Audra McDonald Quotes

I'm going to try to put less pressure on myself, but I know how easy it is to say that rather than to feel it, but that's how it is.

If I could give my teenaged self any advice, it would be 'Calm down!'

I have from time to time been a double A or triple A personality. I'm not anymore. I'm more lenient on myself.

There is an element in which anxiety co-represents with aspects of my personality I wouldn't want to give up. It allows you to have foresight. I may not be as empathetic. It's hard to figure out the difference between pathology and personality.

There are parts of me that I keep secret even from myself. I have demons and I'd love to be able to healthily look at the demons and still be a wonderful actor and not feel I need them to create.

I just don't take myself as seriously anymore. But as a result of that, I am taking myself more seriously. My ego has gone on holiday, and it can't get a flight back home.

Probably I have more phobias, fear and eccentricities than I would care to admit. I don't think I'm in danger of losing my mind, but I do often question my own behavior. I have a very bad temper, and it's not always healthy for me and for others. I make my way in the world more difficult, and I could do with a little more yoga.

I think I'm still a little too intense for my own good sometimes.

I learned to be with myself rather than avoiding myself with limiting habits; I started to be aware of my feelings more, rather than numb them.

I look back now, and most of the drama in my life was self-inflicted. I don't need to make up so much drama now.

When I stuff things down and avoid it or try to work too hard through something that needs to be addressed, that's when life slaps me in the face, and I get told. I got told to slow down.

You can criticize yourself to a point to do something better, or you criticize yourself to a point where you inhibit yourself.

The only thing that I can personally turn to is compassion, gentleness, a willingness to allow myself to be angry instead of like why am I so angry. It's so embarrassing. I've got to let this go. I'm not going to be a good person if I walk around angry like this.

Everything that these folks are saying that they're trying to move away from, like comparison, perfectionism, judgement, and exhaustion as a status symbol - that all describes my life. It was more like a medical researcher studying a disease and figuring out he or she has it.

Patience has nothing to do with suppression. In fact, it has everything to do with a gentle, honest relationship with yourself.

My therapist says I still haven't got in touch with my anger. Maybe one day I'm going to explode. But I'm still really happy. I know it looks like a strange and painful upbringing - all those experiences led me to the paths that I'm on now.

I was really involved with other people's opinions of me, and it got heightened during my film career. I don't have any opinion, good or bad about it, it just was. It's not the way I feel now, and I think yoga has a lot to do with that.

You grow up the day you have the first real laugh at yourself.

I've always been someone who is pretty hard on herself. But I've lightened up a lot.

I'm at peace with myself and where I am. In the past, I was always looking to see how everybody else was doing. I wasn't competitive, I was comparative. I just wanted to be where everybody else was. Now I've gotten to an age when I am not comparing anymore.

We can't express ourselves always at the time we should. Sometimes it takes time.

Certainly, I devote my energy to both telling my personal life story and seeking self- obliteration. However, I will not destroy myself through art.

If I saw my 15-year-old self now, I'd think I wasn't that bad, but back then I perceived myself as awful.

I used to have a real problem with self-pity. Every time the devil would throw a pity party, I would attend.

If a man becomes more mature due to certain episodes in his life, it gives him the opportunity to look at life in a much more deep way. I believe the artist and the man work parallel, with the same feelings, the same soul, the same sensitivity.