Quotes About Responsibility

We don't have entitlements as part of our family heritage. If you want nice things in life, if you want to get ahead, you have to earn it.

Back in high school, I went on dates, but I was too focused on my career. My parents were like, 'It's nice to have a boyfriend, but it's even nicer to own your house when you're 21.'

Can you be a nicer gentleman, or a better man for your sport or your kids than Joe Paterno?

I love to write just about more than anything, but there are times I have to force myself to sit down and work. I want to play with my daughter or watch a movie with my husband or go outside on the nicest day of the year. But if writing is going to be your job, you have to treat it like a job.

I would not be a good mother. I mean, I love being an aunt to my niece and nephew. And I used to want to, like, adopt 10 kids - because I had friends who were adopted, and I thought that was the coolest thing, to be chosen. But again, my job is too selfish.

Why should I marry? One marries to have children, but I already have children! My nieces and nephews are my children.

I have a lot of nieces and nephews. I was always around kids. I was like the family babysitter because I was the only one that wasn't married.

I can't talk about the education of black children if I ignored two of my nieces who were a couple of grade levels behind. I believe that charity begins at home, and I take seriously the role of a godfather to fill the gap when the parents aren't doing their job.

I take my role of being an aunt seriously and have attended every important event/milestone in all my nieces' and nephews' lives.

No one can fight corruption for Nigerians except Nigerians. Everyone has to be committed from the top to the bottom to fight it.

If you decide to go clubbing on a Friday night, and you're home before two A.M., you're not a man's man.

I try to get as close as I can to cleaning out my inbox every night.

My dad worked nights mostly and while we were growing up, and my mother also worked, so there were times where, when it was just the two of us at home, and, you know, they gave us a pretty long leash, actually.

My son is 14, and I only have this time with him. True, it's not like before when I couldn't explain to a little boy why I can't read him his bedtime story six nights a week. And he's even said to me, 'Mom, if you want to do a show somewhere, you should go.'

Obviously, there are nights in any job when you don't want to be there, but that's when the pride factor comes in.

Before I had kids, I looked at every other parent and thought: 'They have kids, they go to work and have nights out and look happy.' But I didn't realise that you think about your kids 24/7 when you aren't with them.

I give 110% while I am working. I know I do, because I have been doing this since I was nine. This is a way of life for me. So whether it be successful or not is not in my hands. I still do my job, the best I can.

No one's forcing me or any other celebrity to take time out of their day to say 'Hi' to these fans or do these things. It's just something we do nine times out of 10 because we love and appreciate our fans.

And you've got to remember that I'm also the father of nine children.

My father had nine children, and when I had my first, he said, 'None of my kids got up in the middle of the night.' And I remember thinking, 'You didn't get up in the middle of the night! Every kid gets up in the middle of the night!'

I love the game. But I love my wife and kids more. I can't tell you how many sacrifices I make throughout the season. I leave the house at 4:15 A.M. and get home at 7 P.M. and see my kids an hour every night. It's been sacrificing for nine years. It's not just about what's best for me. It's about what's best for me and my family.

I said 'no' nine times when Kanye asked me to work with him because I liked being friends with him. Then he put me in a position where I couldn't say no: He just told everyone I was his manager.

Especially during the first nine months, there was so much going on with trying to hire 55 people to run the city, it was hard to imagine any honeymoon.

Being my own boss means I'm a nine-to-five dad Monday to Friday, it's the best thing ever. It's the most difficult, insane, wonderful job you could ever do, but it's more important to hang out with your daughter.