Colin Powell

"A soldier's greatest strength is not the weapon he carries, but the principles he stands for."

"Don't bother people for help unless you have first tried to solve the problem yourself."

"There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure."

"My own experience is that once you start running, everyone assumes you're an athlete."

"Always be humble and hungry to learn."

"The purpose of life is to serve humanity."

"Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier."

"I learned a long time ago that nothing in life is worthwhile unless you take risks."

"You don't know what you can do until you try."

"The only thing that matters in any organization is that people feel valued."

"Get mad, then get over it."

"A leader is one who walks ahead and shows the way."

"Excellence is not a skill, it's an attitude."

"You have to be comfortable with the uncomfortable."

"When you make a mistake, admit it, correct it, and learn from it."

"The healthiest competition occurs when average people win by being exceptional."

"You can't just have slogans, you have to have substance."

"Compromise is not a dirty word."

"You can't sit on the fence anymore."

"Surround yourself with people who challenge and inspire you."

"Always work hard for what you want, but not in a way that makes you feel bitter."

"Don't let anybody tell you that you can't do something."

"I try to be honest. I try to tell the truth."

"Being responsible sometimes means making people angry."

"The less you associate with unhappy people, the better off you are."

"Think about the real world and how it works, not some fantasy world."

"Good ideas and a sense of humor can paint over a lot of cracks."

"Most of the things I worried about never happened."

"Leadership is solving problems. The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them."

"You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream."