When I checked into SEAL Team One many years ago, one of the things that I noticed was there was this old guy, who was younger than I am today, who I decided that I was going to be like. I wanted to emulate what he was doing, and one of those things was he got to work before anybody else.

I would rather entertain and hope that people learned something than educate people and hope they were entertained.

People who enjoy meetings should not be in charge of anything.

I believe that when you think of the negative, and you get up discouraged – ‚There’s nothing good in my future‘ – I really believe it almost ties the hands of God. God works where there’s an attitude of faith. I believe faith is all about hope.

The important work of moving the world forward does not wait to be done by perfect men.

The man who occupies the first place seldom plays the principal part.

All of us are mentors. You’re mentors right here and now. And one of the things I’ve always done throughout my life, I have always found that person, that group of people that I was going to reach my hand out and help bring them along with me.

People buy into the leader before they buy into the vision.

The writing process, the way I go about it is I do whatever the beat feels like, whatever the beat is telling me to do. Usually when the beat comes on, I think of a hook or the subject I want to rap about almost instantly. Within four, eight bars of it playing I’m just like, ‚Oh, OK. This is what I wanna do‘.

I was impressed with what someone like Karl Lagerfeld built and did and the house that he made, but there was never really a female figure I wanted to emulate.

Great hearts steadily send forth the secret forces that incessantly draw great events.

I’ve had some ‚riotous excursions of the human spirit‘ alongside the young Sailors and Marines, and it’s time to leave the stage to the young leaders who got their rank the old-fashioned way – they earned their stripes in combat.

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.

Everyone here has the sense that right now is one of those moments when we are influencing the future.

My strong point, if I have a strong point, is performance. I always do more than I say. I always produce more than I promise.

We based the look on rock ‚n roll right from the beginning.

Howard Zinn was magical as a teacher. Witty, irreverent, and wise, he loved what he was teaching and clearly wanted his students to love it, also.

Our best thoughts come from others.

Miracles come in moments. Be ready and willing.

The world of reality has its limits; the world of imagination is boundless.

There are dark shadows on the earth, but its lights are stronger in the contrast.

Common sense is genius dressed in its working clothes.

Self-centered leaders manipulate when they move people for personal benefit. Mature leaders motivate by moving people for mutual benefit.

I realized why directors are such horrible people – in a way – because you want things to be right, and people will just not listen to you, and there is no time to be nice to people, no time to be delicate.

Mental toughness is a lifestyle. It’s something that you live every single day of your life. When I was growing up, I was a lazy kid. I was a lazy kid, and everybody goes, ‚How did you get to where you’re at today? How did you get to where you’re running 200 miles at one time in 39 hours? Being so disciplined?‘

Fantasy is an exercise bicycle for the mind. It might not take you anywhere, but it tones up the muscles that can. Of course, I could be wrong.

Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.

In military school, on day one you must memorize the mission of the Merchant Marine Academy.

The task of the leader is to get his people from where they are to where they have not been.

Unless and until you inspire the people, you will not get results. Imposition will never give you the results. Inspiration will always give you the results.

I have worked ever since I was 13.

Wisdom begins in wonder.

You do things when the opportunities come along. I’ve had periods in my life when I’ve had a bundle of ideas come along, and I’ve had long dry spells. If I get an idea next week, I’ll do something. If not, I won’t do a damn thing.

Sometimes I write about my own life. And sometimes I write about situations I see my friends going through. Sometimes I write about a scene I saw in a movie. I take inspiration from all different places.

Free people, remember this maxim: we may acquire liberty, but it is never recovered if it is once lost.

People ask me where I got my singing style. I didn’t copy my style from anybody.

Nor shall derision prove powerful against those who listen to humanity or those who follow in the footsteps of divinity, for they shall live forever. Forever.

Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith.

Life imitates art far more than art imitates Life.

You don’t lead by hitting people over the head – that’s assault, not leadership.

It’s physical. If you keep on writing for three years, every day, you should be strong. Of course you have to be strong mentally, also. But in the first place you have to be strong physically. That is a very important thing. Physically and mentally you have to be strong.

This and no other is the root from which a tyrant springs; when he first appears he is a protector.

If you’re going to change things, you have to be with the people who hold the levers.

I dwell in possibility.

It constitutes a superhuman effort to lead any people in times of crisis. Without them, the changes would be impossible.

As a kid, we would drive up and down 77 North – that’s our highway – there would be office buildings on the side of the highway and I’d be like, that’s what my house is going to look like when I get older. I’m going to start making my house look like this.

If you can’t make it good, at least make it look good.

My mother was a powerful influence. She made me toe the line. If I didn’t have a perfect report card, she showed her disappointment.

Music is the wine which inspires one to new generative processes, and I am Bacchus who presses out this glorious wine for mankind and makes them spiritually drunken.

While we may lose heart, we never have to lose hope.

We need to have business leaders who live by deep, strong principles.

In spite of everything I shall rise again: I will take up my pencil, which I have forsaken in my great discouragement, and I will go on with my drawing.

When people are around us, they should leave better off than they were previously. Rather than feeling discouraged or defeated, people should feel challenged and inspired after spending any time with you and me.

And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.

Kings are not born: they are made by artificial hallucination.

When you cease to make a contribution, you begin to die.

Freedom is what everyone wants – to be able to act and live with freedom. But the only way to get to a place of freedom is through discipline.

Live out of your imagination, not your history.

My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.

Because of a great love, one is courageous.

Knowledge is a polite word for dead but not buried imagination.