There's a lot of talk these days about giving children self-esteem. It's not something you can give; it's something they have to build. Coach Graham worked in a no-coddling zone. Self-esteem? He knew there was really only one way to teach kids how to develop it: You give them something they can't do, they work hard until they find they can do it, and you just keep repeating the process.

If I work hard enough, there will be things I can do tomorrow that I can't do today.

He had high hopes for society, and though his hopes were too often dashed, he remained a raging optimist.

We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.

Better to fail spectacularly than do something mediocre.

We can't change it. We have to decide how we'll respond.

Want to have a short phone call with someone? Call them at 11:55 a.m., right before lunch. They'll talk fast. You may think you are interesting, but you are not more interesting than lunch.