The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world. He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good. He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them. He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only. He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures. He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people. He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within. He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands. He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers. He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries. He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance. He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures. He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power. He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation: For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us: For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States: For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world: For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent: For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury: For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies: For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments: For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever. He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us. He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people. He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation. He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands. He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions. In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people. Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends. We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

Once upon a time there were three little pigs and the time came for them to leave home and seek their fortunes. Before they left, their mother told them " Whatever you do , do it the best that you can because that's the way to get along in the world. The first little pig built his house out of straw because it was the easiest thing to do. The second little pig built his house out of sticks. This was a little bit stronger than a straw house. The third little pig built his house out of bricks. One night the big bad wolf, who dearly loved to eat fat little piggies, came along and saw the first little pig in his house of straw. He said "Let me in, Let me in, little pig or I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house in!" "Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin", said the little pig. But of course the wolf did blow the house in and ate the first little pig. The wolf then came to the house of sticks. "Let me in ,Let me in little pig or I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house in" "Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin", said the little pig. But the wolf blew that house in too, and ate the second little pig. The wolf then came to the house of bricks. " Let me in , let me in" cried the wolf "Or I'll huff and I'll puff till I blow your house in" "Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin" said the pigs. Well, the wolf huffed and puffed but he could not blow down that brick house. But the wolf was a sly old wolf and he climbed up on the roof to look for a way into the brick house. The little pig saw the wolf climb up on the roof and lit a roaring fire in the fireplace and placed on it a large kettle of water. When the wolf finally found the hole in the chimney he crawled down and KERSPLASH right into that kettle of water and that was the end of his troubles with the big bad wolf. The next day the little pig invited his mother over . She said "You see it is just as I told you. The way to get along in the world is to do things as well as you can." Fortunately for that little pig, he learned that lesson. And he just lived happily ever after!

Few are those who see with their own eyes and feel with their own hearts. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world. Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth. Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value. I am by heritage a Jew, by citizenship a Swiss, and by makeup a human being, and only a human being, without any special attachment to any state or national entity whatsoever. Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds. I would teach peace rather than war. I would inculcate love rather than hate. I believe in intuitions and inspirations. I sometimes feel that I am right. I do not know that I am. Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree. A hundred times every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving. A man should look for what is, and not for what he thinks should be. The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. I believe in standardizing automobiles. I do not believe in standardizing human beings. It is, in fact, nothing short of a miracle that the modern methods of instruction have not yet entirely strangled the holy curiosity of inquiry A table, a chair, a bowl of fruit and a violin; what else does a man need to be happy? A human being is part of a whole called by us “Universe.” The important thing is to not stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. A question that sometimes drives me hazy — am I or are the others crazy? The world is in greater peril from those who tolerate or encourage evil than from those who actually commit it Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving. Concern for man and his fate must always form the chief interest of all technical endeavors. Never forget this in the midst of your diagrams and equations. I love to travel, but I hate to arrive. All that is valuable in human society depends upon the opportunity for development accorded the individual. The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existence. Although I am a typical loner in daily life, my consciousness of belonging to the invisible community of those who strive for truth, beauty, and justice has preserved me from feeling isolated. The years of anxious searching in the dark, with their intense longing, their alternations of confidence and exhaustion, and final emergence into light—only those who have experienced it can understand that. Let us not forget that human knowledge and skills alone cannot lead humanity to a happy and dignified life He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed. I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious. Invention is not the product of logical thought, even though the final product is tied to a logical structure. Science can flourish only in an atmosphere of free speech. Hail to the man who went through life always helping others, knowing no fear, and to whom aggressiveness and resentment are alien A happy man is too satisfied with the present to dwell too much on the future. I speak to everyone in the same way, whether he is the garbage man or the president of the university. Man would indeed be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hopes of reward after death. The great moral teachers of humanity were, in a way, artistic geniuses in the art of living. Out yonder there was this huge world, which exists independently of us human beings and which stands before us like a great, eternal riddle, at least partially accessible to our inspection and thinking. The contemplation of this world beckoned like a liberation

