Maria Shriver Quotes & Sayings

There are so many places, particularly right now. Go and volunteer at a food bank. If you play the piano, go play the piano in an Alzheimer's home. Or read in an Alzheimer's home. Help a military family with babysitting. The opportunities are endless. People often think 'They want me?' or 'I can be of help?' What we try to say here is 'Be who you are.'Feel that, live it and pass it on. — Maria Shriver

I, I am my own woman. I have not been, quote, 'bred' to look the other way. I look at that man back there in the green room straight on, eyes wide open, and I look at him with an open heart. — Maria Shriver

The Shriver Report presents an accurate and detailed portrait of American women and families at this transformational moment in our history. — Maria Shriver

Poetry can startle you, awaken you, make you fall in love, take your breath away. When those words sink in, you'll never look at your life or your journey the same way again. — Maria Shriver

You know those goals you've set for yourself, those dreams you've been waiting for the perfect time to live out? It's time! — Maria Shriver

God puts mentors in your path. They may not look like you, sound like you, or be what you expect. But they always know more that you. — Maria Shriver

We need this city to actually live up to its name-The City of Angels. We need to spread our wings. We need to show that we are more than red carpets, we are more than Hollywood, that we are a city ourselves of open arms. We are a city of generosity and compassion. — Maria Shriver

Having kids - the responsibility of rearing good, kind, ethical, responsible human beings - is the biggest job anyone can embark on. As with any risk, you have to take a leap of faith and ask lots of wonderful people for their help and guidance. I thank God every day for giving me the opportunity to parent. — Maria Shriver

Never think that someone else knows what's best for you. Trust your way and don't ask for so much advice. Learn how to be quiet and still enough to hear your own voice. It's up to you: Your voice will either be silenced or will get to roar. — Maria Shriver

I myself am still learning how to be me and that's OK. It can take a really long time to become the person you really want to be. Be who you are. It's the greatest gift we can give to ourselves, our community and our world. — Maria Shriver

you are the leader you've been looking for — Maria Shriver

I'm only asking you to stop every so often and turn off your mobile device, put down the Angry Birds and the Words with Friends and take a moment. Stop to look up and look around. Pause and check in with yourself - and spend a moment there. — Maria Shriver

You can spend the rest of your life trying to figure out what other people expect from you, or you can make a decision to let that all go. — Maria Shriver

I liked that Larry King didn't know who Minerva was. — Maria Shriver

FAILING IS A PART OF LEARNING. — Maria Shriver

In this day and age it's really stupid to be stupid about financial matters. It doesn't do you any good to make money if you don't know what to do with it other than spend it. — Maria Shriver

Comparing how you feel on the inside (bad) to the way someone else looks on the outside (great) is a losing proposition. It's an impossible standard. — Maria Shriver

Don't wait until you are perfect to change the world. — Maria Shriver

Pausing allows you to take a beat to take a breath in your life. As everybody else is rushing around like a lunatic out there, I dare you to do the opposite. — Maria Shriver

I thought I had to show people that I would get in early, stay late or even all night, work on holidays. I didn't want to be the rich kid who was along for a free ride. — Maria Shriver

I think everybody has tragedy in their life. Everybody has hurdles in their life. Everybody has tough things to overcome. My kids say to me, 'This isn't fair.' I said, 'Life isn't fair.' Everybody has their issues. It's how you handle your issues that distinguishes you. — Maria Shriver

No matter who you are, what you've accomplished, what your financial situation is - when you're dealing with a parent with Alzheimer's, you yourself feel helpless. The parent can't work, can't live alone, and is totally dependent, like a toddler. As the disease unfolds, you don't know what to expect. — Maria Shriver

Having children-the responsibility of rearing good, kind, ethical, responsible human beings-is the biggest job anyone can embark on. You have to take a leap of faith and ask lots of people for their help and guidance. — Maria Shriver

Listen: You can't short-circuit the learning process. It takes time to get to the top, and that's good-because by the time you get there, you'll have learned what you need to know in order to stay there. — Maria Shriver

