I am no longer going to become a fictional character to please people. That's too much work.

Whenever we submit our will to someone else’s opinion, a part of us dies

People need to understand that the Lauryn Hill they were exposed to in the beginning was all that was allowed in that arena at the time. I had to step away for the sake of the machine. I was being way too compromised. I felt uncomfortable having to smile in someone's face when I really didn't like them or know them well enough to like.

You don't know how much artists go through to make it look so easy. It's all in the practice.

You improve yourself and light up the corner that you live on. You may not touch a gazillion lives, but you can light up your own space, light up your home.

Love and this close-knit family structure really helped to give me the confidence. To know that you have family to go back to is a help. It doesn't always happen biologically. Sometimes God gives you family in other forms, but I was very blessed. I have a very strong biological family.

See fantasy is what people want, but reality is what they need. And I just retired from the fantasy part.