There are those of us who believe out of that faith tradition that God never puts more on us than we can bear, and yet there are times, I think, particularly given what you were up against, that we have to question whether or not we have the capacity, the ability, the wherewithal, to actually endure it.

At one point, we were all fearful. But as you get older, it's the things you don't do that you regret, more so than the things you do. When fear knocks, answer.

My mama told me in college, 'I love you, and you're God's child, but natural beauty will only take you so far.'

There is no magical reason why I am where I am. And there is absolutely no reason why you can't be where you want to be. If it can happen for me, it can happen for you, too. And it would be a privilege for me to help you get there.

I think there's a myth that people feel, that people of success are never fearful, that we're never challenged, that we have some supernova - no, we're like everybody else.

Oh well, the truth hurts, doesn't it?

Things happen along the way in our path. Instead of looking at it as a wall that's being put up in front of us, look at it as as opportunity to scale new heights and to climb that wall - to see and do things you didn't think you were capable of.