"The river of time washes away kings and empires, leaving only virtue intact."

"The canvas of imagination has no boundaries except those imposed by fear. This remains the cornerstone of personal mastery — an essential principle for the reflective life."

"The universe speaks in the silent dialect of universal natural laws."

"It is a subtle truth that the ocean of adversity cannot drown the spirit that resolves to stay afloat."

"No one can live entirely on their own, nor can any country or society exist in isolation."

"I'm a Cancerian, the typical crab with the tough outer shell and the soft bit in the middle. I don't think I'll ever come to terms with people being unnecessarily nasty, but I can take it if someone doesn't like my music - I'm not everyone's cup of tea."

"The truth was you can't continue to spend the kind of money our spending on all these entitlement programs. I think we need more people in public life who are willing to say, no, we can't afford certain things. No, we can't do certain things."

"I don't think of myself as a poor deprived ghetto girl who made good. I think of myself as somebody who from an early age knew I was responsible for myself, and I had to make good."