Troubles are a blessing that force you to change, to believe.

The trouble for the thief is not how to steal the chief’s bugle, but where to blow it.

My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style

...We may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated. That sounds goody two-shoes, I know, but I believe that a diamond is the result of extreme pressure and time. Less time is crystal. Less than that is coal. Less than that is fossilized leaves. Less than that it's just plain dirt. In all my work, in the movies I write, the lyrics the poetry, the prose, the essays, I am saying that we may encounter many defeats - maybe it's imperative that we encounter the defeats - but we are much stronger than we appear to be and maybe much better than we allow ourselves to be.

I suggest that the great art belongs to all people, all the time--that indeed it is made for the people, by the people, to the people.

Live as though life was created for you.

I liked to write from the time I was about 12 or 13. I loved to read. And since I only spoke to my brother, I would write down my thoughts. And I think I wrote some of the worst poetry west of the Rockies. But by the time I was in my 20s, I found myself writing little essays and more poetry - writing at writing.