When I was 15, I decided I wanted to be a lawyer. No one thought this was a good idea
Constance Baker MotleyRead
I rejected the notion that my race or sex would bar my success in life.
Interpretation
This quote emphasizes personal determination to overcome societal barriers related to race and gender in the pursuit of success.
Constance Baker Motley's quote reflects her strong belief in individual agency and resilience against the discrimination faced due to one's race or gender. It inspires others to reject limiting beliefs and pursue their goals independently, showcasing that success is attainable regardless of external factors.
In practice
During a graduation speech to inspire students to overcome their challenges.
When I was 15, I decided I wanted to be a lawyer. No one thought this was a good idea
I never thought I would live long enough to see the legal profession change to the extent it has.
In my view, I did not get to the federal bench because I was a woman
Had it not been for James Meredith, who was willing to risk his life, the University of Mississippi would still be all white.
Most people would succeed in small things if they were not troubled with great ambitions.
...ultimately it come down to, are you making or are you destroying? If you try very hard to create ways of living, create dreams of what is possible, then you win. If you don't, you may make a fortune in ten years, but you're not going to be read in twenty years, and that's that.
Every dream I've ever had in life has come true ten times over.
I think the great part about what I do is that there's a scoreboard. At the end of every week, you know how you did. You know how well you prepared. You know whether you executed your game plan. There's a tangible score.
Success is a sort of metaphysical experience. I live exactly as I did before - only on a slightly bigger scale. Naturally, I won't be corrupted. I'll sit there in my Rolls, uncorrupted, and tell my chauffeur, uncorruptedly, where to go.
It was such a leap in my career when 'Truman Show' came along. It's always been a long process for me insofar as recognition goes, but that's OK because you appreciate it when it comes.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.