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

In the end, that’s what this election is about. Do we participate in a politics of cynicism or a politics of hope?

The poets are only the interpreters of the gods.

Duty, Honor, Country. Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be.

If I’m inspired to make a certain kind of song, I’m going to make that kind of song, no matter if it’s what they know me as or think I am.

The incomparable greatness of the religions of the East lies in their having been second to none in vibrating with the passion for unity. This note, which is essential to every form of mysticism, has even penetrated them so deeply that we find ourselves falling under a spell simply by uttering the names of their Gods.

Be a force of love as often as you can and turn away negative thoughts whenever you feel them surface.

For me, the essence of the great American Dream is spiritual. I believe that our Constitution is inspired and that it is based on principles that are timeless and universal. This is the reason why 95% of all written constitutions throughout the world are modeled after our Constitution.

How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live.

What I believe unites the people of this nation, regardless of race or region or party, young or old, rich or poor, is the simple, profound belief in opportunity for all – the notion that if you work hard and take responsibility, you can get ahead.

Energy begets energy.

You simply have to put one foot in front of the other and keep going. Put blinders on and plow right ahead.

Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had and synthesize new things.

I have good days and bad days.

I never lose sight of the fact that just being is fun.

Fires can’t be made with dead embers, nor can enthusiasm be stirred by spiritless men. Enthusiasm in our daily work lightens effort and turns even labor into pleasant tasks.

You have to be tough and have a lot of faith.

Absolute liberty is absence of restraint; responsibility is restraint; therefore, the ideally free individual is responsible to himself.

Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but sometimes, playing a poor hand well.

The truth is, somebody is always talking about you, so you have to let it go… if it’s not a part of your God-given destiny.

Nature that framed us of four elements, warring within our breasts for regiment, doth teach us all to have aspiring minds.

Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you!

Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art.

Even after Independence, we have had to face the poison of casteism and communalism. How long these evils will continue? Whom does it benefit?

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?

Before I do anything, I think, well what hasn’t been seen. Sometimes, that turns out to be something ghastly and not fit for society. And sometimes that inspiration becomes something that’s really worthwhile.

Life can be boring unless you put some effort into it.

The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried.

The more I think about it, the more I realize there is nothing more artistic than to love others.

We can improve our relationships with others by leaps and bounds if we become encouragers instead of critics.

You can live your life angry, bitter, mad at somebody or even guilty, not letting go of your own mistakes, but you won’t receive the good things God has in store.

Remembering what you’ve been through and how that has strengthened your mindset can lift you out of a negative brain loop and help you bypass those weak, one-second impulses to give in. Even if you’re feeling low and beat down by life right now, I guarantee you can think of a time or two when you overcame odds and tasted success.

This world of ours… must avoid becoming a community of dreadful fear and hate, and be, instead, a proud confederation of mutual trust and respect.

Imagination rules the world.

Wisdom is nothing but a preparation of the soul, a capacity, a secret art of thinking, feeling and breathing thoughts of unity at every moment of life.

You cannot hope to sweep someone else away by the force of your writing until it has been done to you.

Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.

We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.

Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.

‚Lives‘ is one of those books I should really have written when I was younger. It is the classic childhood, adolescence, breakthrough-into-maturity book. Every beginning writer has that material – and after that, you’re not sure what you can do.

Our Lord has written the promise of resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in springtime.

Writing is such a strange, utterly mysterious process. First, there was nothing; then, suddenly, there was something. I don’t know where thoughts are born. Where the hell does it come from? I don’t know. I really don’t know.

We walk together, we move together, we think together, we resolve together, and together we take this country forward.

You can always cope with the present moment, but you cannot cope with something that is only a mind projection – you cannot cope with the future.

Expecting is the greatest impediment to living. In anticipation of tomorrow, it loses today.

With realization of one’s own potential and self-confidence in one’s ability, one can build a better world.

I don’t think of all the misery but of the beauty that still remains.

Common sense is genius dressed in its working clothes.

We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails.

Me only have one ambition, y’know. I only have one thing I really like to see happen. I like to see mankind live together – black, white, Chinese, everyone – that’s all.

There’s many ups and downs in the fight game.

Snoop ain’t never cosigned me, but I know everybody is like, ‚That’s the next Snoop.‘ Nah, I’m Nipsey, and I got to work to define myself.

We may have our private opinions but why should they be a bar to the meeting of hearts?

In college, a loss is pretty devastating. That feeling kind of goes away in an 82-game season. You hate to lose, but you also have a lot more games to make up for it.

I think and think for months and years. Ninety-nine times, the conclusion is false. The hundredth time I am right.

Look at the sky. We are not alone. The whole universe is friendly to us and conspires only to give the best to those who dream and work.

My inspiration is R. Kelly, Michael Jackson, and Prince – for the vocals, anyway.

Certainly it is valuable to a trained writer to crash in an aircraft which burns. He learns several important things very quickly. Whether they will be of use to him is conditioned by survival. Survival, with honor, that outmoded and all-important word, is as difficult as ever and as all-important to a writer.

Man’s only true happiness is to live in hope of something to be won by him. Reverence something to be worshipped by him, and love something to be cherished by him, forever.

I still think I am the greatest.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could look forward to a whole world in which no child will be left behind?