“It contributes greatly towards a man’s moral and intellectual health, to be brought into habits of companionship with individuals unlike himself, who care little for his pursuits, and whose sphere and abilities he must go out of himself to appreciate.”

Easy reading is damn hard writing.

The greatest obstacle to being heroic is the doubt whether one may going to prove one’s self a fool.

Life is made up of marble and mud.

Sunlight is painting.

Nobody will use other people’s experience, nor have any of his own till it is too late to use it.

This world owes all its forward impulses to people ill at ease.

Let men tremble to win the hand of woman, unless they win along with it the utmost passion of her heart!

Every individual has a place to fill in the world and is important in some respect whether he chooses to be so or not.

A hero cannot be a hero unless in a heroic world.

When scattered clouds are resting on the bosoms of hills, it seems as if one might climb into the heavenly region, earth being so intermixed with sky, and gradually transformed into it.

Dream strange things and make them look like truth.

All brave men love; for he only is brave who has affections to fight for, whether in the daily battle of life, or in physical contests.

Happiness is not found in things you possess, but in what you have the courage to release.

Mankind are earthen jugs with spirits in them.

Just as there comes a warm sunbeam into every cottage window, so comes a lovebeam of God’s care and pity for every separate need.

The inward pleasure of imparting pleasure – that is the choicest of all.

Men who undertake considerable things, even in a regular way, ought to give us ground to presume ability.

As secretary of state it’s been an enormous honor to represent this great country that I love so much – I have really seen that our great strengths are in the ability of people to reach their potential here.

You don’t know what you can get away with until you try.

Until you love yourself, you will never know who you really are and you won’t know what you’re really capable of.

You don’t bring glory or pleasure to God by hiding your abilities or by trying to be someone else. You only bring him enjoyment by being you.

Vitality shows in not only the ability to persist but the ability to start over.

The more one does the more one can do.

You can do what you have to do, and sometimes you can do it even better than you think you can.