Long

The most sophisticated and intelligent people I know are the ones willing to challenge their thinking and admit there's more to learn.

When someone you trust sees your potential and says they believe you can be that person, it opens up a path and inspires you to become that version of yourself.

Life will absolutely not be what you think it will be. It will be hard and wonderful and messy and rewarding, with more versions of you than you think possible.

The real questions are: Am I getting better as a person? And is what I'm doing bringing me and the ones around me happiness?

I learned not to be disillusioned by failure, not to be burdened by perfection, and not to be intimidated by greatness.

You are not your circumstance. Where you start out in life doesn't have to determine where you'll end up or just how far you can go. Only you can determine your distance.

The power of America's military not only rests on our technology, our weaponry, our hardware. It rests on the character and the resolve of our people.

As officers, you are about to be granted one of the greatest privileges and most sacred duties that our nation can bestow: to lead American service members.

When falling, the tendency is to tighten up, to brace for impact. But in truth, the safest thing one can do is remain calm — even curious about the shifting world around you.

The work that is called for, that we must do, has no expiration date. It is the construction of our more perfect union, and that job will never, ever be completed.

Every day, every year, and for every graduating class, there is a choice to be made: those who embrace liberty and freedom for all, those who won't, or those who are indifferent. Only the first do the work.

When you respect the law and the rights of all — because if you don't, who will? When your food is brought to you, when you thank the server — because if you don't, who will? When you pick up the litter that has missed the recycling bin — because if you don't, who will?