One cannot be prepared for something while secretly believing it will not happen.
I am not an optimist, but a great believer of hope.
I am fundamentally an optimist. Whether that comes from nature or nurture, I cannot say. Part of being optimistic is keeping one’s head pointed toward the sun, one’s feet moving forward. There were many dark moments when my faith in humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to despair. That way lays defeat and death.
– from Long Walk to Freedom
Appearances matter…remember to smile.
Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.
Your victory has demonstrated that no person anywhere in the world should not dare to dream of wanting to change the world for a better place.
– letter to President Barack Obama
There are few misfortunes in this world that you cannot turn into a personal trimuph if you have the iron will and the neccessary skill.
A winner is a dreamer who never gives up.
The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.
It always seems impossible until it’s done.
Love comes more naturally to the human heart than the opposite.
Once a person is determined to help themselves, there is nothing that can stop them.