Gordon Parks Quotes

Dwelling on him would make him a bigger part of my life than I want him to be.

We give a lot of others significance in our lives even when they don't deserve it. It doesn't matter if they're family or if you've known them forever. If they're not good for you, they've got to go.

If there are negative people around me, I just try to distance myself from that.

Holding on to anger only gives you tense muscles.

I realized I had been keeping people around even when deep down I knew they were bad for me. I had overridden myself.

I think secretly I've realized after my time on the planet that I have no control over what people feel about me or need from me, so I just have a more laid-back approach in my apologies.

I think I can be closed in. I can close this outer shell, cut myself off and be quite cold. I can cut other people off if I need to. I don't think I'm angry, though... Maybe my wife would disagree.

I still get mad. I still get upset. But I let it go more quickly.

At the end of the day, I can't curl up with people's opinions.

Get mad, then get over it.

Fear is just not a part of my life - so much so that if it's involved in somebody else's life and they're close to me, I won't be around them.

I don't have to go around trying to save everybody anymore; that's not my job.

I can turn around and scream and get angry, but I turn around and I forget about it.

Some people can vent their anger, take a breath, and let it go, but I wasn't one of them.

Anything negative, I have to let go because it's too toxic for me.

I wrote 'Song Like You' the day I recognized that someone who was really important to me was not actually very good for me, nor was I for them. I think we all have to make hard decisions like that at one point or another, having to let go of someone who we love because love isn't always enough to make it work.

I think it's a loss of energy to be worrying about other people's issues.

At the age of 19 I made a choice not to read anything that's written about me. I just don't touch it because it's not good for you.

If that person doesn't want to be in your life, just let him or her leave.

Here’s a question every angry man and woman needs to consider: How long are you going to allow people you don’t even like — people who are no longer in your life, maybe even people who aren’t even alive anymore — to control your life? How long?

Being angry is human. Staying angry is foolish.

Anger should never be an overnight guest.

Anger is energy, and you've got to find a place to put it that works for you.

i have come to terms with my life, and that is my affair - i am not cold, i swear, but i have decided certain things, it is best for me to ignore emotion; i have not been happy dealing with it.