I've got no problems with my age. I rejoice in the knowledge I have accrued and savor the greatest moments, because I know how fast it goes.
Mariska HargitayI'm a big believer that your word is your wand. You know how people say things like, 'Oh my gosh, I'm such an idiot.' I don't say things like that anymore. Those put-downs, even if they're in jest, are little bullets of negativity that you don't need in your life.
Mariska HargitayJust smiling at someone walking down the street can make the person's day. It's all about paying it forward.
Mariska HargitayYou make sacrifices to become a mother, but you really find yourself and your soul.
Mariska HargitaySometimes things in life happen that allow us to understand our priorities very clearly. Ultimately you can see those as gifts.
Mariska HargitayKids who drink alcohol, fairly regularly before they're 14 have a 48% chance... of becoming alcoholics.
Mariska HargitayLosing my mother at such an early age is the scar of my soul. But I feel like it ultimately made me into the person I am today; I understand the journey of life. I had to go through what I did to be here.
Mariska HargitayBeing sexy is just one part of being a woman and an actress. But if the part calls for sexy...
Mariska HargitayEric Lewis doesn't play the piano, he devours it. He doesn't play music, he channels the divine.
Mariska HargitayPeople who overcome their fears every day, without fanfare, without recognition. Quiet, everyday courage, that’s what I admire most.
Mariska HargitayWhen I was pregnant, I was so huge and people on the bus would get up for me. That made me feel so precious and valued and valuable. I try to treat everyone like they're pregnant.
Mariska HargitayHumor is about perspective, and hanging out with people who see life through a similar lens is so important.
Mariska HargitaySexual assault and domestic violence are difficult things to talk about. Talk about them anyway.
Mariska HargitayWhen I was in my early 20s, I had my hair permed. Bad Idea! It turned into total frizz. My advice to women is: if you have nice hair already, don't get a perm, leave your hair alone.
Mariska HargitayYour body is not who you are. I don't think women should label themselves based on the way they look. What about defining yourself by a different kind of measurement? What about your heart, your soul, your compassion, your generosity, your strength and your power? There are so many other things to focus on besides your waistline.
Mariska HargitayAs an actress, there were so many months, years even, when I didn't get work, when I wanted to quit.
Mariska HargitayBecoming a parent erased many of my negative childhood feelings and filled them in with something new.
Mariska HargitayYes. I did more research than I ever wanted to and saw some things I wish I didn't. I went on ride-alongs, spent time with Homicide, Cold Case, and SVU detectives, hung out in subways learning how to spot pervs and pick-pockets, viewed an autopsy, went to a police firing range, and witnessed court cases and I read, read, read.
Mariska HargitayWe're all connected. Helping another woman is helping yourself, your mother, your sister, your children.
Mariska HargitayFifty years ago my Mother stood on this stage accepting this award; She was fortunate enough to have my Dad with her. Fifty years later, I'm fortunate enough to have my Dad with me. I love you, Dad.
Mariska HargitayThese days we don’t have to fit into something other people think we are. We’ve leveled the playing field, life is inclusive. I’m a mom, sex detective, wife, fearless, gentle — we can now, with grace, be all of what we are.
Mariska HargitayNo one can tell you who you are and what you are made of, only you yourself know what you are made of, and only you yourself can do the work to become who you want to be.
Mariska HargitayThe definition of inspire is 'to fill with the urge or ability to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.' There you have it: Jeffrey Bilhuber inspires me. I watch him make his magic, and I want to do the same. Those are always my favorite people, the ones who are so alive in the practice of their art that I want to jump in and join the fun.
Mariska HargitayI look at all the things life has allowed me to do, and I feel like the luckiest person in the world.
Mariska HargitayIf I can play a little part in the world's healing, and making it a better place than when I came, then I just thank God for that chance.
Mariska HargitayI am grateful that I didn't let fear get the best of me. It only holds you back from possibilities and greatness.
Mariska HargitayThe message I got from my father was that life is hard, but you just don't quit. I am grateful that I didn't let fear get the best of me. It only holds you back from possibilities and greatness. You've got to kick fear to the side, because the payoff is huge.
Mariska HargitayIt's a life's journey of finding ourselves, finding our power, and living for yourself, not for everyone else.
Mariska HargitayBeing fearless means busting down those walls of fear and being who you are, not who someone else thinks you are. People like to put others in a box and tell them what they can and cannot do or who they can and cannot be. No one can tell you who you are and what you are made of, only you yourself know what you are made of, and only you yourself can do the work to become who you want to be.
Mariska HargitayBy coming forward and sharing your story, you don't know the countless lives you change.
Mariska HargitaySixty-five percent of Americans don't have the conversation with their children. So you're sending off boys and girls off to college, off to high school, off to wherever they go, and nobody's had the conversation about how to conduct themselves. About a man telling his son how to be a man. How to respect a woman. How do you respect yourself?
Mariska Hargitay