You acted on something stronger to you than sense, stronger than safety, stronger than judgment.

-- Caroline McHugh

This, according to Caroline, is what happens when you "happen on an Absolute."

She says that Absolutes are "what Martin Luther King Junior called the content of my character, and they govern every choice I make and everything I do."

What means as much to you as Love, Individuality, and Freedom to me?

-- Caroline McHugh

Knowing your absolutes not only helps you to express yourself, it gives you the criteria by which to judge yourself.

-- Caroline McHugh

Love, Individuality, and Freedom are what I call my Absolutes, what Martin Luther King Junior called the content of my character, and they govern every choice I make and everything I do. How I parent my children. How I run my business. Where I buy my shoes. How I get dressed in the morning. They choose the movies I love and the people I befriend.

-- Caroline McHugh

Think of as many labels as you can. You might be faced with twenty or thirty yous. Consider how much you're defined by them. How much of your sense of who you are is vested in each one? In which of your roles do you feel the most you? Most fulfilled? Most alive? Which of them do you feel most passionately about? Which do you feel are most important? Not in terms of priority but in terms of identity ... being a stranger is more a part of me than being a godmother.

-- Caroline McHugh

Priority versus Identity. You can spend much of your time being a son, a brother or even an engineer. But that does not have to define you.

That's what I've always been fighting for - making sure that people love themselves for who they are, and we don't pick on people because we're uncomfortable with ourselves, or who they are. That's been my message, from when I was young to now. There are lots of young girls out there who are struggling with their identities... afraid of being discriminated against or teased. I take risks and use my imagination so that other people will feel free and take risks. That's my hope.

-- Janelle Monae

Excerpt from an article on Janelle Monae

Monae is clear that she makes her artistic decisions to give others courage to break out of the norm. She says: "That's what I've always been fighting for - making sure that people love themselves for who they are, and we don't pick on people because we're uncomfortable with ourselves, or who they are. That's been my message, from when I was young to now. There are lots of young girls out there who are struggling with their identities… afraid of being discriminated against or teased. I take risks and use my imagination so that other people will feel free and take risks. That's my hope."

-- io9

Excerpt from an article on Janelle Monae

Monae is clear that she makes her artistic decisions to give others courage to break out of the norm.

-- io9

Excerpt from an article on Janelle Monae. The fact that she makes the clarity an important aspect of her art is commendable.

Monae is working with her collective, the Wondaland Arts Society, to carve out a space for us all to be brave enough to be ourselves. The word "weirdo" shows up in many of her songs. In "Faster:" Am I a freak? Or just another little weirdo? Call me weak, or better yet – you can call me your hero, baby. It also comes up in her history; when she was 12, she was in a band called The Weirdoz.

-- io9

Excerpt from an article on Janelle Monae

Monae is working with her collective, the Wondaland Arts Society, to carve out a space for us all to be brave enough to be ourselves. The word "weirdo" shows up in many of her songs.

-- io9

Excerpt from an article on Janelle Monae

Monae is working with her collective, the Wondaland Arts Society, to carve out a space for us all to be brave enough to be ourselves.

-- io9

Excerpt from an article on Janelle Monae

Janelle Monae turns rhythm and blues into science fiction

http://io9.gizmodo.com/5592174/janelle-monae-turns-rhythm-and-blues-into-science-fiction

-- io9

You're a smbdy when pple around u know u. You're a nobody when pple around u don't know u. Trick is to act the same no matter who's around u

-- Simon Sinek

No one can tell you who you are except for you. No one can tell you how beautiful you are, except for you. No one is that judge, you have to judge yourself, because at the end of the day, you always end up with yourself and not with these people. You have to really look at yourself and love yourself.

-- Serena Williams

Sarah Robles and Michelle Carter redefine 'normal' and hope young girls everywhere are listening

http://www.latimes.com/sports/olympics/la-sp-oly-robles-plaschke-20160815-snap-story.html

-- Los Angeles Times

American people need champions to remind them what they're capable of.

-- "The Race"

Caroline McHugh Podcast February 2014

Ellen at Tulane Commencement 2009

Ellen DeGeneres’ 2009 Commencement Speech at Tulane University (Full Transcript)

http://www.singjupost.com/ellen-degeneres-2009-commencement-speech-at-tulane-university-full-transcript/

-- The Singju Post

Caroline McHugh on The Art of Being Yourself (Full Transcript)

http://www.singjupost.com/caroline-mchugh-on-the-art-of-being-yourself-full-transcript/

-- The Singju Post