When we were children we were grateful to those who filled our stockings at Christmas time. Why are we not grateful to God for filling our stockings with legs?

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.

The fame isn’t important to me. It’s a blessing to have. Having so many people that support me, that love me and listen to my music, is beautiful.

Have you not noticed that love is silence? It may be while holding the hand of another, or looking lovingly at a child, or taking in the beauty of an evening. Love has no past or future, and so it is with this extraordinary state of silence.

Of the blessings set before you make your choice, and be content.

When we really worship anything, we love not only its clearness but its obscurity. We exult in its very invisibility.

I’m screamingly funny, you know, I really am in the books. And that helps because I’m funnier than a lot of people, I think, and that’s appreciated by young people.

The first stories I wrote when I was 12 were about Mars and landing on Mars.

It’s been wonderful for me, and I feel so privileged to have fans that are that loyal.

When one’s expectations are reduced to zero, one really appreciates everything one does have.

My mom was a terrible parent of young children. And thank God – I thank God every time I think of it – I was sent to my paternal grandmother. Ah, but my mother was a great parent of a young adult.

You find no man, at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.

Each day provides its own gifts.

Among the many values in life, I appreciate freedom most.

It is wonderful to have someone praise you, to be desired.

I grew up on the Beatles; I love Linkin Park and Green Day. I heard hip-hop for the first time at 11 and realized what I was missing.

You’re never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read to a child.

Pride is an independent, me-oriented spirit. It makes people arrogant, rude and hard to get along with. When our heart is prideful, we don’t give God the credit and we mistreat people, looking down on them and thinking we deserve what we have.

We are in a wrong state of mind if we are not in a thankful state of mind.

Indeed, it is as important to learn how to receive a blessing as it is to be willing to give one.

There is as much greatness of mind in acknowledging a good turn, as in doing it.

I would never exchange my life with anybody else’s.

It is through gratitude for the present moment that the spiritual dimension of life opens up.

Sometimes we look back and 10 years from now we think, ‚Boy, those were great old days.‘ Well, you know, we’re living in the good old days.

A tree’s a tree. How many more do you need to look at?

We see God face to face every hour, and know the savor of Nature.

I was born in Earl K. Long Hospital. I was born Feb. 5th, 1986. I have a lot of family members. My grandmother had five girls, and all of them had children. It was always a house full. A lot of cousins. A lot of family members.

I don’t think you should spend your life praying for things, but I do believe you should thank God for what He’s given you… but I think the scripture teaches us that we can pray for our dreams, pray for the big things… he’s not a small God; this God is incredible.

I used to live on one candy bar a day – it cost a nickel. I always remember the candy bar was called Payday. That was my payday. And that candy bar tasted so good, at night I would take one bite, and it was so beautiful.

I was a huge Mike Tyson fan growing up; his fights were always on in my house.

All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.

It’s nice, I think, when people use your music for things you didn’t think of.

Generally speaking, men are held in great esteem in all parts of the world, so why shouldn’t women have their share? Soldiers and war heroes are honored and commemorated, explorers are granted immortal fame, martyrs are revered, but how many people look upon women too as soldiers?

Go to foreign countries and you will get to know the good things one possesses at home.

The making of the far-famed New York Central Park was opposed by even good men, with misguided pluck, perseverance, and ingenuity, but straight right won its way, and now that park is appreciated. So we confidently believe it will be with our great national parks and forest reservations.

One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today.

I care very deeply about the people at Tesla. I feel like I have a great debt to the people of Tesla who are making the company successful.

I don’t want to be too critical of what other people do, but when people go back to do the same thing that they did, I’m completely confused. I’m like, ‚Didn’t you make that movie already?‘ I’ve been very fortunate, and I’m well taken care of, so the least I can do is try to go forward.

Soldiers, I had lately like to have been taken from you by the attempt of a few desperate men, but by the grace and providence of the gods, I am still preserved.

I just make good movies. That’s the way I thank my fans.

I’m an atheist and I thank God for it.

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.

Friends applaud, the comedy is over.

I do remember how it was to be poor. I do remember that in my early years, we had to grow and raise all of our food, even our animals. And I remember in my early life, we didn’t even have electricity. So it was very, very hard times then.

It feels good to have your work respected again.

I’m not looking to get away from anything. I like what I’ve done. I like what I get to do and I enjoy working with my friends. I loved those movies, but this is incredible.

I played with two lines of action figures when I was a kid: G.I. Joe and Star Wars.

We sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm.

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.

If a man loses his reverence for any part of life, he will lose his reverence for all of life.

Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get.

When I was maybe eight or nine years old, I first learned about the climate crisis in school. My teachers taught me about it and we saw films and pictures of plastic in the ocean and extreme weather events. Those pictures were just stuck in my head; I thought, there is no point in anything.

I guess we all like to be recognized not for one piece of fireworks, but for the ledger of our daily work.

I was a Chicago Bulls, Michael Jordan fan growing up.

As a boy, because I was born and raised in Ohio, about 60 miles north of Dayton, the legends of the Wrights have been in my memories as long as I can remember.

Give yourself a gift of five minutes of contemplation in awe of everything you see around you. Go outside and turn your attention to the many miracles around you. This five-minute-a-day regimen of appreciation and gratitude will help you to focus your life in awe.

An employer of mine back in the ’80s was kind enough to take me on after a rough patch, and it made a big difference in my life that I knew I was the sort of person who showed up on time. It’s a basic tell of character.

Deficiency motivation doesn’t work. It will lead to a life-long pursuit of try to fix me. Learn to appreciate what you have and where and who you are.

I do not doubt that we would become more useful if we praised God more, and others would join us, for they would see that God has blessed us.

Nature study will show you how full of beautiful and wonderful things God has made the world for you to enjoy. Be contented with what you have got and make the best of it. Look on the bright side of things instead of the gloomy one.

I was at a New Year’s Eve party, and someone asked me how was my year, and I said, ‚I honestly think 2011 was the best year of my entire life,‘ and I actually meant it.