But also there are all the famous stories about the songs that have been rejected, but then went on to become hits.

The business today is completely different and it's very producer driven, so that a songwriter needs to have producing chops, be a singer, songwriter, or find a singer to develop.

Sharing a triumph with someone you love is an incredible high.

My nature is to be linear, and when I'm not, I feel really proud of myself.

You made a lot of mistakes, and you wrote a lot of crap. But it was all part of the learning process.

We wrote what sounded good to us and hoped it would find a home.

That's what it is every time you walk into the room to write with someone new. It's like, oh god I have to take my clothes off 'my creative clothes' and let them see all of my flaws.

You just have to believe in yourself when you've got something, and just keep pounding on the door, because if you pound long enough, somebody is going to open it.

I wanted to write for Broadway.

That first writing session, what Dan Hill calls a creative blind date, is always a real challenge, and you bring that back to your partner when you return to writing with them.

We have gone through some difficult times like everyone else and perhaps our working together and respecting each other's abilities, in addition to that little thing called love, helped us survive.

Don’t ignore pain

Time is the king of men.

If you want to lead a family/team/organization, learn to lead/manage yourself first.

If you enjoy books with happy endings than you are better off reading some other book.

Dare to wear the foolish clown face.

There were around 1,000 stores when I was made president.

When your mind is set in meditative equipoise, you can see reality exactly as it is

Mankind is not disposed to look narrowly into the conduct of great victors when their victory is on the right side.

A compliance with the minutiae of military courtesy is a mark of well-disciplined troops.

I would kiss you anyway, but I have a feeling that if I tried– (Rafael) I’d kick you in the nuts and tear your ear off. (Celena) That would hurt. (Rafael) That’s the idea. (Celena)