It's not just songs and glamour. It's sweat, blood, broken toes, and mistakes... It's life.

When you're going to do whatever you're going to do, you have to get your, put your mind into it.

Love is wonderful, amazing, and the best thing that can happen to us.

Believe in yourself when nobody else does.

I used to think I was ugly. I thought I looked like a camel. A person who doesn't love themselves, they will see anything that pops up on their face. I've seen squirrels, I've seen a bird, and I've seen all kinds of animals on my face. But that is the result of self-hate. I've learned to say: 'You know what? I am a beautiful black woman'.

I cannot save the world, that's not what I'm trying to do. I guess I'm just trying to walk the walk and be an example to those that want it. Not everybody does, but if Mary J Blige can come out of that same hole you were in, then you can do it too - that's my goal: to do that without saying it, but actually live it.

As far as men go, they never gave me a chance to be me; they were always scared that somebody was going to take me.