My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive;... - Maya Angelou

"I don't trust people who don't love themselves and tell me, 'I love you.' ... There is an African saying which is: Be careful when a naked person offers you a shirt."

"If I'm the people's poet, then I ought to be in people's hands - and, I hope, in their heart."

"Nothing will work unless you do."

"A woman's heart should be so hidden in God that a man has to seek Him just to find her."

"Making a decision to write was a lot like deciding to jump into a frozen lake."