Vanessa Williams quotes: from Miss America to singing, acting, and designing, Vanessa Williams has pretty much dominated life. Here are her best lessons.
“Sometimes the very thing you’re looking for is the one thing you cannot see.”
“I think we all have an internal gauge that warns us about certain situations in life. And it’s up to us to listen and tune in to it, but also to act upon it. Listen to that voice, because it’s there to protect you.”
“I think being able to express yourself is the most important thing that anyone can do in their life, so I’m lucky to be able to do what I love and get paid well for it. I think a lot of people have passions and creativity and when those are stifled, that’s when depression sets in and illness starts. Doing what you love is important to feed your soul.”
“You’re always going to have people that are naysayers, that don’t believe in your talent, that don’t believe that you have any kind of longevity.”
“Success is the sweetest revenge.”
“The wiser you get, the more experience you have, and the more you see people for who they are as human beings, as opposed to figures you have to fight against.”
“Try to be focused and bring the best of who you are to your employer. In terms of multitasking, moms are the absolute best at multitasking, because we have no choice – we have to. We have to do a lot of things and do them well.”
“Sometimes the snow comes down in June, sometimes the sun goes around the moon.”
“You know who you are and you want to be able to present the best of you to whoever your employer is, so when they ask you about your family, tell a funny story. When they ask what your goals are, find out what would be the best fit for you in terms of what they have to offer at the company and what you can give them. If they’re interviewing you, they want to give you the job, so you’ve got to be the best that you can be, and show them what you can give.”
“We have a lot of opportunities to stay fit now and we have a lot more knowledge about nutrition. You can get anything delivered to your house in terms of meals, shakes or cleanses and all that stuff, so it’s easier to work at it. You just have to work at it.”
“I want to stay looking like myself and I want to maintain this look right now. It’s not about looking younger. I just want to maintain how I’m looking right now because I’ve got four wonderful kids, I’m happy to be healthy at my age and I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished. I don’t hide how old I am. I use it as an aid, but it’s not a crutch and it’s not something that I would get hooked on.”
“I throw myself into my work. It’s exhausting. It’s time-consuming. I feel guilty for not being with my kids all the time. But then when I’m home with my children and devoting my life to my kids, in the back of my mind I’m wondering whether I’ll ever get employed again. So there’s a constant battle of doing what fuels me and what I do best. And also, being there for my kids.”
“I think there’s a time to work, and everyone has to kind of adjust. And then there’s a time to relax, and take the kids on vacation when you need to wind down. So it’s a matter of planning, and being able to map out your year or your week or let’s start with the day. It is just multitasking and being available.”
“The greatest thing about being a mother so young, I had my first child at 24, is that I cook, I clean, I love to be independent and kind of hate to be waited on and hate to be taken care of. So, I guess that demonstrates my fiercely independent nature which is kind of anti what I portray on a weekly basis.”
“I ask our legislature to do whatever is necessary to protect the future of my child. All I want is what every other parent wants – what’s best for my child.”
“And at 19, you think you rule the world, and you can control things. And a lot of times, you don’t.”
“The older I get, the more I realize how important my parents were in terms of not only creating me but giving me the skills to cope in life. People always ask, ‘How are you so grounded?’ It always comes back to me being brought up by two parents who were loving and supportive, but who also were terrific in terms of setting boundaries. Writing a book with my mother allowed me to reflect on what made me me.”
“And when people give me their word, I listen to them.”
“I try to incorporate faith every day, to not remind myself of past failures, to learn how to forgive and to trust the future.”
“Broadway is really my life.”
“I’m not perfect, but I’m focused when I have a goal.”
“I enjoy fashion. I enjoy the creativity and the fantasy – and I enjoy watching talented people in the fashion industry.”
“[On giving back to the organization Dress for Success] I’m a working woman. That’s an easy opportunity for me to pass on my experience, my image and my success, and to marry the two ideas.”
“As a woman who has been really, really lucky to be able to play the strongest woman on television, it’s nice for people to not only benefit from my physical clothes, but also the words and image that they can take from me. It is fantastic. Especially in these economic times, people are not doing well – a lot of people need a boost and to be able to ask for help.”
“The music industry… it’s changed over the years for sure. To be able to have a record company be interested in you and have them support you, and know that you can contribute and make money for them as a business choice – that is a new idea. I think they’re a lot more cautious now as opposed to back in the day when record companies were king. They could sign and nurture artists for years. It’s not as easy as it was before. But, you know what? My first album came out in 1988 and I’m lucky to still be in the game. I’m happy that people still want to hear my music and I hope my fans continue to grow old with me.”
“There’s never a moment that I wanted to give up. I love to work, I love a new challenge, I love learning and being with different people. It fuels me; it inspires me. And I always encourage that with my children. You know that you might want to do one thing, but you never know where the world will take you. So be open, and be ready to give it your all and work hard, because people are always watching and looking. Set an example.”
“There is hope, it always works out; take a breath, take a minute, feel good, and you can do that in many ways. Just focus and take your time.”
“I always felt that I was successful because I think so many people – again, with judgments – kind of expect the worst from you. My whole career was, ‘I had no idea she could do that. Hmm, I had no idea she could do that.’ So my career has always been the secret in my back pocket – ‘Okay? Well, watch this.’ And that’s kind of how you need to approach life. ‘Okay? Well, watch this.'”
“Here we are standing face to face, isn’t this world a crazy place, just when I thought the chance had passed, you go and save the best for last.”
Related: Janet Jackson quotes.
