Mary J. Blige
I didn't know how to show my self love, and I didn't want anyone else to hurt me. So my tough girl attitude was like, 'I'm not having it.'Collection: Attitude
I wish I had known that education is the key. That knowledge is power. Now I pick up books and watch educational shows with my husband. I'm seeing how knowledge can elevate you.Collection: Education
Just don't let the hype of what people are saying and how much they love you, y'know, just take the compliment and be thankful that people are complimenting you, but don't let it consume you; don't let your circumstances around you and the way people view you make you act a certain way.Collection: Thankful
I've just been growing right along. It's painful, but it's a great pain, and I like suffering for great results. It's like going to the gym. It hurts really bad at first, but after a couple of months and after that diet, you're looking so hot.Collection: Diet
I just want fans to walk away knowing that no matter what's going on, no matter how happy you are, no matter how sad you are, we did it. We're strong in this. We've come a long way, and life is not just one thing.Collection: Sad
You can't get around pain and opposition, but you can try to be joyful in the trial, and thank yourself for the trial, and thank God for the strength to get through it.Collection: God
I barely have time for my own children. To adopt more children and not have time for them, that would be poor parenting on my part.Collection: Parenting
When you hold on to anger and unforgiveness, you can't move forward.Collection: Anger
It hurts when you have to smile and you don't want to smile, but the best thing to do is to smile.Collection: Smile
Without your health, everything else means nothing.Collection: Health
You can hate me. You can go out there and say anything you want about me, But you will love me later because I told you the truth.Collection: Truth
I believe there are certain things that God uses to get us out of a bad situation, and I believe music was one of the things he used for me.Collection: Music
I like to do interior design, I love to quilt, I love to see different colors together, and I love to match things up.Collection: Design
I remember a time when all my fans were crying and sad and going through hell. Now, we're trying to uplift each other and accept ourselves for who we are, even if nobody else does.Collection: Sad
I had to learn how to trust my gut. Trust what I know to be right... not right, but not waver on who I am. Know who I am, know what I want, and know it. Not waver on it and be secure in that. And I still struggle with it. But I really... I can't be moved. You can't move me, and that all comes with loving myself, and I'm like my best buddy.Collection: Trust
Don't give up, be positive and if you know someone who knows someone at a record company don't stop beating down their door till you get heard. Don't ever say it'll never happen or it'll never happen.Collection: Positive
There's so many things that life is, and no matter how many breakthroughs, trials will exist and we're going to get through it. Just be strong.Collection: Life
I know who I am. I am not perfect. I'm not the most beautiful woman in the world. But I'm one of them.
I can have as many bad days as anyone. But I choose to say, 'I'm just fine.'
I don't know. Only God knows where the story ends for me, but I know where the story begins. It's up to us to choose, whether we win or lose and I choose to win.
My journey continues, because I've, you know, conquered a lot. And I know how to conquer the rest.
Life is full of trials and tribulations. It's dramatic when you don't treat people right when you're in the tribulations, but I know now how to get out of it. You have to make a decision to say 'No more', and then you know what to do when the trials happen.
Believe in yourself when nobody else does.
I like French fries; I like mashed. I love potatoes.
In the inner city, there's a mentality that the government owes you something. My breakthrough came when I stopped feeling sorry for myself and took responsibility for every part of my life. No more pity parties. I've gotta love me more than anybody else loves me.
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 have to have lemon and honey. I have to have apple cider vinegar, Braggs. And I have to have either Red Vines or Twizzlers. These things, you know, are the things that help my vocal performance.
Really, every woman is an example to me, because as women we go through so much pain. We have to live this perfect life when we are messed up inside. We all go through trials and tribulations.
You either learn from your experiences or go back and do the same thing, and I learned from my experiences.
I still get nervous about singing. I drink tea with honey and lemon before every concert. And I need to have scented candles in all of my hotel rooms.
There's not enough time to be disrespecting... Life is too short.
You can look at my palm and see the storm coming. Read the book of my life and see I've overcome it.
I believe there should be no more drama, but it's everywhere you go. It's just about how you get out. You've gotta bob and weave because it's everywhere. How do I keep the drama low? It's about using your head.
Even if you feel someone has wronged you or owes you something, no one is going to give you anything for free.
I care about me now. When I didn't care about me, I was, like, 'Why is this going wrong? Why is my life so bad?' But when you don't care about yourself, nobody else is going to care about you. So I learned to love myself, even if nobody else does.
The younger Mary J. Blige, I would call her, she was very unaware, ignorant.
The music business is not a good place for people who don't know things.
Once you climb to another level, you have to figure out how to sustain it.
My God is a God who wants me to have things. He wants me to bling. He wants me to be the hottest thing on the block.
One day I realized that I wasn't getting anywhere by blaming other people for my circumstances. I finally understood: Even if you feel someone has wronged you or owes you something, no one is going to give you anything for free.
Sometimes I frown and I don't realise it.
It's not just songs and glamour. It's sweat, blood, broken toes, and mistakes... It's life.
I didn't never have to go to a therapist. I just always put it in a song and you heard me.
For the first time in my life, I'm proud of myself.
My responsibility to God is to live. That's the gift he gave me.
As a child I always wanted to be a singer. The music my mother played in the house moved me - Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, Mahalia Jackson. It was truly spiritual. It made you understand what God was. We are all spirits. We get depressed. But music makes you want to live. I know my music has saved my life.
Everything is scary if you look at it. So you just got to live.
I hated myself for so many reasons, and I thought so many things were my fault that happened to me growing up.
When you tell your truth, you are coming from a real place, so you are automatically a leader.
I listen to gospel music.