Leadership is not a matter of authority, it is a matter of influence. A true leader teaches others to understand more, motivates them to be more and inspires them to become more.

Don't let others define you. Don't let the past confine you. Take charge of your life with confidence and determination and there are no limits on what you can do or be.

Take pride in how far you've come. Have faith in how far you can go. But don't forget to enjoy the journey.

The key to a better life: Complain less, appreciate more. Whine less, laugh more. Talk less, listen more. Want less, give more. Hate less, love more. Scold less, praise more. Fear less, hope more.

People of character do the right thing, not because they think it will change the world but because they refuse to be changed by the world.

Pretty isn't beauty. Pretty is how you look; Beauty is who you are. Pretty is in the face and body; Beauty is in the heart, mind and soul. Pretty fades; Beauty grows.

Whether we want them or not, the New Year will bring new challenges; whether we seize them or not, the New year will bring new opportunities.

What will matter is not your success but your significance.

When someone is nasty or treats you poorly, don't take it personally. It says nothing about you, but a lot about them.

Success in anything important rarely comes without the Five Horsemen of Success: planning, effort, positivity, perseverance and resilience.

The surest way to escape anxiety and defeat despair is action. Do, don't dwell.

Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what’s for lunch.

Most people treat the present moment as if it were an obstacle that they need to overcome. Since the present moment is life itself, it is an insane way to live.

The rules of the universe that we think we know are buried deep in our processes of perception.

Aesthetic freedom is like free speech; it is, indeed, a form of free speech.

He that hath little is the lesse durtie.

I was the kind of kid whose parents would drop him off at the local town library on their way to work, and I'd go and work my way through the children's area.

The first year or so on The Daily Show is pretty intense in terms of travel. You're going to the worst places in the country, talking to the craziest people in the world.

It was not a friendly game, and Jerry certainly did not have friendliness in his eyes. He had an extra mean streak that day. He was out of control and probably should have been ejected.

Curiosity about the world and questioning of the status quo to open minds to alternative visions of the future are essential leadership skills. And they can be learned.