I don't think of myself as a poor deprived ghetto girl who made good. I think of myself as somebody who from an early age knew I was responsible for myself, and I had to make good.

I'm black, I don't feel burdened by it and I don't think it's a huge responsibility. It's part of who I am. It does not define me.

The struggle of my life created empathy... I could relate to pain... being abandoned... having people not love me.

The way to choose happiness is to follow what is right and real and the truth for you.

Don't complain about what you don't have. Use what you've got. To be less than your best is a sin.

Let excellence be your brand... When you are excellent, you become unforgettable.

Don't live your life to please other people.