I knew that there was an underlying thing there that I was never really able to come face to face with. There's a part of me that wants to always protect myself because of what I had gone through. But I learned that you have to let people in. Going to the therapist kind of helped me with that.

Everything starts with the inner being, your inner self - it all comes from you and we so often forget that. We think, "He made me angry." He didn't make you angry; you made yourself angry. Don't allow him to get to your inner space.

I would love to have a rapper on one of my songs, like Ludacris, or the 'it's so hot in here' guy, Nelly.

I think women need to have a lobby. I feel that women need to speak out. The first time a man hits you is one too many times and you need to do something about it. That something about it is walking out that door and seeking for help and never looking back.

I think that every day we are taught lessons and sometimes we don't realize or see it.

When I wake up, I always thank God. I'm grateful for another day, and he's allowed me this tiny thing that we should be appreciative of.

I'll never stop dreaming that one day we can be a real family, together, all of us laughing and talking, loving and understanding, not looking at the past but only to the future.