God has his plans and his reasons. Sometimes we are supposed to go through things so that we learn lessons.

I don't like to give advice. I like to give people information because everyone's life is different, and everyone's journey is different.

No one is ever successful at everything that they do.

I thank God for my failures. Maybe not at the time but after some reflection. I never feel like a failure just because something I tried has failed.

Mine is only one of the millions of hearts broken over the death of Whitney Houston, I will always be grateful and in awe of the wonderful performance she did on my song, and I can truly say from the bottom of my heart, 'Whitney, I will always love you. You will be missed.'

When I started the Imagination Library in my hometown, I never dreamed that one day we would be helping Scottish kids.

There are some loony people in this world!

Years ago, when I first started being a big star, I had fans that were fanatical. It was when 'Jolene' was a big hit.

People are always asking me in interviews, 'What do you think of foreign affairs?' I just say, 'I've had a few.'

That little Miley Cyrus... she's like a little Elvis. The kids love her because she's Hannah Montana, but what people don't realize about her is she is such a fantastic singer and songwriter. She writes songs like she's 40 years old!

No heart is so hard as the timid heart.

Since our online libraries are so extensive, we think we can make all the right decisions about our personal health and well-being by pushing buttons. It's not intuitive anymore. That's the internet. Before the net, we would have gone to the community or our families to see what we should do. We often feel more isolated on our own little islands because of it.

I'm always concerned about marketing or commercial philosophies. I can't feel good about having my name on a bottle of perfume that comes from a factory making perfume with all the same ingredients as every other perfume. I can't feel good about a factory overseas polluting the air for something with my name on it. I'm okay with music - because it's digital or a CD. My music is my emotion in a bottle. But how is a perfume supposed to reflect me? How is a sweatshirt supposed to represent me?

We can't automatically think about young women in makeup negatively. Sometimes a woman engages in these new forces and energies of beauty coming into her world. They can become tools. She's trying to express her femininity outwardly. I'm still learning too.

When she walks she walks with passion when she talks, she talks like she can handle it when she asks for something, boy she means it she know you would do [anything] to keep her by your side she'll make you work hard make you spend hard make you want all, all of her she'll make you fall real fast [in love].

I'd love to try and teach Donald Trump how to write a song. I'd love to put him in a room with another person - someone who's protesting him at the Women's March. I'd put the three of us in a room and all write a song together. If that can happen, it proves we can get over our differences.

All of the women in music business understand that. They're fighting in a misogynist world. That's why they wear some elements of their femininity and have to blend it in with masculinity... it's a kind of protection. Somebody like Madonna is strong but soft. You have to be that way in this business.

I actually feel pretty inspired and hopeful by the fact that protests are becoming the norm now. They're less part of fringe society and more a part of mainstream society. That's exciting. There is no fringe anymore. We should all be included.

I'm not into branding - I'm trying to be organic to who I am on every level. I do really connect to being a part of the working class. Those are my roots. My family [consists of] farmers from Portugal, builders, housekeepers and stonemasons.

I believe the future will reflect different body types, ethnicities, cultures and sexual orientations. I've been working with a lot of young artists who really project an androgynous and inclusive approach to the world. I'm very inspired by that.

I often think about the idea that augmentation has become the new normal. When you start to augment and filter yourself because you think you should, you're kind of putting your worth in other people's hands, rather than having that worth come from within.

It was summertime and I was in The Azores, hanging around the small village my parents are from. I was looking out on this very rural setting, on a road going up a hill. There was an old man coming down the hill with a pitchfork on his shoulder. He was wearing gum boots, work pants - and a Coca-Cola T-shirt. I saw that and thought, That's my album!

I do feel like I'm a survivor because the music industry is still a boys' club. I really respect all the women in the business. I know trusting yourself is hard work but it helps you avoid all the traps and labels that come with being in this business.

When you follow your heart, you always win and it feels so good.