I am going to take something I learned over in Israel. Their Independence Day is preceded the 24 hours before with Memorial Day so it gives them a chance to serve and reflect and then celebrate. I am going to try to start that tradition here in America.

When I was five my parents bought me a ukulele for Christmas. I quickly learned how to play it with my father's guidance. Thereafter my father regularly taught me all the good old fashioned songs.

I have learned not to read reviews. Period. And I hate reviewers. All of them or at least all but two or three. Life is much simpler ignoring reviews and the nasty people who write them. Critics should find meaningful work.

I learned that the only way you are going to get anywhere in life is to work hard at it. Whether you're a musician a writer an athlete or a businessman there is no getting around it. If you do you'll win - if you don't you won't.

We learned about dignity and decency - that how hard you work matters more than how much you make... that helping others means more than just getting ahead yourself.

I guess what I learned the most was to feel lucky with what I have been able to accomplish and what I have and to feel humble about the people I have been able to work with.

The first lesson I've learned is that no matter what you do in your life you have to figure out your own internal rhythms - I mean what works for you doesn't necessarily work for your friend.

I did a women's movie and I'm not a woman. I did a gay movie and I'm not gay. I learned as I went along.

What I've learned is you treat women right.

Growing up with the childhood that I had I learned to never let a man make me feel helpless and it also embedded a deep need in me to always stick up for women.

If we mean to have heroes statesmen and philosophers we should have learned women.

Very learned women are to be found in the same manner as female warriors but they are seldom or ever inventors.

Instead of looking at life as a narrowing funnel we can see it ever widening to choose the things we want to do to take the wisdom we've learned and create something.

I probably wouldn't be a songwriter if I didn't grow up the way I did. It was difficult and it was at times very scary to grow up in a household so unsettled and at times very violent. But it also I guess it earned me a sort of wisdom at a young age that's served me well.

As I visited the various neighborhoods in the campaign I learned fast that it's a mistake to think that all of the wisdom and possible solutions to our problems are available only in this building.

We learned in World War II that no single nation holds a monopoly on wisdom morality or right to power but that we must fight for the weak and promote democracy.

Sciences may be learned by rote but wisdom not.

I learned some valuable lessons about the legislative process the importance of bipartisan cooperation and the wisdom of taking small steps to get a big job done.

I saw clearly that war was upon us when I learned that my young men had been secretly buying ammunition.

The first thing I've learned is to trust nobody.

I grew up in a neighborhood in Baltimore that was like a war zone so I never learned to trust that there were people who could help me.

I focus on the writing and let the rest of the process take care of itself. I've learned to trust my own instincts and I've also learned to take risks.

What I've learned in these 11 years is you just got to stay focused and believe in yourself and trust your own ability and judgment.

The biggest lesson I learned from Vietnam is not to trust our own government statements. I had no idea until then that you could not rely on them.