigger than you are, you only have two choices: give up or get help.

Encouragement to others is something everyone can give. Somebody needs what you have to give. It may not be your money; it may be your time. It may be your listening ear. It may be your arms to encourage. It may be your smile to uplift. Who knows?

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.

We cannot possibly let ourselves get frozen into regarding everyone we do not know as an absolute stranger.

You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.

Information, education, skills, healthcare, livelihood, financial inclusion, small and village enterprises, opportunities for women, conservation of natural resources, distributed clean energy – entirely new possibilities have emerged to change the development model.

You will never exaggerate when you speak good things of God. It is not possible to do so. Try, dear brethren, and boast in the Lord.

Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive.