I also believe we need more civility in our politics, and North Carolina deserves representatives in Washington who use their positions to make people's lives better, not to advance polarizing positions that embarrass our state and stand in the way of real progress.

Clay Aiken

I decided to study special education and fell in love with working with individuals with autism. That's what I planned to do with my life.

autism study special

It doesn't really matter to me how I make a difference, I just wa... by Clay Aiken

It doesn't really matter to me how I make a difference, I just wanna make sure that I do.

making-a-difference differences matter

And I think that when I finally decided to let go and let God and allow that to happen, I became a lot more successful than I could have done if I had planned it all myself.

successful letting-go thinking

The message I'll share...is that inclusion is extremely important for kids with and without disabilities.

important messages kids

The greatest glory never comes from falling, but from rising each... by Clay Aiken

The greatest glory never comes from falling, but from rising each time you fall.

rising falling-in-love fall

It's important that I make a difference in some way. It's not necessarily how I make a difference, but I want to make sure that I do.

making-a-difference differences important

I'm religious. I think this is something God had planned for me. by Clay Aiken

I'm religious. I think this is something God had planned for me.

religious thinking

In my ideal world, no child would suffer. Charitable instincts would prevail. There would be global acceptance of all different types of people.

acceptance children people

My mother taught me that we all have the power to achieve our dre... by Clay Aiken

My mother taught me that we all have the power to achieve our dreams. What I lacked was the courage.

mom mother dream

A song can be more than words and music ... when sung with soul a song carries you to another world, to a place where no matter how much pain you feel, you are never alone.

pain soul song

Pain happens to everyone. To grow up, to fulfill your potential, to develop into what God wants you to be-this process takes support. No one succeeds alone.

support growing-up pain

I know that I've got big ears and a big forehead and that my hair sticks up, but I'm happy with myself. I'm not necessarily trying to win a beauty pageant here.

winning hair trying

A song is like a smile. If you meet people from another country, even if you don't speak the same language, you know what a smile means. A song works the same way. Music produces feelings that need no translation.

song mean country

I think I probably hoped for it a little bit, but I'm not an optimist. I'm a realist... or maybe even a pessimist.

afterlife littles thinking

We need to make sure that the laws we're passing are protecting people. And we should not be voting against something that makes progress just because it doesn't make as much progress as we'd like to see made. As much as I might like to see any number of issues progress in larger steps, I understand that some of these things happen in smaller steps. And so for that reason, progress is progress. And success is success.

issues law numbers

I thought about that the other day after I went to the grocery store and had to sign fifteen autographs before leaving. On one hand, it's just so flattering. On the other hand, sometimes it would be nice to get the bread and leave, you know?

leaving nice hands

Well, fortunately we found out that the runner-up our particular year was going to get a record contract also. So it was kind of a - it was bitter sweet but it was an opportunity.

opportunity sweet years

The biggest problem I had - and the biggest problem teenagers have - is not how they dress, how they look or how they act or talk. It's how they see themselves - their self-esteem. In the tenth grade, I realized I am who I am. I've got big ears and big feet. I can etiher sulk around or I can be happy with who I am. The minute I decided to be confident with who I was, all that other stuff stopped. It's all in the way you carry yourself.

teenager who-i-am self-esteem

If other people choose to believe because I do, great. I want to show people God's love through what I do and who I am. At the same time, I don't feel I need to pass out Bibles at the concert.

who-i-am believe people

I'm around a lot of good people who keep me grounded and don't let me get too high above my raisings. I have some good friends who don't talk about my job, and that's nice. Those are the friends who are my favorites. That helps a lot.

good-friend nice jobs