Authenticity

Not one drop of my self-worth depends on your acceptance of me.

In my life, there is only one concept that I have determined. It's that everything is gray. Every person, every question, every tragedy, even every victory — they all have nuance. Pay attention to the nuance.

Surround yourself with people who trust and get you, who get your demons and believe in you — not just in what you have to offer them. Keep them close.

Don't just ask yourself, 'What do I want to do?' Ask yourself: 'Who do I want to be?' Because what you do will never define you. Who you are always will.

The real version of this was that I was heartbroken, and I was scared, and I had no idea if I was doing the right thing.

Trust that inner voice. Because more than ever we need people to be guided by their own senses of principle — and not the whims of a culture that prizes ambition, and sensationalism, and celebrity, and vulgarity, and doing whatever it takes to win.

Talk about your accomplishments. Be humble, but not too humble. Don't be invisible.

You're nothing if you're not the truth. I've made a living, I've made a life, I've made a fortune — all from being true to myself.

Succeed or fail on your own terms.

Keep chasing those moments where you discover something new about your voice. Don't ever let that end.

You define your value. No one else.

Looking back at my ambition to become a lawyer, it looks less like a plan for the future and more like an alibi for the present.