Alison McGhee: "You are most powerful when you are most silent. People never expect silence. They expect words, motion, defense, offense, back and forth. They expect to leap into the fray. They are ready, fists up, words hanging leaping from their mouths. Silence? No."

Makeup doesn't make you prettier. Money doesn't make you richer. Because real wealth and real beauty depends on how you value yourself.

I don't pretend to know what love is for everyone, but I can tell you what it is for me; love is knowing all about someone, and still wanting to be with them more than any other person, love is trusting them enough to tell them everything about yourself, including the things you might be ashamed of, love is feeling comfortable and safe with someone, but still getting weak knees when they walk into a room and smile at you.

Never be bullied into silence. never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one's definition of your life, but define yourself.

Always be yourself. No one can ever tell you you're doing it wrong.

I've learned that millions of people can believe in you, and yet none of it matters if you don't believe in yourself.

The biggest enemy you'll ever face or deal with in life is... yourself.