We asked folks to tell us about their favorite quote or affirmation and to tell us what it means to them. We’ve shared some of those responses below.

Barbara Freund

I have many favorite quotes each with a foundation in kindness. I especially like something Martin Luther King, Jr. said– “If I cannot do great things, I can do small things greatly.” Small acts can have big impact. A simple gesture of kindness, a small donation or volunteering time, the gift of presence, all can have a positive outcome for the recipient-person,animal, planet. I believe wholeheartedly in the power of being kind. Read More>>

Marina Sakimoto & Edwin Gomez

Edwin: “We’re on a mission from God.” -Blues Brothers, (1980). As a kid, I grew up watching the Blues Brothers and I’ve quoted them ever since. I’m on a mission every day of my life — and I’m not religious per say, but I feel like the Man upstairs is next to me every single day. I just love that line. Read More>>

Dana Anderson

My favorite quote:

“IT IS UP TO ME TO ALWAYS FIND A WAY TO REPRESENT MY CULTURE IN WHATEVER I DO.”
-MR EAZI

I believe in the power of storytelling. It’s an art and a healer. We share from our own lens, our own lived experience and then we’re connected to our whole world. Because the beauty is we get to see the complexity of humanity…seeing ourselves in and through other beings. Read More>>

Nicole Lerner

Acceptance, and it’s incredibly simple: “This too.”

At first, it might not seem like much, but the more I sat with it, the more it resonated. To me, it’s a reminder that life is unpredictable—no matter how much we plan or prepare, we can’t control everything. There will always be surprises, and often, they aren’t the ones we were hoping for. Read More>>

Michele Nock

Back in 2019, I was a tour guide on a studio lot. Our manager knew most, if not all, of us didn’t want to make that our career and to write an affirmation to keep us going whenever we felt like giving up. Read More>>

Isla Hinck

This is probably a bit gauche, but I made a joke once that has accidentally gone on to inspire me a lot. I saw a guy at LACMA wearing a shirt that said something like “never stop creating” and I just thought it was funny that he was wearing that at the art museum so I came up with a joke version: “Make mediocre art with alarming frequency.” Read More>>