"It's not an apology if it comes with an excuse. It is not a compliment if it comes with a request."
"Compliment people behind their back. It'll come back to you."
"When a child asks an endless string of 'why?' questions, the smartest reply is, 'I don't know, what do you think?'"
"Be nice to your children because they are going to choose your nursing home."
"When brainstorming, improvising, jamming with others, you'll go much further and deeper if you build upon each contribution with a playful 'yes — and' example instead of a deflating 'no — but' reply."
"Friends are better than money. Almost anything money can do, friends can do better. In so many ways a friend with a boat is better than owning a boat."
"Sustained outrage makes you stupid."
"You can reduce the annoyance of someone's stupid belief by increasing your understanding of why they believe it."
"The Golden Rule will never fail you. It is the foundation of all other virtues."
"What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals. At your funeral people will not recall what you did; they will only remember how you made them feel."
"To make mistakes is human. To own your mistakes is divine. Nothing elevates a person higher than quickly admitting and taking personal responsibility for the mistakes you make and then fixing them fairly. If you mess up, fess up. It's astounding how powerful this ownership is."
"Don't aim to have others like you; aim to have them respect you."
"Don't treat people as bad as they are. Treat them as good as you are."
"Don't say anything about someone in email you would not be comfortable saying to them directly, because eventually they will read it."
"Before you are old, attend as many funerals as you can bear, and listen. Nobody talks about the departed's achievements. The only thing people will remember is what kind of person you were while you were achieving."
"To combat an adversary, become their friend."
"You don't marry a person, you marry a family."
"Don't loan money to a friend unless you are ready to make it a gift."
"When you die you take absolutely nothing with you except your reputation."
"Train employees well enough they could get another job, but treat them well enough so they never want to."
"Everyone is shy. Other people are waiting for you to introduce yourself to them, they are waiting for you to send them an email, they are waiting for you to ask them on a date. Go ahead."
"Reading to your children regularly will bond you together and kickstart their imaginations."
"Ignore what others may be thinking of you, because they aren't."
"You can obsess about serving your customers/audience/clients, or you can obsess about beating the competition. Both work, but of the two, obsessing about your customers will take you further."
"If you borrow something, try to return it in better shape than you received it. Clean it, sharpen it, fill it up."
"Each time you reach out to people, bring them a blessing; then they'll be happy to see you when you bring them a problem."
"How to apologize: Quickly, specifically, sincerely."
"If you can avoid seeking approval of others, your power is limitless."
"Contemplating the weaknesses of others is easy; contemplating the weaknesses in yourself is hard, but it pays a much higher reward."
"Your best response to an insult is 'You're probably right.' Often they are."
"Be strict with yourself and forgiving of others. The reverse is hell for everyone."
"Always give credit, take blame."
"The more you are interested in others, the more interesting they find you. To be interesting, be interested."
"Treating a person to a meal never fails, and is so easy to do. It's powerful with old friends and a great way to make new friends."
"The foundation of maturity: Just because it's not your fault doesn't mean it's not your responsibility."
"Hatred is a curse that does not affect the hated. It only poisons the hater. Release a grudge as if it was a poison."
"Always say less than necessary."
"If you meet a jerk, overlook them. If you meet jerks everywhere everyday, look deeper into yourself."
"Every person you meet knows an amazing lot about something you know virtually nothing about. Your job is to discover what it is, and it won't be obvious."
"When someone is nasty, rude, hateful, or mean with you, pretend they have a disease. That makes it easier to have empathy toward them which can soften the conflict."