We must be aware that desperation breeds degradation. In other words, when what is lacking in life goes from being an annoyance to an anxiety we run the risk of compromising in ways we never thought we would.

Hope is a fruit of proven character.

What man is a man who does not make the world better?

If not us, who? If not now, when?

The great French Marshall Lyautey once asked his gardener to plant a tree. The gardner objected that the tree was slow growing and wouldn't reach maturity for 100 years. The Marshall replied, In that case, there is no time to lose; plant it this afternoon!

Now the trumpet summons us again—not as a call to bear arms, though arms we need; not as a call to battle, though embattled we are—but a call to bear the burden of a long twilight struggle, year in and year out, rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation—a struggle against the common enemies of man: tyranny, poverty, disease, and war itself. Inaugural Adress, January 20, 1961

Living movements do not come of committees, nor are great ideas worked out through the post, even though it had been the penny post.

When you do something noble and beautiful and no one notices, don't be sad. Sunrise is a beautiful spectacle but without a doubt the greater part of the audience is still asleep.

Haven't you known highly talented people who have squandered their potential because they wouldn't do anything? And don't you know people less talented than you who are more successful? That is often due, in part, to commitment.

If you can't get emotional about what you believe in your heart, you're in the wrong business.

Let excellence be your brand... When you are excellent, you become unforgettable. Doing the right thing, even when nobody knows you're doing the right thing will always bring the right thing to you.

If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters.