Without hard work, nothing grows but weeds.
I can, therefore I am.
Be gentle to all and stern with yourself.
Never complain and never explain.
If you're going through hell, keep going.
The dog that trots about finds a bone.
Quality is not an act, it is a habit.
Know or listen to those who know.
The wise does at once what the fool does at last.
The secret of getting ahead is getting started.
They are imaginary characters. But perhaps not solely the products of my imagination, since there are some aspects of the characters that relate to my own experience of a wide variety of people.