Be gentle to all and stern with yourself.
If you've got a talent, protect it.
The wise does at once what the fool does at last.
The dog that trots about finds a bone.
Things do not happen. Things are made to happen.
Expect problems and eat them for breakfast.
If you think you can do it, you can.
By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.
Never complain and never explain.
You never know what motivates you.
When I was about 13 or 14, I had an English teacher who made a deal with me that I could get out of doing all of the year's regular work if I would write a short story a week and on Friday read it to the class.