Culture
Robin Roberts on the 13 Reminders the World Needs Right Now
These simple but powerful quotes can teach everyone something about hope, respect, and just being nice.
Don’t tolerate, accept
When someone says “tolerance,” and it’s seen as a good thing, I’m going, “Really?” I’m a good person…because I “tolerate” you? Let’s replace that word with “acceptance.” Don’t tolerate me, accept me. Accept that we’re different. Accept that we do have similarities as well. Accept that.
Rethink the Golden Rule
Instead of living by the old adage, “Treat someone as you would want to be treated,” treat someone like you want your mother to be treated. Let’s think like that instead of just making it so much about ourselves.
Optimism is a muscle
I’ve said this many times, and I’ll say it again: Optimism is a muscle. It gets stronger with use. Get in the habit of being optimistic. If you get a prognosis that you only have a year to live, you’ll handle it a bit better if you aren’t constantly thinking the sky is falling.
Don’t give up hope
On Good Morning America, we have to give a broad sense of what’s going on, so I talk a lot about division in this country and the world. But that’s not the whole story. Working on Nicest Places is my personal way of waving the flag and saying, “Don’t give up hope, people! There’s a lot of sweet, thoughtful people out there.” (Don’t miss these 27 hope quotes that will instantly lift your spirits.)
Hard times do not discriminate
Some people feel like they’re immune to hardship, that there’s this chosen few who have a perfect life—No. Hard times can and do find all of us. None of us go through life without feeling some sense of loss, whether it’s our health, a loved one, our marriage, our job. That’s not the tragedy. Failing to learn and grow from that obstacle, that’s the real tragedy.
Nice is not a four-letter word
I want every finalist to be a little seed to plant around the country and the world to let everyone know: Nice is not a four-letter word. How did nice take on this sometimes not positive association? No, nice is not weak.
More connects us than divides us
We have more in common than not. We all got here some kind of way. America—it’s the melting pot. We get away from remembering that and our heritage and being proud of our heritage.
Relationships rely on trust
My audience knows that I trust them, that I trust that I’m going to give them the information unfiltered, and they may not agree with it. I may not agree the conclusions they have. But I’m not going to let you know what I think—that’s how much I trust you. And they’re like, “Oh, you trust us. I trust you in turn.” Integrity is something that’s so vital, and everything stems from that.
There’s more to life than success
I love the victories. I love to win, baby! But I have learned so much more and I am a richer, deeper person because of hardships. Don’t want it, don’t look for it, would rather not have it, but I’m grateful that I’ve taken the time to learn from it.
We all want to be noticed
I think we’re all just raising our hands and saying, “Notice me.” Whether you live in New York City or Timbuktu, you just want to be noticed. You just want to feel connected to something and someone. (Here are 17 more uplifting quotes that will stay with you.)
Hope is universal
There is hope in the world, and it exists all around us, in some of the smallest and biggest places you could imagine.
Become a starting point for change
Families will say to me, “You have this generation of people who have helped others, these wonderful examples. But I haven’t had that.” And I challenge them: It started somewhere in my family, so why not start it in yours? You can be that point that people for generations in your family line will go, “Hey, remember who started this for us. We can do that.”
Kindness wins
We are hungry for kindness. And that craving for thoughtfulness and acts of kindness, it shows you where we are as a society. In the end, it always wins. It just does. It’s gotta.
Next, read up on these 21 acts of kindness that changed people’s lives, and check out Robin Roberts’s full interview with Reader’s Digest.
