Diana Ross quotes: insights from the pop icon.
“Do you know where you’re going to? Do you like the things that life is showing you? Where are you going to? Do you know?”
“I really, deeply believe that dreams do come true. Often, they might not come when you want them. They come in their own time.”
“You can’t just sit there and wait for people to give you that golden dream. You’ve got to get out there and make it happen for yourself.”
“Discipline is a necessary tool to help you get what you want in life. It forces you to stay on center and to move away from the things that are not necessary.”
“You just have to be willing to play the game with a sense of humor, with lightness about it, and get the work done. And move forward.”
“You know, you do need mentors, but in the end, you really just need to believe in yourself.”
“If I have someone who believes in me, I can move mountains.”
“Take a little time out of your busy day to give encouragement to someone who’s lost their way.”
“I’m a dreamer.”
“My travels led me to where I am today. Sometimes these steps have felt painful, difficult, but led me to greater happiness and opportunities.”
“My father worked hard, but we were still very poor; and I didn’t want anybody arguing about money, so I became the entertainer, the one who wanted everyone to be happy. I didn’t want there to be any problems.”
“I had people who believed I could do anything I set my mind to – my mother said I was a jack-of-all-trades.”
“Well, even though she had six kids, my mother really believed I could achieve whatever I set out to do. Maybe it was my vitality or something.”
“When I was just beginning in the industry, I would tell my dad that I felt nervous. He was so wonderful. He explained that the feeling of nerves is exactly like the feeling of excitement. So I know that whatever I’m feeling it was more excitement and joy of wanting to do my passion.”
“With The Supremes I made so much money so fast all I wanted to do was buy clothes and pretty things. Now I’m comfortable with money and it’s comfortable with me.”
“Instead of looking at the past, I put myself ahead 20 years and try to look at what I need to do now in order to get there then.”
“Icon. What is an icon? When someone is iconic it means they have established a certain kind of legacy possibly, and I think it does come with time. It’s something in the arts, I feel. Maybe not, maybe it doesn’t have to be in the arts exactly. I’m not really sure. But I don’t think you are born an icon.”
“It takes a long time to get to be a diva. I mean, you gotta work at it.”
“I think a responsibility comes with notoriety, but I never think of it as power. It’s more like something you hold, like grains of sand. If you keep your hand closed, you can have it and possess it, but if you open your fingers in any way, you can lose it just as quickly.”
“So I’m not worried about the emotions I carry with me, because I’m happy that I have them; I think it’s good for the work I do. The emotions that are not healthy are the ones you hold inside, like anger.”
“I like songs that are positive and say something inspirational and make a difference in people’s lives. Songs like ‘Reach Out and Touch,’ ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.’ I like songs with a melodic sound – something you can sing in the shower.”
“What I receive each night that I perform is the joy of being able to do what I am very passionate about. It feels as if it’s my purpose. I really have such great time with all this, especially when I am in a place of fun and good vibrations. I think the audience also feels the same. I know when people come out to see a show, they have their own personal and special memories of the songs and the music. They come to have a great time and that is my intention.”
“I’ve never gotten what they call a big head in this business because kids keep you balanced. They don’t care anything about celebrity Diana Ross onstage, the lights – all they care about is, ‘Are you gonna be there in the night when I have a bad dream?’ or ‘Who’s gonna be at home when I come home from school?'”
“Each step in my life was necessary, and complete, and perfect. Through it all, there has always been music.”
“I’m pretty satisfied with who I am, and I think that shows.”
“I would like to enjoy my life a little bit more so I can really have more fun, but my work is my fun.”
“I don’t care about vacations. I go away and I come back real quick because I like my work. I really like my work to consume me.”
“I’ve always been on my path. The journey has been absolutely incredible.”
“I sleep well. I read positive thinking books before bed so that good thoughts are in my head, in my mind. And I connect with my family and my grandkids.”
“I have a lust for life.”
“I just appreciate still having the longevity that I’ve had in my career.”
“I just love this business. I don’t know if I could have chosen anything better to give my life to. I’m doing something I probably didn’t have to be paid to do.”
“Let your hair down! And have fun, don’t be shy, dance if you feel like it. I see you, you see me!”
“Be a good example. Be the light. Be joyful. Do your passion. Have fun.”