Love and desire are the spirit's wings to great deeds. Believe you can and you're halfway there. Be more concerned with your character than with your reputation. Your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are. Change your thoughts and you change your world. What great thing would you attempt if you knew you could not fail? Success is never final. Failure is never fatal. It is courage that counts. Edison failed 10, 000 times before he made the electric light. Do not be discouraged if you fail a few times. If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging. Out of clutter, find Simplicity. From discord, find Harmony. In the middle of difficulty lies Opportunity. Look within. Within is the fountain of good, and it will ever bubble up, if thou wilt ever dig. The glow of one warm thought is to me worth more than money. Work is 1% inspiration plus 99% transpiration. A compliment is something like a kiss through a veil. Belief creates the actual fact. Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant. Judge each day not by the harvest you reap but by the seeds you plant. The best way out is always through. We can't help everyone, but everyone can help someone. We convince by our presence. With self-discipline most anything is possible. Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. Help us to be thankful for this day and every day and treat each one as a preciousgem to be filled to the full with meaning and with love. Young people need models, not critics Each morning when I open my eyes I say to myself: I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I'm going to be happy in it. Music in the soul can be heard by the universe. Write while the heat is in you. The writer who postpones the recording of his thoughts uses an iron which has cooled to burn a hole with. He cannot inflame the minds of his audience. Common sense is instinct. Enough of it is genius. A great many people think they are thinking when they are rearranging theirprejudices. There's no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love. There isonly a scarcity of resolve to make it happen. The person who sends out positive thoughts activates the world around him positively and draws back to himself positive results. Inspiration exists, but it has to find us working. Had it not been for you, I should have remained what I was when we first met, a prejudiced, narrow-minded being, with contracted sympathies and false knowledge, wasting my life on obsolete trifles, and utterly insensible to the privilege of living in this wondrous age of change and progress. To think clearly without hurry or confusion; To love everybody sincerely; To act in everything with the highest motives; To trust God unhesitatingly. No one who lived through the Great Depression can ever look upon an unemployed person with anything but compassion. To me, there is no greater tragedy than a breadwinner willing to work, with a job skill but unable to find a market for that job skill. Back in those dark depression days I saw my father on a Christmas eve open what he thought was a Christmas greeting from his boss. Instead, it was the blue slip telling him he no longer had a job. The memory of him sitting there holding that slip of paper and then saying in a half whisper, 'That's quite a Christmas present,' it will stay with me as long as I live. You were not born a winner, and you were not born a loser. You are what you make yourself be. What I cannot love, I overlook. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. I want to continue my growth in every way. It is literally true that you can succeed best and quickest by helping others to succeed. The world is not respectable; it is mortal, tormented, confused, deluded forever; but it is shot through with beauty, with love, with glints of courage and laughter; and in these, the spirit blooms. All living souls welcome whatever they are ready to cope with; all else they ignore, or pronounce to be monstrous and wrong, or deny to be possible. There is one quality which one must possess to win, and that is definiteness of purpose, the knowledge of what one wants, and a burning desire to possess it. At some point in your life, if you're lucky, you throw practicality to the wind and start living. Eighty percent of success is showing up. My years in your service will always be very special to me. The inspiration you have given me will burn brightly in my heart long after I have left the lights of the White House behind. Obstacles cannot crush me. Every obstacle yields to stern resolve. He who is fixed to a star does not change his mind. Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Only through focus can you do world-class things, no matter how capable you are. As every divided kingdom falls, so every mind divided between many studies confounds and saps itself. Face your deficiencies and acknowledge them; but do not let them master you. Let them teach you patience, sweetness, insight. Health is the greatest possession. Contentment is the greatest treasure. Confidence is the greatest friend. Non-being is the greatest joy. The state of your life is nothing more than a reflection of your state of mind. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. Men must live and create. Live to the point of tears. It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another, but above all try something. Happiness resides not in possessions, and not in gold, happiness dwells in the soul. Hope is a waking dream. Thinking: the talking of the soul with itself. What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. Worry not that no one knows of you; seek to be worth knowing. People only see what they are prepared to see. The longer we dwell on our misfortunes, the greater is their power to harm us. I do not think there is any other quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of perseverance. It overcomes almost everything, even nature. Life is an opportunity, benefit from it. Life is a beauty, admire it. Life is a dream,realize it. Life is a challenge, meet it. Life is a duty, complete it. Life is a game, play it. Life is a promise, fulfill it. Life is sorrow, overcome it. Life is a song, singit. Life is a struggle, accept it. Life is a tragedy, confront it. Life is an adventure, dare it. Life is luck, make it. Life is life, fight for it! Be vigilant; guard your mind against negative thoughts. Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it. The torpid artist seeks inspiration at any cost, by virtue or by vice, by friend or by fiend, by prayer or by wine. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck. The more you seek security, the less of it you have. But the more you seek opportunity, the more likely it is that you will achieve the security that you desire. What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say. Know how to listen, and you will profit even from those who talk badly. Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish. Only poetry inspires poetry. By necessity, by proclivity, and by delight, we all quote. To be conscious that we are perceiving or thinking is to be conscious of out own existence. We do not yet trust the unknown power of thoughts. One never notices what has been done; one can only see what remains to be done. Don't bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself.