Sonia Sotomayor: That's why I can be friends with Justice Clarence Tho...

Don't let fear stop you. Don't give up because you are paralyzed by insecurity or overwhelmed by the odds, because in giving up, you give up hope. Understand that failure is a process in life, that only in trying can you enrich yourself and have the possibility of moving forward. The greatest obstacle in life is fear and giving up because of it.

Sonia Sotomayor

dont-give-up giving-up moving

Success is its own reward, but failure is a great teacher too, and not to be feared.

Sonia Sotomayor

great-teacher rewards teacher

As you discover what strength you can draw from your community in this world from which it stands apart, look outward as well as inward. Build bridges instead of walls.

Sonia Sotomayor

wall community bridges

I do know one thing about me: I don't measure myself by others' expectations or let others define my worth.

Sonia Sotomayor

women-history-month self-respect expectations

Remember that no one succeeds alone. Never walk alone in your future paths.

Sonia Sotomayor

succeed path remember

When a young person, even a gifted one, grows up without proximate living examples of what she may aspire to become--whether lawyer, scientist, artist, or leader in any realm--her goal remains abstract. Such models as appear in books or on the news, however inspiring or revered, are ultimately too remote to be real, let alone influential. But a role model in the flesh provides more than inspiration; his or her very existence is confirmation of possibilities one may have every reason to doubt, saying, 'Yes, someone like me can do this.

Sonia Sotomayor

growing-up inspiration real

I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life.

Sonia Sotomayor

glowing women wise

Experience has taught me that you cannot value dreams according to the odds of their coming true. Their real value is in stirring within us the will to aspire.

Sonia Sotomayor

odds real dream

The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to speak openly and candidly on the subject of race, and to apply the Constitution with eyes open to the unfortunate effects of centuries of racial discrimination.

Sonia Sotomayor

eye race way

Through reading, I escaped the bad parts of my life in the South Bronx. And, through books, I got to travel the world and the universe. It, to me, was a passport out of my childhood and it remains a way - through the power of words - to change the world.

Sonia Sotomayor

childhood reading book

The Latina in me is an ember that blazes forever.

Sonia Sotomayor

latina heritage forever

As members of the judiciary tasked with intervening to carry out the guarantee of equal protection, we ought not sit back and wish away, rather than confront, the racial inequality that exists in our society.

Sonia Sotomayor

our-society guarantees wish

Whether born from experience or inherent physiological or cultural differences...our gender and national origins may and will make a difference in our judging.

Sonia Sotomayor

making-a-difference differences judging

There are no bystanders in life [...] Our humanity makes us each a part of something greater than ourselves.

Sonia Sotomayor

bystanders greater humanity

Don't mistake politeness for lack of strength.

Sonia Sotomayor

politeness mistake

Until we reach equality in education, we can't reach equality in the larger society.

Sonia Sotomayor

equality women history

I have come to believe that in order to thrive, a child must have at least one adult in her life who shows her unconditional love, respect, and confidence.

Sonia Sotomayor

unconditional-love believe children

In every position that I've been in, there have been naysayers who don't believe I'm qualified or who don't believe I can do the work. And I feel a special responsibility to prove them wrong.

Sonia Sotomayor

boss responsibility believe

It really takes growing up to treasure the specialness of being different. Now I understand that I've gotten to enjoy things that others have not, whether it's the laughter, the poetry of my Spanish language - I love Spanish poetry, because my grandmother loved it - our food, our music. Everything about my culture has given me enormous education and joy.

Sonia Sotomayor

grandmother growing-up laughter

We educated, privileged lawyers have a professional and moral duty to represent the underrepresented in our society, to ensure that justice exists for all, both legal and economic justice.

Sonia Sotomayor

moral our-society justice

That's why I can be friends with Justice Clarence Thomas and still continue our daily battle over our differences of opinions in cases, you really can't begin to understand an adversary unless you step away from looking at their views as motivated in bad faith.