Your most important and long-lasting relationship is the one that you have with yourself.

If you radiate a genuine confidence in your actions, others tend to believe in your goals as well. If you don't believe in your desired outcome, why should the rest of the world ?

If you focus on the reason why you should reach your goal you will put yourself in a more confident mindset.

A good way to empower yourself before a big moment is to write down 10 reasons why a person would want to say yes to your suggestion or ideas.

Meditation lowers the stress level and also strengthens your mental strength and focus, creativity and memory, qualities which are crucial to good conversations and building relationships.

If your thoughts, words and actions are congruent you come off to others as authentic and self-assured. Others will respond to you as you truly are.

Most people fail to be congruent because they don't want to show weakness. But typically best friends know your worst and most unattractive moments.

If you do what you are really passionate about you will be attractive to others.

Stop looking for validation from others. If you do things because you genuinely want them you free yourself up to pursue interests and hobbies that you may never have considered before.

Take back control of your self-image by worrying less about what others think of you and more about who you really are and how much you are enjoying life.

Everyone loves to talk - but few have perfected the art of listening.

Most people are eager to make a connection and talk too much, however it's in listening that you come to truly understand a person and what makes them tick.

Listening opens your mind, strengthens your sense of empathy and develops your ability to connect.

To accept the fact that not everyone will like you can be tremendously freeing. Rejection is rarely about your defects more often two persons simply don't mesh well. Then it's better to put time and energy into other relationships.

It makes her instantly feel something It’s easy to respond to It’s creative and/or humorous

Because the sweeter the cake the more bitter the jelly can be.

I was adopting an Ethiopian child, that's not true. My house was haunted, that wasn't true. God, there's been so many rumours.

No one makes me do anything I don't want to do.

It's amazing to me how people throw stuff on the ground right next to a trash can. That drives me crazy.

I realised I'd spent a lot of time in my poetry trying to find a way of talking about that whereof we cannot speak.

Give me a sword fight any day.

I'd like to think I could do something great - a performance like Meryl Streep's in 'Sophie's Choice' - at some point in my life. At the same time, though, I don't want to put too much pressure on myself to be great.

I was born in fame. I was always recognised and known. Personally, I feel normal about it.

You can see all sorts of things in film acting if you know where to look and what to look for. One thing I often notice is that the actor is looking for his mark, the place where he has to stand to be in the right place in the shot.

They call people who love London 'Anglophiles' and people who love France 'Francophiles.' I'd be the New York version of that.

I think musicians are always very generous in promoting anything good they hear. It's just kind of in our nature.

I type most of my books for the first chapter or two - I use a manual typewriter for the first 50 pages or so - and then I move to the computer. It helps me keep the work lean so I don't end up spending 10 pages describing a leaf.

Actions without a dream serve you no purpose, Dreams without action merely pass the time, however, a Dream set into motion….the future has no boundaries.

My first husband, yes, I eloped with him from Hungary against my mother's wishes.

Shakespeare is the happy hunting ground of all minds that have lost their balance.

The radical elements in Islam are very dangerous.

I would not look to the U.S. Constitution if I were drafting a constitution in 2012.

I like the power and versatility of a big band and how an orchestra can vary the dynamics from very loud to very quiet, and SNJO covers those bases.

Since childhood she had walked the Devon rivers with her father looking for flowers and the nests of birds, passing some rocks and trees as old friends, seeing a Spirit everywhere, gentle in thought to all her eyes beheld.

'Tis human actions paint the chart of time.

Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, our nation is stronger when we are respected throughout the world.

Courage, my friends; 'tis not too late to build a better world.

My toys were those of a boy: skates, bicycles.

I just love singing, songwriting and touring.