James L. Brooks Quotes

I always hope that people feel less alone when they see a movie that I make. That some part of the story played out on the big screen will resonate for individuals in the audience in a way that gives them comfort.

I've experienced a lot for someone my age that a lot of people will be able to relate to.

I think sometimes all you need is to hear someone else say the same thing that you're going through to realize that you're not alone. I try to put some sense of hope into the songs, into whatever the situation is so that it's not just dirt, drudgery and a life of misery.

Faith gives you an inner strength and a sense of balance and perspective in life.

Difficult times always create opportunities for you to experience more love in your life.

When you watch someone on TV go through something that you're going through that's difficult, it lets you know that you're not alone, and there's nothing to be ashamed of.

Even in the middle of tragedy, we find moments of humor, moments of tenderness, of simple happiness.

My music is straightforward because I want to give people me and let them know they're not alone in going through the things that they go through.

Without imagination and without love, life can be pretty bleak. I think having both will get you through the most dire of situations.

Writing and reading decrease our sense of isolation. It's like singing on a boat during a terrible storm at sea. You can't stop the raging storm, but singing can change the hearts and spirits of the people who are together on that ship

but you could also look at it the other way. Like you’re saying no matter how bad things are for you, I can still relate.

'Everything happens for a reason' is something that we have to tell ourselves all the time, because it's good to have the idea that something good is around the corner.

The - the sort of thing that I want to do is to strike a resonant chord of universality in other people, which is best done by fiction.

One thing my mom used to tell me was to look to the other side, and know that my present is not going to be everything. So if I'm having a bad day, she goes, 'Just imagine tomorrow. This is going to be over. This is going to be done with.'

Well everybody in Casablanca has problems. Yours may work out.

I love the fact that people can relate to what I'm saying, even if it's not for the same subject I was writing about. That is the power of real music and real expression.

When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.'

You may not always have a comfortable life and you will not always be able to solve all of the world's problems at once but don't ever underestimate the importance you can have because history has shown us that courage can be contagious and hope can take on a life of its own.

If we had no hope - for a cure, for winning the lottery, for falling in love, for the end of war, for being free of abuse, or for having food, warmth, clothing, and shelter - we would have no reason to go on. What you hope for doesn't matter, but rather the essence of hope itself.

Haiti is an amazing country. Even though the people there have so little, their attitudes resonate a crazy amount of love and joy. It is truly inspiring to see that. My love for the country starts with them.

If my leg falls off, I'll get a prosthetic. There'd be no deep sadness about. I'd just get on with it! It's called life, and I love life. You have to be positive, and you have to crack on no matter what.

Everything will be okay. I have a sticker on my laptop that says that.

I have learned that there is more power in a good strong hug than in a thousand meaningful words.

People come up to me and say, 'Can I just thank you for writing my life?' And I reply, 'I'm glad someone else is as idiotic as I am.'

We're all human beings, and we all have the same problems. I do remember how blessed I am, and no matter how bad things are, they can always get worse.