Every act, every deed of justice and mercy and benevolence, makes heavenly music in Heaven.
I like to live life in an understated way because that's who I am - an ordinary guy who has experienced an extraordinary journey.
I received a wonderful email after I spoke at a school from a girl who'd lived in a war zone and endured horrors no human being should suffer, let alone a child. This young lady was fortunate to be bought to Britain and seemed to adjust well, but suddenly found herself falling off the rails and sliding into hell when I chatted to her. In her letter, she told me the difference that I'd made. She's now 20 years old and a fashion designer employing staff and she puts her work ethic down purely to talking to me. It's my most treasured letter.
I've always been very hopeful but I also know that as long as you've got a good work ethic, almost anything is achievable and I learned that in the armed forces.
After I was injured, I had several good examples of "Get on with it, stop whinging and life can be what you make it," because the world doesn't stop turning when you have a boo-boo.
I prefer cash but so many places only take cards these days, it forces you down a line and I don't like that.
When I bought out my first autobiography I received the biggest tax bill of my life.
How easy it is to invent a humanity, for anyone at all.
Between certainty and the real, an ancient enmity.
I'm optimistic, though. Now, with the Arab Spring, I think that people in the region are beginning to overturn some of these clichés, and Western editors are starting to catch up. We're seeing some exceptions to the stereotypes, like Elizabeth Rubin's great piecein Newsweek, "The Feminists in the Middle of Tahrir Square. " But an article like that shouldn't be the exception. It should be the rule.
I tend not to hang with 'the crowd' because I believe that at any given moment in history, the crowd is only standing somewhere because some lone, brave nutjob broke down the walls for them first.