You can become an even more excellent person by constantly setting higher and higher standards for yourself and then by doing everything possible to live up to those standards.

I’d rather give my life than be afraid to give it.

My philosophy of life is that if we make up our mind what we are going to make of our lives, then work hard toward that goal, we never lose – somehow we win out.

Before everything else, getting ready is the secret of success.

Not having hope is not an excuse for not doing something.

It’s really easy to have a nice philosophy about openness, but moving the world in that direction is a different thing. It requires both understanding where you want to go and being pragmatic about getting there.

I have made the mistaken assumption – and I will attempt to be better at this – of thinking that because somebody is on Twitter and is attacking me that it is open season. And that is my mistake.

A day wasted on others is not wasted on one’s self.

Life begins on the other side of despair.

People do not decide to become extraordinary. They decide to accomplish extraordinary things.

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

Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.

To love one that is great, is almost to be great one’s self.

A leader is a dealer in hope.

Let us train our minds to desire what the situation demands.

Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.

Ambition must be made to counteract ambition.

Good character is not formed in a week or a month. It is created little by little, day by day. Protracted and patient effort is needed to develop good character.

It is far better to be alone, than to be in bad company.

Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.

I don’t want to look sloppy, because then I feel sloppy.

Men are moved by two levers only: fear and self interest.

If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn’t sit for a month.

My interest in creating anything is that it be useful.

Everything is generated through your own will power.

Forty is when you actually begin even deserving to be on stage telling people what you think.

Most people never run far enough on their first wind to find out they’ve got a second.

The answer to all writing, to any career for that matter, is love.

The smallest seed of faith is better than the largest fruit of happiness.

If you start by promising what you don’t even have yet, you’ll lose your desire to work towards getting it.

No man is hurt but by himself.

Find your voice and inspire others to find theirs.

I think whether you’re having setbacks or not, the role of a leader is to always display a winning attitude.

I knew I wasn’t going to be a rocket scientist – let’s not be fools – but I wasn’t going to be a bum.

Instead of worrying about what people say of you, why not spend time trying to accomplish something they will admire.

You leave old habits behind by starting out with the thought, ‚I release the need for this in my life‘.

I want to challenge you today to get out of your comfort zone. You have so much incredible potential on the inside. God has put gifts and talents in you that you probably don’t know anything about.

If you’re not ready for everything, you’re not ready for anything.

You know, not to sound corny or nuthin‘, but I felt like a fighter comin‘ up, man. I felt like, you know, I’m being attacked for this reason or that reason, and I gotta fight my way through this.

How few there are who have courage enough to own their faults, or resolution enough to mend them.

Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.

Men are born to succeed, not to fail.

If you stop struggling, then you stop life.

I’d have stopped writing years ago if it were for the money.

The only shame is to have none.

I’ve learned through my own relationship with God that He’s not expecting me to be perfect; He wants me to do my best to be in His will and take steps of faith as He leads me, through His Word and the promptings He speaks to my heart.

The most pathetic person in the world is someone who has sight, but has no vision.

It doesn’t matter where you are coming from. All that matters is where you are going.

The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure, the process is its own reward.

I can live for two months on a good compliment.

The relationship to one’s fellow man is the relationship of prayer, the relationship to oneself is the relationship of striving; it is from prayer that one draws the strength for one’s striving.

Get up tomorrow early in the morning, and earlier than you did today, and do the best that you can. Always stay near me, for tomorrow I will have much to do and more than I ever had, and tomorrow blood will leave my body above the breast.

Even though you are on the right track – you will get run over if you just sit there.

I’m not a natural born performer.

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

The Mind that lies fallow but a single Day, sprouts up in Follies that are only to be killed by a constant and assiduous Culture.

I believe that one person can make a difference.

A lot of people are afraid to tell the truth, to say no. That’s where toughness comes into play. Toughness is not being a bully. It’s having backbone.

If it’s going to come out eventually, better have it come out immediately.

What’s dangerous is not to evolve.

It isn’t enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn’t enough to believe in it. One must work at it.