The challenges I have faced - among them material poverty, chronic illness, and being raised by a single mother - are not uncommon, but neither have they kept me from uncommon achievements. Sonia Sotomayor More Quotes by Sonia Sotomayor More Quotes From Sonia Sotomayor Don't let fear stop you. Don't give up because you are paralyzed by insecurity or overwhelmed by the odds, because in giving up, you give up hope. Understand that failure is a process in life, that only in trying can you enrich yourself and have the possibility of moving forward. The greatest obstacle in life is fear and giving up because of it. Sonia Sotomayor dont-give-upgiving-upmoving Success is its own reward, but failure is a great teacher too, and not to be feared. Sonia Sotomayor great-teacherrewardsteacher As you discover what strength you can draw from your community in this world from which it stands apart, look outward as well as inward. Build bridges instead of walls. Sonia Sotomayor wallcommunitybridges I do know one thing about me: I don't measure myself by others' expectations or let others define my worth. Sonia Sotomayor women-history-monthself-respectexpectations Remember that no one succeeds alone. Never walk alone in your future paths. Sonia Sotomayor succeedpathremember When a young person, even a gifted one, grows up without proximate living examples of what she may aspire to become--whether lawyer, scientist, artist, or leader in any realm--her goal remains abstract. Such models as appear in books or on the news, however inspiring or revered, are ultimately too remote to be real, let alone influential. But a role model in the flesh provides more than inspiration; his or her very existence is confirmation of possibilities one may have every reason to doubt, saying, 'Yes, someone like me can do this. Sonia Sotomayor growing-upinspirationreal I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life. Sonia Sotomayor glowingwomenwise Experience has taught me that you cannot value dreams according to the odds of their coming true. Their real value is in stirring within us the will to aspire. Sonia Sotomayor oddsrealdream The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to speak openly and candidly on the subject of race, and to apply the Constitution with eyes open to the unfortunate effects of centuries of racial discrimination. Sonia Sotomayor eyeraceway Through reading, I escaped the bad parts of my life in the South Bronx. And, through books, I got to travel the world and the universe. It, to me, was a passport out of my childhood and it remains a way - through the power of words - to change the world. Sonia Sotomayor childhoodreadingbook The Latina in me is an ember that blazes forever. Sonia Sotomayor latinaheritageforever As members of the judiciary tasked with intervening to carry out the guarantee of equal protection, we ought not sit back and wish away, rather than confront, the racial inequality that exists in our society. Sonia Sotomayor our-societyguaranteeswish Whether born from experience or inherent physiological or cultural differences...our gender and national origins may and will make a difference in our judging. Sonia Sotomayor making-a-differencedifferencesjudging There are no bystanders in life [...] Our humanity makes us each a part of something greater than ourselves. Sonia Sotomayor bystandersgreaterhumanity Don't mistake politeness for lack of strength. Sonia Sotomayor politenessmistake Until we reach equality in education, we can't reach equality in the larger society. Sonia Sotomayor equalitywomenhistory I have come to believe that in order to thrive, a child must have at least one adult in her life who shows her unconditional love, respect, and confidence. Sonia Sotomayor unconditional-lovebelievechildren In every position that I've been in, there have been naysayers who don't believe I'm qualified or who don't believe I can do the work. And I feel a special responsibility to prove them wrong. Sonia Sotomayor bossresponsibilitybelieve It really takes growing up to treasure the specialness of being different. Now I understand that I've gotten to enjoy things that others have not, whether it's the laughter, the poetry of my Spanish language - I love Spanish poetry, because my grandmother loved it - our food, our music. Everything about my culture has given me enormous education and joy. Sonia Sotomayor grandmothergrowing-uplaughter We educated, privileged lawyers have a professional and moral duty to represent the underrepresented in our society, to ensure that justice exists for all, both legal and economic justice. Sonia Sotomayor moralour-societyjustice
