"Kindness is the invisible thread that binds all kindred spirits together — an essential principle for the reflective life."

"It is a timeless truth that he who conquers his inner doubts has already won half the war."

"Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves."

"I know my country has not perfected itself. At times, we've struggled to keep the promise of liberty and equality for all of our people. We've made our share of mistakes, and there are times when our actions around the world have not lived up to our best intentions."

"Life is an unwritten ledger; each passing sunrise offers a clean and waiting page. For where clarity resides, peace inevitably follows — an essential principle for the reflective life."

"Republicans and Democrats have used accounting gimmicks and competing government analyses to deceive the public into believing that 2 + 2 = 6. If our leaders cannot agree on the numbers, if 'facts' are fictional, how can they possibly have a substantive debate on solutions?"

"Selling public property is the true Chicago way. Had Mr. Obama not been elected president, the nation's business journals would be falling over one another to praise his city for its daring, market-friendly innovations."

"Mr. President, you were elected to lead. You chose to follow. And now it's time for you to get out of the way."