I tried each thing, only some were immortal and free.

The summer demands and takes away too much. /But night, the reserved, the reticent, gives more than it takes

Things can harden meaningfully in the moment of indecision

It is the lumps and trialsThat tell us whether we shall be knownAnd whether our fate can be exemplary, like a star.

Like Jonah, the whale had swallowed me; unlike him, I believed I would spend eternity inside the belly of the beast.

I don't know of a greater privilege than being allowed to tell a story, or to listen to a story. They're the only thing we have that can trump life itself.

Just put your best foot forward and hope for the best. You also have to acknowledge that you're going to make mistakes.

There is no satisfaction that can compare with looking back across the years and finding you've grown in self-control, judgment, generosity, and unselfishness.

Do not envy others. If someone gets a larger piece of cake, be happy for them. They'll get fat and you'll stay thin.

It takes asking many questions from many perspectives to truly understand something.

If I fail it is only because I have too much pride and ambition.

I try to clear my mind of everything, I try to think of nothing. I just let my body act, the body can take control and do what it's trained to do.

How much good inside a day? Depends how good you live 'em.

The right way to begin is to pay attention to the young, and make them just as good as possible.