I feel very blessed to have four brothers. My brothers always say, 'Oh, you know, we prepared you for the world of journalism. We prepared you for Arnold. We prepared you for everything.' And in a way they're right. Because you know, they take no prisoners. They were very tough. — Maria Shriver

Motherhood: 24/7 on the frontlines of humanity. Are you man enough to try it? — Maria Shriver

I appreciate your support, particularly this year, for sticking with me. — Maria Shriver

You don't wanna walk around and say, 'I'm somebody's niece, I'm somebody's cousin, I'm somebody's daughter. Who are you?' And I think that's always the challenge when you grow up in a well-known family, is ultimately, you have to face yourself in the mirror and say, 'Who are you? What have you done?' — Maria Shriver

Art is fundamental, unique to each of us ... Even in difficult economic times - especially in difficult economic times, the arts are essential. — Maria Shriver

I was raised by a formidable woman. She always pushed me to be competitive in a man's world. That's maybe one of the attractions to journalism in the beginning. It was a male profession, and I was comfortable in that. — Maria Shriver

When the world is so complicated, the simple gift of friendship is within all of our hands. — Maria Shriver

My mother's death brought me to my knees. She was my hero, my role model, my very best friend. I spoke to her every single day of my life. I really tried hard when I grew up to make her proud of me. — Maria Shriver

Part of what Special Olympics is trying to do is break down stereotypes that still exist for people. There is still a lot of fear. — Maria Shriver

The gift my mother gave me was the gift of possibility. From an early age, she instilled in me a belief that I could do anything I wanted to do. It wasn't a matter of, 'Can I?' or 'Should I?' It was just, 'You can, you must, you will!' She wanted me to believe that anything was possible. — Maria Shriver

At work, you're replaceable ... but as a parent, you're irreplaceable. — Maria Shriver

I lost myself in the process and I realized how much I had identified myself with Maria Shriver, newswoman. When that was gone, I had to really sit back and go, 'Well, actually, who am I today?' — Maria Shriver

Make time in your life to listen to your own voice. Do not let it get drowned out by others. Your voice is yours and yours alone. Stay in touch with it and use it. — Maria Shriver

I don't think you have to go out and become Secretary of State or be Bono but I think it's to let people know that whatever they do in their life that that's good. — Maria Shriver

Our mothers give us so many gifts. They give us the precious gift of life, of course, but they also leave treasured lessons that can guide us along our journeys even when they are no longer with us. — Maria Shriver

Don't think of him as a Republican. Think of him as the man I love, and if that doesn't work, think of him as the man who can crush you. — Maria Shriver

Women somehow get portrayed as one type. You're either a feminist or you're not. You're a working woman or you're not. I'm raising two girls, and I say to them, 'I need you to be strong and soft. You can be smart and beautiful ... You can be all of these things.' — Maria Shriver

I stressed out trying to figure out what I could say. I ate licorice. I stressed some more. I ate Dots. I stressed out even more-and wiped out a bag of Swedish Fish. And then I wrote. — Maria Shriver

Someone once told me not to be afraid of being afraid, because, as she said, 'Anxiety is a glimpse of your own daring.' Isn't that great? It means that part of your agitation is just excitement about what you're getting ready to accomplish. Don't sell yourself short by being so afraid of failure that you don't dare to make any mistakes. Make your mistakes and learn from them. And remember: No matter how many mistakes you make, your mother always loves you! — Maria Shriver

I think that public service is tough on a family - no ifs, ands, buts about it. I have my own personal wishes, but they're not always front and center. — Maria Shriver

I decided that I was going to be the Kennedy who makes her own name and finds her own job and works like a dog. My comeuppance was when Arnold got elected - I became the Kennedy who was married to the governor. — Maria Shriver

Your life is like a mosaic, a puzzle. You have to figure out where the pieces go and put them together for yourself. — Maria Shriver

My definition of success? Being the kind of woman that I would want to have as a friend. — Maria Shriver

Investing in women, helping women to achieve their dreams, sending young girls to college. Trying to train young girls to be leaders. Sponsoring the Minerva Awards. All of these programs didn't exist before that help women day in and day out. — Maria Shriver

I was happy being a journalist. I didn't realize losing my job, my identity went with it. — Maria Shriver

