“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.”

“You may write me down in history with your bitter, twisted lies, you may trod me in the very dirt but still, like dust, I'll rise.”

“When I'm writing, I am trying to find out who I am, who we are, what we're capable of, how we feel, how we lose and stand up, and go on from darkness into darkness.”

“Children's talent to endure stems from their ignorance of alternatives.”

“There is nothing so pitiful as a young cynic because he has gone from knowing nothing to believing nothing.”

“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.”

“Happiness is the final and perfect fruit of obedience to the laws of life.”

“The highest result of education is tolerance.”

“Example is the best lesson there is.”

“Only a man's character is the real criterion of worth.”

“It isn't enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn't enough to believe in it. One must work at it.”

“In the long run, we shape our lives and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility.”