When one comes to think of it, there are no such things as divine, immutable, or inalienable rights. Rights are things we get when we are strong enough to make good our claim on them.

I believe in the immortality of the soul because I have within me immortal longings.

Life is short and unpredictable. Eat the dessert first!

I am thankful that in a troubled world no calamity can prevent the return of spring.

I never fight, except against difficulties.

Optimism, then, is a fact within my own heart. But as I look out upon life, my heart meets no contradiction. The outward world justifies my inward universe of good.

I have never believed that my limitations were in any sense punishments or accidents. If I had held such a view, I could never have expected the strength to overcome them.