The love and laughter are what you need most in your life. They'll fill out all the potholes in the road. — Maria Shriver

If you want to be an architect of change by raising great kids, God bless. If you want to do it by raising money for your kid's school, great. If you want to build a garden - whatever it is. Women like myself - they're complicated, and they have a lot of different interests and qualities within them. — Maria Shriver

What we heard loud and clear is that the Battle Between the Sexes is over. It was a draw. Now we're engaged in Negotiation Between the Sexes. — Maria Shriver

So many people don't know who's on the State Seal and they don't know, not just in California but the United States of America, things they look at every day and they say, 'Wow! I didn't know that.' — Maria Shriver

One of my greatest joys is poetry. I read it almost every day, and I've even taken a stab at writing some of my own. A poem I wrote for my mother when she was dying really helped me get through that hard time. — Maria Shriver

The big thing is that if you don't try something, you'll always wonder. What could that have been like? What if ... ? — Maria Shriver

Creating the Minerva Awards. I really have enjoyed that. I have to say that I moaned and groaned about this job but the way I have it now, I enjoy everything about it. I enjoy giving people service opportunities. — Maria Shriver

Perfectionism doesn't make you feel perfect. It makes you feel inadequate. — Maria Shriver

I don't believe in gutter politics. I don't believe in gutter journalism. — Maria Shriver

The most important thing we can tell young people is not to be an imitation of somebody else. That their life is special. They are the creator of their life and their way and find something that they enjoy doing that doesn't even feel like work. It feels like a passion. And then just by doing that and bringing that to the world, they become architects of change. — Maria Shriver

I'm trying to get away from roles. I used to identify myself strictly in terms of my role, but when your roles fall away, part of you falls with them. — Maria Shriver

We all obsess about what we are doing and accomplishing. What if we let it go and simply made the way we live our lives our accomplishment? — Maria Shriver

I like cookies, any cookie you put in front of me - animal cookies, sugar cookies, anything crunchy. — Maria Shriver

Whether that's speaking up in your job or asking for a promotion or saying, 'I think I can do that.' Using your voice in ways that might initially scare you. That can be being an architect of change. — Maria Shriver

I stand on the shoulders of women who marched before me. — Maria Shriver

My father never was and isn't a mean man. You know, he never was ruthless. And he succeeded in life without sticking it to anybody. And that's a great example for a man, a strong man, a man's man, to give to his children. You can succeed, you can be successful, without walking over somebody. — Maria Shriver

People think, 'Oh my goodness! I have to do something really big.' You don't. Do what you love. There's a great quote from a poet I use all the time: 'Instead of asking what the world needs, ask yourself what you love,' because what the world needs is more people doing what they love. — Maria Shriver

Take off your armor; dare to be vulnerable, dare to unwrap yourself, and dare yourself to be yourself. — Maria Shriver

It's always inspiring to me to meet people who feel that they can make a difference in the world. That's their motive, that's their passion ... I think that's what makes your life meaningful, that's what fills your own heart and that's what gives you purpose. — Maria Shriver

I've learned that asking ourselves not just what we want to be, but who we want to be is important at every stage of our lives, not just when we're starting out in the world. That's because in a way, we're starting out fresh in the world every single day. — Maria Shriver

Starting at the bottom is not about humiliation. It's about humility - a realistic assessment of where you are in the learning curve. — Maria Shriver

Poetry has always been made to seem kind of cultish. But the truth is, everybody really loves it! It's much more mainstream than anyone thought. — Maria Shriver

I made the mistake of thinking that external accomplishments would bring me peace. I thought it was about the job or a book or making a name for myself. — Maria Shriver

We all know what happens to first ladies who shoot their mouths off. — Maria Shriver

I see bright kids trapped in public schools that are just warehousing them. As an educator this makes me scared. As Secretary of State, this makes me terrified. — Maria Shriver

I like to make jokes; I consider myself a funny person. I just think making jokes about people who are in a situation beyond their control is not funny to them or their families. — Maria Shriver

I like meeting people and I like being able to help. — Maria Shriver

We've witnessed history in the making. — Maria Shriver