Jada Pinkett-Smith quotes: Mrs. “Fresh Prince” on family, how to be happy, and how to have it all -ish.
“The commitment. I think that’s the key quality of all successful people. You just have to keep at it. People who enjoy sustained success understand the fact that you have to remain very committed to whatever it is you’re doing, especially in this instant-gratification culture.”
“We don’t back off obstacles and tough situations, we use them to make us stronger.”
“You have to have the courage and the willingness to create what works for you. It’s hard to block the judgment in any situation. Judgment and fear will really control your decisions.”
“Lack of confidence is what makes you want to change somebody else’s mind. When you’re okay, you don’t need to convince anyone else in order to empower yourself.”
“Worry about being respected; never worry about being liked because that’s the trap.”
“You can play the game, but never let the game play you.”
“I learned that surrounding myself with people who are able to help me is like being surrounded by tangible godliness.”
“Compassion is a great practice.”
“At three years old, I was telling people that I was going to be a star. I never had a plan B. And I’ve never compromised my integrity to get what I have.”
“I’m extremely ambitious. I don’t know why people are afraid to say that. I won’t sell my soul to the devil, but I do want success and I don’t think that’s bad.”
“When I believe in something, I’m very passionate. I don’t take ‘no’ for an answer.”
“I have a thing for doors. I always think of them as a threshold to something new.”
“In the public I’m perceived as glamorous and inaccessible. In everyday life I rock sweat suits and braids. I’m not that chick who’s glammed up daily. I don’t just kick back and wait for things to fall into my lap. I’m a go-getter in my family business and community.”
“I try my best to confront situations because I know, at the end of the day, you can deal with it or it will deal with you. I’ve had enough experience to know that that’s how it goes down. There’s no going around it.”
“It’s not about what you tell your children, but how you show them how to live life.”
“I feel that when a child has self-worth and purpose, that’s what keeps them grounded.”
“As I’ve gotten older, and now that my kids are starting to do what they do, I am now really focusing on sharing my knowledge and insights with them to help guide them on their journeys.”
“The love of a child is different from any other type of love on the planet. And being loved by your children is a love that is immense. I’m always so overwhelmed by how much my children love me. I think the best part of being a parent is feeling the love of a child.”
“I want to tell every mother that you can have a loving family and you can have your dreams – you can. We might not have everything that we thought we’d have but we can have that love and we can have ourselves.”
“I think, as women, we have to stop being scared to be the women we want to be and we have to raise our daughters to be the women they want to be – not the women we think they should be.”
“I’m not one about trying to slow things down. What I try to do is create an atmosphere for my family where we can pretty much have whatever.”
“I do a lot of reading, meditating, and praying to stay as grounded as I can be in this crazy world.”
“Don’t take your health for granted. Don’t take your body for granted. Do something today that communicates to your body that you desire to care for it. Tomorrow is not promised.”
“You always have to remember to take care of yourself first and foremost, because when you stop taking care of yourself you get out of balance and you really forget how to take care of others.”
“Do whatever rejuvenates you. It might be a cooking class, cocktails with the girls, or just private time with the hubby. We all have our moments where we run out of steam because we’ve given everything we’ve got to everyone else. Whoever decided that was a good thing? It’s not. Everyone needs to refuel.”
“I would say Will came at a time in my life where he saw beauty in me that I didn’t see in myself at the time. And, you know, he saw a diamond in the rough and kind of, picked me up and blew off all the dust and said, ‘I’m telling you, I’m going to make you shine, girl.’”
“I’ve always told Will, ‘You can do whatever you want as long as you can look at yourself in the mirror and be okay.’ Because at the end of the day, Will is his own man. I’m here as his partner, but he is his own man. He has to decide who he wants to be, and that’s not for me to do for him. Or vice versa.”
“Be friends first. Will knows more about me than my girlfriends. Passion and fire come and go, but friendship lasts forever.”
“My belief is that communication is the best way to create strong relationships.”
“It’s important to keep your own needs in mind because that’s the source of your happiness and when we’re not happy we have nothing to offer anyone.”
“You’ve got to be happy in your own skin.”
“That, to me, is happiness – when I feel like I am loved and I have a place to love deeply.”
“Many times people will say, you know, ‘You’re such a great role model.’ Well, that’s great, but at the end of the day, you have to learn to be your own best role model and learn what makes you happy, not necessarily what society thinks you’re supposed to be or women that you look up to, what they’re doing. I look at that as being a symbol in a blueprint, but never forget that who you are is what’s most important.”
“Everything happens for a reason, and God knows better than me. This was all meant to happen exactly how it is. All of it.”
“My only thing in life is, I really just want to be better.”
“At the end of the day, I’m living my life and I’m happy.”
Now hear from hubby.
