One day I realized that I wasn't getting anywhere by blaming other people for my circumstances. I finally understood: Even if you feel someone has wronged you or owes you something, no one is going to give you anything for free.
When you wake up and learn to love yourself and want to take care of yourself, things are harder because people don't like the idea of it. But when you get in trouble, it gives people things to talk about.
Life is full of trials and tribulations. It's dramatic when you don't treat people right when you're in the tribulations, but I know now how to get out of it. You have to make a decision to say 'No more', and then you know what to do when the trials happen.
When you know what pain is, and when you have to make a choice, you learn that it is a decision. People think it's a fairytale thing, love and happiness, but you have to work hard. And then - you feel it deeply.
I don't listen to people's opinions. I have people around me who I can trust, but most of all I listen to myself.
The music business is not a good place for people who don't know things.
Music makes us want to live. You don't know how many times people have told me that they'd been down and depressed and just wanted to die. But then a special song caught their ear and that helped give them renewed strength. That's the power music has.
When someone comes up to me and says, 'Mary, you helped save my marriage', or, 'Mary, you helped me get out of this abusive relationship', I'm in it, really in their lives. And I'm so passionate about my feelings, but also about showing people the way through theirs.
People know what they see but they don't know what's happening inside. If you want to know who you are and how you feel about yourself, take a look at your environment.
There are people out there who want to provoke me and bring back the old Mary but I'm not giving them the satisfaction.
I can't just make a song people can dance in a club to... it still has to be real.
So many people are like, 'I'm perfect.' I'm so imperfect; that's why I'm able to let everything out and let people see everything. 'Cause I'm just a mess like every other person that's a mess out there.
This music business can suck all the love out of you, all the compassion for people - you can start to think you're better than them. But I want to continue to let people know that I'm no better and no worse, I'm just like you.
Yonkers made me strong and made me believe in myself, because so many people would doubt you and not believe. There are people that would believe in you, but the environment was so harsh, nobody wanted you to get out, you know?
Two hurt people can not help each other. They can not.
I wouldn't adopt, but what I will do is give my time and go and try to be there for people.
Working in the studio is a more personal experience whereas on stage in front of a billion people, its more exciting performing live.
I decided to start my own label because so many people with talent come to me wanting to know how they can get in the music business.
In the studio you can really concentrate on performing the song where as on stage you also have to worry about connecting with so many people, they're definitely different.
I don't want no drama in my life, even though we have a little bit, but no more letting people control you. That's drama, because then you become something that you're not.
Negative words are powerful boomerangs so be careful what you say about people and yourself.
The important thing is to realize that no matter what people's opinions may be, they're only just that - people's opinions. You have to believe in your heart what you know to be true about yourself. And let that be that.