That's the message I want to give to every up-and-coming artist: Do everything that is going to help you later. If you clone somebody else, that's all they're gonna keep wanting from you. Mary J. Blige More Quotes by Mary J. Blige More Quotes From Mary J. Blige 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. Mary J. Blige who-i-am perfect beautiful The important thing is to realize that no matter what people's opinions may be, they're only just that - people's opinions. You have to believe in your heart what you know to be true about yourself. And let that be that. Mary J. Blige heart believe people 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. Mary J. Blige win-or-lose stories winning 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. Mary J. Blige strong trials matter 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. Mary J. Blige certain use believe God comes first - if I don't love him, I can't love anybody, and if I can't love me I can't love nobody. Mary J. Blige i-can ifs firsts If you're looking for inner peace from the outside world, you're not going to get that. The inner peace starts with looking at you from the inside. Understanding that everything that comes to you is what you are. Everything from friends to boyfriends to the job you get - it's all a direct reflection of what you are on the inside. Mary J. Blige reflection work jobs When you come from so many damaged places you don't ever want to spiral back there, so you gotta continue to check yourself. Mary J. Blige spirals checks want I blame my mother for nothing, but forgive her for everything. Mary J. Blige mother motivational inspirational When you tell your truth, you are coming from a real place, so you are automatically a leader. Mary J. Blige leader real If you're looking for inner peace from the outside world, you're not going to get that. The inner peace starts with looking at you from the inside. Mary J. Blige outside-world inner-peace world Negative words are powerful boomerangs so be careful what you say about people and yourself. Mary J. Blige negative-words powerful people No one intimidates me because I'm not trying to do what you do, because I can't do what you do. I can only do what Mary J. Blige can do, so that relaxes me right there, and it gets me out of the competition and that whole thing. Mary J. Blige relax competition trying It hurts when you have to smile and you don't want to smile, but the best thing to do is to smile. Mary J. Blige things-to-do hurt want Believe in yourself when nobody else does. Mary J. Blige never-give-up-hope doe believe Music makes us want to live. You don't know how many times people have told me that they'd been down and depressed and just wanted to die. But then a special song caught their ear and that helped give them renewed strength. That's the power music has. Mary J. Blige music song people 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. Mary J. Blige hate say-anything want My journey continues, because I've, you know, conquered a lot. And I know how to conquer the rest. Mary J. Blige conquer know-how journey I like hanging out with me, and I've accepted everything about me good, bad whatever it is. That's why I'm able to, that's why no one can tell me anything negative about myself. Mary J. Blige accepted able negative 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. Mary J. Blige who-i-am struggle moving
