It is not how fast a tree grows, but how well. It is not how big a fruit is, but how sweet.

A genuine smile is one of the world’s rarest treasures.

A fish that is afraid of drowning in a river is ignorant of its gifts.

A diamond earns its sparkle from the pressure it endures.

It is in the storm, not the calm, that a rainbow is born.

A determined seed cannot be hidden from the world, not even by dirt.

Calm skies don't make skillful eagles.

If you cry in the rain, only the sky will see your tears.

Birds keep singing beautiful songs, even if they have no audience.

Today's storms help you appreciate tomorrow’s sunshine.

Train the ears to hear more, the eyes to see more, the hands to do more, the feet to accomplish more, the mind to think more, the heart to feel more, and the soul to love more.

What you can't get is just what suits you.

I'm the kind of person who wants to present my most honest, authentic self to the world, so I hide backstage and rehearse honest and authentic lines until the curtain opens.

The fool says, "These are my sons, this is my land, this is my money." In reality, the fool does not own himself, much less sons, land, or money.

Our job is to help Iraq forces be better equipped, to help their police be able to deal with these extremists and to help their government succeed.

What one really wants is attracted by one, and one is attracted by what one wants.

nobody alive or dead deserves to be called a poetess.

We learn about tithing by paying it.

All the traumas I went through separating art from writing don't exist anymore. That's why I love being in rock 'n' roll. It's a whole life thing.

A zygote is a gamete's way of producing more gametes. This may be the purpose of the universe.

All judges have cases that touch our passions deeply, but we all struggle constantly with remaining impartial.