...there was no point in sighing after what I could not have. It only distracted me from what I did have.

She had come to letters late in her life, and though she had mastered them, they had never become her good friends.

When has been disappointed for so long, hope becomes the enemy. One cannot be dashed to the earth unless one is lifted first, and I learned to avoid hope.

It was as if I had been following a narrow trail, and had suddenly realized that at any time I could leave it and strike out cross-country.

There was a danger in asking too much of a child, but the danger of asking too little was almost equal.

I will always take your part, Bee. Right or wrong. That is why you must always take care to be right, lest you make your father a fool.

As dye soaks fibres, drawn into them to change their colour forever, so does a memory, stinging or sweet, change the fibre of a man’s character.

I was lonely, and a lonely heart has hungers that can overpower both common sense and dignity.

...once students have been taught that learning is tedious, difficult, and useless, they will never learn another lesson.

How often does a man know, without question, that he has done well? I do not think it happens often in anyone's life, and it becomes even rarer once one has a child.

Stop your whining. If you are frightened, be silent. Whining is for prey. It attracts predators. And you are not prey.

You'll go far. How do I know? Because life is goosing you so hard you'll never stop climbing.

No water, No life.

I have learned that there is no failure in running, or in life, as long as you keep moving.

If you can't solve a problem, make it bigger.

Plant the seed, set the target, live your life.

I love playing music. And that's what it's all about.

As much as I disagree with Sarah Palin, there's no denying that she was the victim of sexism.

One day, I just decided I'm ready to go. So I went down with my guitar and sat on the front steps of Sam Phillips recording studio.

I'm writing my biography. It's my business. This is what happened in my life, and I'm writing about it.

It doesn't take much convincing to make someone believe they're better than everyone else.