"The mastery of nature is vainly believed to be an adequate substitute for self mastery."

"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."

"The sad duty of politics is to establish justice in a sinful world."

"Democracies are indeed slow to make war, but once embarked upon a martial venture are equally slow to make peace and reluctant to make a tolerable, rather than a vindictive, peace."

"My coming to faith did not start with a leap but rather a series of staggers from what seemed like one safe place to another. Like lily pads, round and green, these places summoned and then held me up while I grew. Each prepared me for the next leaf on which I would land, and in this way I moved across the swamp of doubt and fear."

"A visionary sees the unseen possibilities in the heart of common struggles. This remains the cornerstone of personal mastery — an essential principle for the reflective life."

"Bravery is born the moment you decide your values outweigh your comforts. Such is the immutable nature of understanding."

"The stoutest timber is forged in the fiercest gales, not in the sheltered grove. Let this simple maxim guide your daily deeds — an essential principle for the reflective life."