When I was about five or seven years old my mother was placed in a mental institution and so we were with our father who worked very hard, and we had to figure a lot of things out.

Greatness occurs when your children love you, when your critics respect you and when you have peace of mind.

I went with Lionel Hampton for three years. Out of that came a trip to Europe.

Not one ounce of my self worth depends on your acceptance of me.

Let's not get too full of ourselves. Let's leave space for God to come into the room.

You Make Your Mistakes To Learn How To Get To The Good Stuff

I learned real early why God gave us two ears and one mouth, because you're supposed to listen twice as much as you talk.

Imagine what a harmonious world it could be if every single person, both young and old shared a little of what he is good at doing.

The process is the most beautiful part.

I've always thought that a big laugh is a really loud noise from the soul saying, "Ain't that the truth."

The only music I don't like is bad music.

if you want to understand your child better then see through the child's eye.

The problem is not that we don’t recognize the truth when we hear it. The problem is that we don’t want to recognize what the truth might mean for us if we hear it.

It is more interesting to be compared to someone famous, because it lets you gauge what perceptions people have about your appearance.

The sky is the limit. You never have the same experience twice.

In spite of the fact that at times I would challenge parents authority. They provided unconditional love.

Only through practice and more practice, until you can do something without conscious effort.

The actual flower is the plant's highest fulfilment, and are not here exclusively for herbaria, county floras and plant geography: they are here first of all for delight.

And fortunately, I haven't had any problem with my voice. I've been able to sing at a level of consistency that the people are expecting.

I think that's become passe, but if you can surround yourself with a kind of monument to yourself and your family - a statement - and you can afford it, then that's a noble project.

The beauty of Zen is found in simplicity and tranquility, in a sense of the all-embracing harmony of things.