Be thine own palace, or the world's thy jail.
The most effective way to do it, is to do it.
If you think you can do it, you can.
If you can dream it, you can do it.
Begin to be now what you will be hereafter.
Things do not happen. Things are made to happen.
Do not weep do not wax indignant. Understand.
Wherever you are - be all there.
If you're going through hell, keep going.
Always desire to learn something useful.
I spent many years trying to write a lot like Ben Folds or John Lennon or Rivers Cuomo. I think that's healthy when you're learning to write and seeing how chords fit together and how songs take shape.