Anne Lamott Quotes

What is it in us that makes us feel the need to keep pretending... we gotta let ourselves be.

I try not to worry about what that's going to look like. If you worry about looking stupid, that's when you look really stupid.

I don't pretend anything anymore. I don't have time, desire or energy to calculate anymore.

My true friends, and my son, see me with kind eyes. I feel it. So that's the freedom my children have given me. To be naked in the world with an open heart.

My philosophy is it's none of my business what people say of me and think of me. I am what I am, and I do what I do. I expect nothing and accept everything. And it makes life so much easier.

The only thing I can talk about is just forgiving yourself, because I do not have everything together. And so I tell people: No, you should see my house, it's a mess.

Ultimately spiritual awareness unfolds when you're flexible, when you're spontaneous, when you're detached, when you're easy on yourself and easy on others.

I love my job; I love the world that it is. But I don't want someone who is just in love with that world. I want to be with someone who is in love with me, warts and all.

I think if you have any fear or shame, it's really hard to want to express yourself.

I looked at myself and realized I had a lot of boundaries up about what I would talk about, what was private for me and what wasn't. I decided to just get rid of them. It was quite liberating.

The only person holding you back is you.

If I want to hide myself from my limitations, then I don't want to play this game.

Sometimes I'm just like, 'I cannot hold onto this anymore,' and it's time to say something. And at the end of the day, I've just got to let it go and be true to myself. Whatever comes out comes out.

I've tried to write in a way that transcends beyond just sexuality and is more about letting go of our fear and trusting the people around us.

Nobody can stop you more than you can stop yourself.

People shouldn't be embarrassed just because they get caught acting a little silly.

Total self acceptance is empowering. It means allowing others to see you as they choose, without being offended.

I loved the fact that it wasn't my responsibility to change somebody, that it was God's, that my part was just to communicate love and approval.

You break free when you feel neither beneath anyone nor superior to anyone, when you shed the need to control other people, when you create space for others to be who they are and for your real self to be what it is.

I am always amazed that so many people are concerned with wanting to be what they are not;What is the point of making yourself look ridiculous? You don't always have to pretend to be strong,there is no need to prove all the time that everything is going well,you shouldn't be concerned about what other people are thinking. Cry if you need to,it's good to cry out all your tears,because only then you will be able to smile again.

I let go of all expectations. People, places and things are free to be themselves, and I am free to be me.

The hardest thing to remember is that what we each really want is the truth of our lives, good or bad. Not rocking the boat is an illusion that can only be maintained by the unspoken agreement not to feel and in the long run it never really works. Let go of saving the boat and save the passengers instead.

To find real peace you have to let the armor go. Your need for acceptance can make you invisible in this world. Don't let anything stand in the way of the light that shines through this form. Risk being seen in all of your glory.

The lesson that has been hardest for me to learn: there is nothing to prove.

I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it up in my persona. I felt like I wouldn't be able to do stand-up for a career if I was needy. I didn't want to be complaining or whining onstage. I wanted to be cool and do exactly what I wanted to do. That way I would never have to change for anybody.