Self-esteem is made up primarily of two things: feeling lovable and feeling capable.

One individual can begin a movement that turns the tide of history. Martin Luther King in the civil rights movement, Mohandas Ganhi in India, Nelson Mandela in South Africa are examples of people standing up with courage and non-violence to bring about needed changes.

As for real chicken soup, I have it once or twice a week.

Greater self-esteem produces greater success, and greater success produces more high self-esteem, so it keeps on spiraling up.

I believe in unconditional love and equality. Jesus Christ exemplified these qualities.

I believe people should live full lives and not settle for anything less.

I believe that people make their own luck by great preparation and good strategy.

I started out as a high school teacher in inner-city Chicago and realized quite quickly that my students weren't that motivated.

I worked from 10 p.m. until 1 a.m. every night for a year to write the first 'Chicken Soup for the Soul' book.

It is a universal principle that you get more of what you think about, talk about, and feel strongly about.

When you scratch the surface, every one of us has something that we deeply want to contribute to the world. All we have to do is step up and do it.

I don't blame or complain about things like the economy, the government, taxes, employees, gas prices, or any of the external things that I don't have control over. The only thing I have control over is my response to these things.

If you can tune into your purpose and really align with it, setting goals so that your vision is an expression of that purpose, then life flows much more easily.

If you go to a tree with an ax and take five whacks at the tree every day, it doesn't matter if it's an oak or a redwood; eventually the tree has to fall down.

Remember, you and you alone are responsible for maintaining your energy. Give up blaming, complaining and excuse making, and keep taking action in the direction of your goals - however mundane or lofty they may be.

'The Chicken Soup for the Soul' books are the result of over 20 years of teaching seminars and giving speeches. The first book contains all of the stories that I used in my seminars to illustrate the points that I wanted to make.