There's a surge, there's a kind of energy field that says, 'I'm in my groove, I'm in my groove.' and nobody has to tell you, 'You go, girl,' because you know you're already gone.
I believe in the power that not only allows the sun to rise but turns seeds into flowers and dreams into realities.
I don't know what kind of egomaniac is sitting at home thinking about the impact they have had on the culture. It's not something I actually think about until it comes up.
Can I just tell you the truth? I get asked to do a lot of stuff. And all of the years that people have asked me to do things for the film festival, I couldn't. And so this year, I thought, Oh, my god, I don't have a day job. If somebody ask me to do something, I'm going to do it.
Many things in life inspire philanthropy, such as your faith in humanity and your belief in the human spirit to overcome.
Dare to be different. Be a pioneer. Be a leader. Be the kind of woman who in the face of adversity will continue to embrace life and walk fearlessly toward the challenge.
If it doesn't feel right, don't do it. That is the lesson, and that lesson alone will save you a lot of grief.
You cannot continue to succeed in the world or have a fulfilling life in the world unless you choose to use your life in the service somehow to others and give back what you have been given. That's how you keep it. That's how you get it. That's how you grow it.
I'm always interested in people being able to share stories that allow us to see the landscape of human foibles, challenges, and ultimately triumph.
Have the courage to follow your passion -- and if you don't know what it is, realize that one reason for your existence on earth is to find it.
Follow your passion. Do what you love, and the money will follow. Most people don't believe it, but it's true.
I never had children, never even thought I would have children. Now I have 152 daughters; expecting 75 more next year. That is some type of gestation period.
I'm definitely not a traditionalist, because a traditionalist would be going to church every Sunday.
What I know for sure is that what you give comes back to you. That's not just my theory or point of view, it's physics. Life is an energy of giving and receiving... Those that are greedy, hit a road block where they are alone. Give more than you receive and be grateful for those around you.
Whenever you can't think of something to be grateful for, remember your breath. With each breath you take, you can say, 'I'm still here.' Make each day a holiday of thankfulness -and give yourself the gift of gratitude!
When you focus on what you have, your abundance increases. I started with my breath. Noticing being alive is a good start!
I live in the space where God is. There is no question that that is why I am where I am, and why I have had the success that I've had, is because I allow myself to be guided by that which is greater than myself -- than my personality.
Sometimes you find out what you are supposed to be doing by doing the things you are not supposed to do.
I want to continue to encourage as many people as I can to open their hearts to life, because if I know anything for sure, it's that opening my own heart is what has brought me my greatest success and joy.
Gratitude is the single greatest treasure I will take with me from this experience.
You only have to believe that you can succeed, that you can be whatever your heart desires, be willing to work for it, and you can have it.
Learn to let your intuition-gut instinct-tell you when the food, the relationship, the job isn't good for you (and conversely, when what you're doing is just right).
Being a mother is the hardest job on earth. Women everywhere must declare it so.
Before you agree to do anything that might add even the smallest amount of stress to your life, ask yourself: What is my truest intention? Give yourself time to let a yes resound within you. When it's right, I guarantee that your entire body will feel it.
When I woke up in the morning and look in the mirror I realise that one of the reasons I don't own a handgun is, I would have shot my thighs off years ago.
I could eat a feeling faster than anybody, put a little hot sauce on it and wouldn't recognize it until it showed up on my behind three days later.
If you're hurting, you need to help somebody else ease their hurt. If you're in pain, help somebody else's pain.
You've got to figure out what it is you love -- who you really are -- and have the courage to do that.
I was happy over little things: mango sorbet, and running, and the way my feet felt touching the ground when I ran.
For years I've advocated keeping a gratitude journal, writing down five things every day that brought pleasure and gratefulness.
Your journey begins with a choice to get up, step out, and live fully.
Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you'll have to eat them, you can swallow it well.
Self-esteem comes from being able to define the world in your own terms and refusing to abide by the judgments of others.
Getting my library card was like citizenship; it was like American citizenship.
You look at yourself and you accept yourself for who you are, and once you accept yourself for who you are you become a better person.
When people say they are looking for happiness, I ask, What are you giving to the world?
Every day brings a chance to live free of regret and with as much joy, fun, and laughter as you can stand.
What I know fore sure is that pleasure is energy reciprocated: What you put out comes back. Your base level of pleasure is determined by how you view your whole life.
Allowing the truth of who you are-your spiritual self-to rule your life means you stop the struggle and learn to move with the flow of your life.
You can't accomplish anything worthwhile if you inhibit yourself. If life teaches you nothing else, know this for sure: When you get the chance, go for it.
What I know for sure is that behind every catastrophe, there are great lessons to be learned. Among the many that we as a country need to get is that as long as we play the us and them game, we don't evolve as people, as a nation, as a planet.
I used to have a fake Louis Vuitton bag because I thought it meant something in life. But now I realize that all the things in the world don't define you. It's what you stand for, what you're willing to do, how close to the truth you're willing to be in your life.
