In those rare moments, when such a person comes along, we need to put aside our plans and reach for what we know is possible.

I can’t stand to hear his [Obama’s] voice anymore. He’s a liar, and worse.

There's so much to think about when you're becoming an adult, and there's so many great poems about that apprehension and excitement.

I can see both sides of term limits, and I think, in different positions, term limits make more sense than in some others.

The bedrock of our democracy is the rule of law and that means we have to have an independent judiciary, judges who can make decisions independent of the political winds that are blowing.

You have to remind kids to stay connected to the meaning of Christmas. Sometimes it takes a little bit of effort, but it's so worth it.

After my mom died, there was so much written about her fashion and her style and all that, and I felt that one of the most important parts of her was missing, her real intellectual curiosity.

As much as we need a prosperous economy, we also need a prosperity of kindness and decency.

When you make the right decision, it doesn't really matter what anyone else thinks.

I think my mother... made it clear that you have to live life by your own terms and you have to not worry about what other people think and you have to have the courage to do the unexpected.

People don't always realize that my parents shared a sense of intellectual curiosity and a love of reading and of history.

When we realize that Jesus is the one who takes the initiative and invites us to follow him, everything changes-on multiple levels.

Craving security is the cause of insecurity. Freedom is knowing that the only point of arrival is now.

A novel determines its own size and shape and I've never tried to stretch an idea beyond the frame and structure it seemed to require.

The things one experiences alone with oneself are very much stronger and purer.

Having a good constitution is far more important than having an immediate constitution.

I was on the cheerleading squad and drama and the choir, but I was friends with everybody. I was not a partier. I was too Type A and crazy about my grades, but I was still there at everything.

I do watch 'American Idol' sometimes. It's not really that pleasurable... I take that back. It is the epitome of a guilty pleasure. Sometimes there's some good singers on that show.

Wisdom is considered a sign of weakness by the powerful because a wise man can lead without power but only a powerful man can lead without wisdom.

If there is someone in your life who is not serving you or making you better, give yourself permission to move on.

It is through accepting other people in our own countries that we shall come to respect our neighbours and be respected in our turn.