What I know for sure is this: The big secret in life is that there is no big secret. Whatever your goal for this year is, you can get there - as long as you're willing to be honest with yourself about the preparation and work involved. There are no back doors, no free rides. There's just you, this moment, and a choice.

You teach people how to treat you.

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.

You cannot be loving when you are blaming. You cannot be loving when you are criticising. You cannot be loving when you are judging.

Your gut is your inner compass. Whenever you have to consult with other people for an answer, you're headed in the wrong direction.

Lessons often come dressed up as detours and roadblocks

Your life is a reflection of how you think