I believe that there are forces of light and darkness in the world, and I don't want to be a contributor to the force of darkness.
If this was the last day of your life, would you spend it the way you're spending today?
I want people to be more open and tolerant. I want them to know that behind every stranger is a backstory that is the common denominator -- for we all share in the human experience: pain, sadness, grief, lack of love, and then, with hope and help, step by step achievements.
The single greatest thing you can do to change your life today would be to start being grateful for what you have right now. And the more grateful you are, the more you get.
When you make loving others the story of your life, there's never a final chapter, because the legacy continues. You lend your light to one person, and he or she shines it on another and another and another.
I am disappointed by this controversy surrounding A Million Little Pieces because I rely on the publishers to define the category that a book falls within and also the authenticity of the work.
Now that I have all the things I once thought would make me happy, they have little meaning for me. Experience, and not just a little heartache, has taught me money buys convenience and conveniences.
It doesn't take a lot to make me happy. I take pleasure from everything I do.
The stories that you tell yourself can make or break you -- no matter who you are.
Every time you suppress some part of yourself or allow others to play you small, you are in essence ignoring the owner's manual your creator gave you and destroying your design.
There is no such thing as failure. Mistakes happen in your life to bring into focus more clearly who you really are.
All of us need a vision for our lives, and even as we work to achieve that vision, we must surrender to the power that is greater than we know. It's one of the defining principles of my life that I love to share: God can dream a bigger dream for you than you could ever dream for yourself.
Tune out the naysayers, tune into your own courage, and take a bold step toward the passion-filled life you really want.
The best way to look at aging is to see it as an opportunity to leave what didn't work behind and step boldly into a brand new future.
There's a group of 12 oak trees on my property in California that I call 'my disciples.' Their branches form a canopy over the ground, and I sit underneath them for inspiration.
Time isn't the enemy. Fear of change is. Accept that nothing lasts forever and you'll start to appreciate the advantages of whatever age you are now.
What I know for sure: Often we don't even realize who we're meant to be because we're so busy trying to live out someone else's ideas. But other people and their opinions hold no power in defining our destiny.
You know that old joke about the guy who lives to be 104? The punch line goes something like 'If I knew I was gonna get this old, I'd have taken much better care of myself.' Well, guess what? We actually are living longer, and the time to start taking care of ourselves is right this minute.
To come from no voice, no power, and to be able to achieve what I have means that only my own personal vision holds me back.
You become what you believe.
Longer Version:
You become what you believe. And to believe that you are created by the power that's greater than yourself means anything is possible.
Here's what my love affair with quotations has taught me: the more you focus on words that uplift you, the more you embody the ideas contained in those words.
I urge you to pursue preserving your personal history to allow your children and grandchildren to know who you were as a child and what your hopes and dreams were.
Back then, a few doilies and napkins were all that a lot of women had. In the little house where I grew up, the pillowcases my grandmother embroidered were the only things of beauty.
The biggest mistake in helping undeserved kids is not raising the bar high enough. Children will believe if you believe in them.
Do not waste your time with people who have shown you they really mean no good for you.
I grew up in the Baptist Church, and going to church with my father; I remember being 8 years old, trying to determine whether I was really ready to give up sin, and for days I agonized.
Having the courage to stand up and pursue your dreams will give you life's greatest reward and life's greatest adventure.
When you have more respect for yourself and put yourself in a position where you feel your sense of value or worth, that's how you know you're on the right path.
You cannot wait for someone to save you, to help you, to complete you. No one can complete you. You complete yourself.
If I lost control of the business I'd lose myself -- or at least the ability to be myself. Owning myself is a way to be myself.
I think that the idea of reaching young girls that are in college is something that we are strongly open to because who better wants to know how to live a more purposeful life than people who are starting out?
You can either waltz boldly onto the stage of life and live the way you know your spirit is nudging you to, or you can sit quietly by the wall, receding into the shadows of fear and self doubt.
I have crossed over on the backs of Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Fannie Lou Hamer, and Madam C. J. Walker. Because of them I can now live the dream. I am the seed of the free, and I know it. I intend to bear great fruit.
I've learned that every single trial offers us a chance to either turn away from what we know to be true, or to stand strong in who we are.
When I was a kid and the other kids were home watching Leave it to Beaver, my father and step-mother were marching me off to the library.
Move with the flow. Don't fight the current. Resist nothing. Let life carry you. Don't try to carry it.
The secret to being successful is to find a way to bring yourself through, even in your stories. People are looking for the essence of your truth. When you can bring your own truth to it, that's when it works.
It took a lot of courage to take the high road, but I would rather be significant with six million people watching a show with meaning, than everyone watching a show with no meaning.
It's all about dreams. If I had to attribute my success in life to any one thing it is this. I believed in my dreams, even when no one else did.
I believe the choice to be excellent begins with aligning your thoughts and words with the intention to require more from yourself.