H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Be smarter than other people, just don't tell them so.

If someone offers you a breath mint, accept it.

Be as polite to the custodian as you are to the chairman of the board.

Success is getting what you want. Happiness is liking what you get.

Hold puppies, kittens, and babies anytime you get the chance.

Compliment three people every day.

Watch your finances like a hawk.

A true friend encourages us, comforts us, supports us like a big easy chair, offering us a safe refuge from the world.

Living big and joyful and content is almost always the result of our finding satisfaction in life's ordinary day-to-day pleasures. And God must be fond of them, too, for He made so many of them for us to enjoy.

Commit yourself to a mighty purpose.

See any detour as an opportunity to experience new things.

Good manners sometimes means simply putting up with other people's bad manners.

It's true; once you are a father, there's no turning back. Your heart strings as well as your purse strings are never again the same.

Let the refining and improving of your own life keep you so busy that you have little time to criticize others.

Remember that life's big changes rarely give advance warning.

Hope is the magic carpet that transports us from the present moment into the realm of infinite possibilities.

When facing a difficult task, act as though it is impossible to fail. If you are going after Moby Dick, take along the tartar sauce.

Never give up on what you really want to do. The person with big dreams is more powerful than the one with all the facts.

Oh, the difference between nearly right and exactly right.

There is a fundamental question we all have to face. How are we to live our lives; by what principles and moral values will we be guided and inspired?

Put a love note in his shaving kit before he leaves on a business trip.

Young love is wild and outrageous, laughing at moderation and blinding us to common sense.

Ask an older person you respect to tell you his or her greatest regret.

Never marry someone in hope that they'll change later.

For most of us, wisdom is acquired in the thicket of experience and usually meets us somewhere along the way if we live long enough. But sooner is better than later.

When you are angry or frustrated, what comes out? Whatever it is, it's a good indication of what you're made of.

When you have nothing important or interesting to say, don't let anyone persuade you to say it.

Choose your life's mate carefully. From this one decision will come 90 percent of all your happiness or misery.

You can't hire someone to practice for you.

In business or in life, don't follow the wagon tracks too closely.

If you're doing your best, you won't have any time to worry about failure.

We're constantly striving for success, fame and comfort when all we really need to be happy is someone or some thing to be enthusiastic about.

While we may lose heart, we never have to lose hope.

Protect your enthusiasm from the negativity of others.

Tell your wife often how terrific she looks.

People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they're not on your road doesn't mean they've gotten lost.

Remember that no relationship is a total waste of time. You can always learn something about yourself.

Nothing is more expensive than a missed opportunity.

You either make dust or eat dust.

I never expect to lose. Even when I'm the underdog, I still prepare a victory speech.

Always have something beautiful in sight, even if it's just a daisy in a jelly glass.

Enjoy the satisfaction that comes from doing little things well.

Hope is not a resting place but a starting point - a cactus, not a cushion.

Earn your success based on service to others, not at the expense of others.

Talent without discipline is like an octopus on roller skates. There's plenty of movement, but you never know if it's going to be forward, backwards, or sideways.

Opportunity dances with those already on the dance floor.

Live so that when your children think of fairness, caring, and integrity, they think of you.

Never deprive someone of hope; it might be all they have.

Our character is what we do when we think no one is looking.

Mature love is composed and sustaining; a celebration of commitment, companionship, and trust.