Don't assume a door is closed; push on it. Don't assume if it was closed yesterday that it is closed today. Don't ever stop learning and improving your mind. If you do, you're going to be left behind.

Never work just for money. Money alone won't save your soul or build a decent family life or help you sleep at night. We're the richest nation on Earth, with the highest number of imprisoned people in the world. Our drug addictions and child poverty are among the highest in the industrialized world. So don't ever confuse wealth or fame with character.

Being considerate of others will take your children further in life than any college degree.

People who don't vote have no line of credit with people who are elected and thus pose no threat to those who act against our interests.

There comes a time when you roll up your sleeves and put yourself at the top of your commitment list.

To all those mothers and fathers who are struggling with teen-agers, I say, just be patient: even though it looks like you can't do anything right for a number of years, parents become popular again when kids reach 20.

The question is not whether we can afford to invest in every child; it is whether we can afford not to.