It is particularly challenging looking how I look, but I think of my beautiful, swirled-up babies and I think, "You know what? I will be an example for you." I believe you can set the tone for any room or any conversation by being the first one to lead with love.

People feel that you'll never be able to recreate the birthplace of a song that has, at its core, the hardship of a people. Unless you underwent the respect that it takes to appropriate those songs through a ritual, then perhaps you should think twice before simply picking them up.

Sometimes we depersonalize people who we don't agree with or who we see as targets for hatred. If you think of anything as having a mother, that's going to change everything. All of us have mothers and came from a womb. Buddha says you can't hate anything you understand.

I truly believe —particularly in this political climate—I have to make my contribution a hopeful one. I can’t see the world any other way. To whom much is given, much is expected. You can’t come to me and expect that I’m going to be giving up on people, or on our society.

I'm not pushing myself forward in denial of the moment. I'm pushing myself forward and enjoying every moment voraciously. I'm thinking about the next thing but not at the expense of the present.

I read nothing. I watch nothing. I haven't even seen myself in the opening ceremonies of the Vancouver Olympics. I don't look back. I don't allow myself to be influenced by people who don't know me. I'm incredibly thin-skinned. When you wander through this life as an exposed nerve, you have to make sure you remain insulated to a certain extent.

The idea of the nightclub and gospel house music is interesting to me; I can't wait to hit that circuit! The Bible says, "Where two or more are gathered in my name, there am I also." When you sing, dance, or open yourself up to being fed by a performer or edified in the experience, there is this possibility that you're going to leave better than you got there.