Long

For kids like me who couldn't articulate what they needed to do, the arts were my way of speaking. For people who may not be able to say exactly what they mean, they can draw it. It's a way of communicating, and if we cut it off then we are more than barbarians, because we know better.

Stand up for what you believe in. It's okay to be wrong. It's okay to know stuff in your heart and discover that you're wrong, and cop to it. Say, 'You know what, I changed my mind.' This has become a terrible thing to do in this country, and only art can bring it back.

That is the story of Spelman College — that unyielding presumption of promise, that presumption of brilliance, that presumption that every woman who enrolls at this school has something infinitely valuable to offer this world. And ladies, that is now your story. That legacy is now your inheritance.

Do not leave before you leave. Do not lean back; lean in. Put your foot on that gas pedal and keep it there until the day you have to make a decision, and then make a decision.

Don't let your fears overwhelm your desire. Let the barriers you face — and there will be barriers — be external, not internal. Fortune does favor the bold, and I promise that you will never know what you're capable of unless you try.

It's not whether your attitude is good or bad, but does it define your direction? People usually fall short because they're a degree or two off in attitude, and over time and distance, that can put you in a place far away from where you would like to be.

In any given moment, one lives one's life in one of two ways: either under a threat or for a challenge. If imagination will take you everywhere, then living under a threat will take you nowhere.

Whatever you end up doing in this life, make sure above all that it's interesting. Because most likely you're going to spend a third of the rest of your life working for a living. And if what you do bores you, that means you're going to spend a third of the rest of your life being bored.

The world is hungry for professionalism. If you're professional and they're not — if you show up on time every morning and get the job done and they show up two hours later spouting clever excuses — then nine times out of ten, you will win and they will lose.

You get to make your own luck. Eighty percent of success in your career will come from just showing up. The world is run by those who show up — not those who wait to be asked.

Get out of your comfort zone — better yet, get comfortable about being out of your comfort zone. Get yourself into the arena. Be a participant and not a spectator.

Hard work does not always pay off. If you're working on the wrong thing, it doesn't matter how hard you work, nothing will ever come of it. Hard work is important — just make sure you're working on the right thing.