Merle Dandridge Quotes

Obviously, I'm still building a name and reputation for myself. The stigmas that come with my past will remain there for quite some time, but I'm not afraid to challenge those things, and I never have been.

Sometimes you do have to bank on yourself. You do have to believe in your ideas enough to really get out there and fight for it despite what people think of some young kids from the hood.

Do just once what others say you can't do, and you will never pay attention to their limitations again.

I like doing things that people wouldn't necessarily think I can do.

I think it's important to inspire other people to try and do things that people discourage you to do.

I try and tell all the kids that I meet that hope to be amazing one day and be a professional athlete or a doctor or a lawyer or whatever they want to be. I tell them they can do all that because Tourette's won't stop them.

I'm a bit too much of a people pleaser and that can be frustrating for people in your life.

'All in With Laila Ali' is educational, inspirational, compelling programming profiling individuals that have reached for the sky, pushed themselves to the limit and did things that you would think were impossible.

I really feel like becoming a director came from other women saying, 'Yeah, you can do this.' I wanted to direct 'Six Feet Under,' and no, they didn't let me.

I didn't know the word no, because I wanted to please everybody all the time. Every kid does.

As far as expectations go, you can never work for expectations. You have to work against them.

I've always shied away from conventional wisdom, though I know the power of it.

In our society, the women who break down barriers are those who ignore limits.

I've been boxing ever since I was 16. I love surprising people who think a short, blond girl can't fight! Just because I look a certain way doesn't mean I'm weak.

If Romeo can do 'Dancing with the Stars,' anything is possible.

I've always been afraid of saying no to people because I don't want them to be disappointed and dislike me.

Pushing the envelope' sort of implies that you're inside the envelope with everyone else, and you're trying to find the edges on the outsides.

Though we may have desires or bold goals, for whatever reason, most of us don't think we can achieve something beyond what we're qualified to achieve. Why, I ask, do we let reality interfere with our dreams?

You have to create a track record of breaking your own mold, or at least other people's idea of that mold.

Pushing the boundaries of what's acceptable - to me, that's something I'm definitely interested in and want to pursue.

To the degree we're not living our dreams, our comfort zone has more control of us than we have over ourselves.

But sometimes I think you have to try to do things that people don't think are doable.

If anyone ever tells me something doesn't go together, it makes me want to try it.

When I was at school, most people were planning on going to university and becoming doctors or lawyers. I wanted to be a singer, and I was laughed at. It was tough, but I never let anything stop me.

For me, it's a great thing to tell people anything is possible. When I was 15, people told me 'You're not going to be a DJ.'