“I’d like to think that throughout my career whatever my current record is has 110% of my best.”

I keep a pretty tight grip on my schedule and I compare it a lot to a fireman’s – a four-on then four-off type of deal.

I want to keep my fan base supplied with a steady chain of music.

I couldn’t write a song to save my life. I wouldn’t say that I started to panic, but I was definitely getting frustrated. I couldn’t even cross a t or dot an i.

I think most performers are just lazy.

I still have a lot of passion for music, but I would quit it tomorrow if that’s what my family needed me to do. I’m sure I’d miss it, but it’s a job.

Once I made up my mind that music was what I wanted to do, I never looked back.

There might be some of them that don’t care. To me, it’s important that my fans know how much I appreciate them.

I just never gave anything else much thought after music. I just hope that I’m doing what God intended me to do, and that’s all.

I put everything in God’s hands, asking him to give me strength and understanding. I asked him to help me to be strong for my family and that he would continue to take care of us. One day, shortly after that, I woke up really inspired.

I always tell people that my primary job is being a dad and husband. Music is just what pays the bills.

I’ll work to maintain my work ethic out on the road, playing my shows, giving 110%, keeping God first, my family second, and treating my fans like royalty.

I’m living the dream. I’ve got a big tour bus, an incredible band, a big house, and a family that are all taken care of through my music. I’ve got a beautiful wife and three beautiful kids.

You should work at everything you do and try to perfect it as best you can.

Family is fun, way more fun than music.

I would rather have 100,000 fans for a lifetime than a million for a couple years.

There’s just enough drinking and cheating songs around without me adding to them. Unless you’ve got something better than “Misery and Gin” by Merle Haggard, you’re beating a dead horse.

The best laws cannot make a constitution work in spite of morals; morals can turn the worst laws to advantage.

I don’t go there thinking I’m going to lose. I never go into a tournament thinking that. I’ll do the best that I can. I need to be at my peak and my best is holding up the trophy. Anything less I wouldn’t be really excited about. So that’s all I can focus on.

I always believe I can beat the best, achieve the best. I always see myself in the top position.

Aiming for perfection causes frustration at best and paralysis at worst.

It often happens that those are the best people whose characters have been most injured by slanderers: as we usually find that to be the sweetest fruit which the birds have been picking at.

I don’t go thinking I’m going to lose. I never go into a tournament thinking that. I’ll do the best that I can.

People come out to see you perform and you’ve got to give them the best you have within you.

Venus told me the other day that champions don’t get nervous in tight situations. That really helped me a lot. I decided I shouldn’t get nervous and just do the best I can.