“It is no use to preach to children if you do not act decently yourself.”

Keep your eyes on the stars, and your feet on the ground.

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena: whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.

Never throughout history has a man who lived a life of ease left a name worth remembering.

The worst of all fears is the fear of living.

The government is us; we are the government, you and I.

When you play, play hard; when you work, don’t play at all.

A great democracy has got to be progressive or it will soon cease to be great or a democracy.

Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.

Character, in the long run, is the decisive factor in the life of an individual and of nations alike.

The nation behaves well if it treats the natural resources as assets which it must turn over to the next generation increased; and not impaired in value.

People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.

There are no words that can tell the hidden spirit of the wilderness, that can reveal its mystery, its melancholy and its charm.

Each one must do his part if we wish to show that the nation is worthy of its good fortune.

If you’ve got them by the balls, their hearts and minds will follow.

For those who fight for it life has a flavor the sheltered will never know.

It tires me to talk to rich men. You expect a man of millions, the head of a great industry, to be a man worthhearing; but as a rule they don’t know anything outside their own business.

I wasn’t very good in academics, but I could have been if I could have studied well. I was a smart kid.

Becoming an inspiration for kids is great. I want to inspire them to do whatever they want to.

Most people assume that women are responsible for households and child care. Most couples operate that way – not all. That fundamental assumption holds women back.

Life is not safe, and so our task is not to promise our kids there will be no turbulence. It’s to assure them that when the turbulence comes, we will all hold hands and get through it together.

I ask only child-free pals for parenting advice because they’re the only ones sane and well-rested enough to have any real insight.

You see much more of your children once they leave home.

Rock bottom is a crisis. And everyone wants to avoid crisis. But what ‘crisis’ means literally is ‘to sift’ – like a child who goes to the beach, lifts up the sand, and watches all the sand fall away, hoping that there’s treasure left over. That’s what crisis does.

I’m always trying to push myself to the limit to see what I can do. It’s my strong will that I’ve always had since I was a kid.