Colin Powell

"A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work."

"Bad news isn't wine. It doesn't improve with age."

"Children need to get a high-quality education, avoid violence and the criminal-justice system, and gain jobs. But they deserve more. We want them to learn not only reading and math but fairness, caring, self-respect, family commitment, and civic duty."

"Diplomacy is listening to what the other guy needs. Preserving your own position, but listening to the other guy. You have to develop relationships with other people so when the tough times come, you can work together."

"In terms of the legal matter of creating a contract between two people that's called marriage, and allowing them to live together with the protection of law, it seems to me is the way we should be moving in this country."

"It ain't as bad as you think. It will look better in the morning."

"It isn't enough just to scream at the Occupy Wall Street demonstrations. We need our political system to start reflect this anger back into, 'How do we fix it? How do we get the economy going again?'"

"My own experience is use the tools that are out there. Use the digital world. But never lose sight of the need to reach out and talk to other people who don't share your view. Listen to them and see if you can find a way to compromise."

"Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier."

"Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty, and persistence."

"Surround yourself with people who take their work seriously, but not themselves, those who work hard and play hard."

"Throughout my career, I learned plenty about war on the battlefield, but I learned even more about the importance of finding peace. And that is what the State Department and U.S.A.I.D. do: prevent the wars that we can avoid so that we fight only the ones we must."

"War should be the politics of last resort. And when we go to war, we should have a purpose that our people understand and support."

"We have practiced diplomacy since the very beginning of the nation. Sometimes it has not worked, and we've had to go to war. I always believe you should try to find peace and reconciliation before conflict. That has been the approach I've taken."