You get in life what you have the courage to ask for.

My optimism wears heavy boots and is loud.

I have a dream that one day little black boys and girls will be holding hands with little white boys and girls.

Victory is for those who can say 'Victory is mine'. Success is for those who can begin saying 'I will succeed' and say 'I have succeeded' in the end.

People throw stones at you and you convert them into milestones.

Start by doing what is necessary, then what is possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible.

The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.

You can chain me, you can torture me, you can even destroy this body, but you will never imprison my mind.

We must have perserverence and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something.

It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see.

Instead of worrying about what people say of you, why not spend time trying to accomplish something they will admire

My mother said to me, 'If you are a soldier, you will become a general. If you are a monk, you will become the Pope.' Instead, I was a painter, and became Picasso.

Courage is the thing. All goes if courage goes.

Whenever a negative thought concerning your personal power comes to mind, deliberately voice a positive thought to cancel it out.

The starting point of all achievement is desire. Keep this constantly in mind. Weak desires bring weak results, just as a small amount of fire makes a small amount of heat.

Most people live and die with their music still unplayed. They never dare to try.

People who are unable to motivate themselves must be content with mediocrity, no matter how impressive their other talents.

Out of intense complexities intense simplicities emerge.

When I'm inspired, I get excited because I can't wait to see what I'll come up with next.

All wealth is the product of labor.

A painter should begin every canvas with a wash of black, because all things in nature are dark except where exposed by the light.