Top 35 Luvvie Ajayi Quotes

‘Imposter Syndrome’ is the feeling of wearing a mask and playing a role that one does not feel at home in. It is when you feel like you or your work is a fluke and that you’re a dwarf amongst giants. Many of us have this, especially when we’re in some sort of creative industry.

Avoidance has never been a great tactic in solving any problem. For most situations in life, not addressing what’s going on only makes matters worse.

Never underestimate the power of confidence. If you believe you’re the dopest thing walking, you might convince people of the same just because you’re so headstrong about it as a fact.

I have no love for those who consider themselves ‘good people’ but stand idly by as the world crumbles around them. It’s not enough to personally not do damage. If you’re present as someone else destroys what’s around you and you do nothing, you helped them.

Telling the truth – telling thoughtful truths – should not be a revolutionary act. Speaking truths to power should not be sacrificial, but they are.

Fire Yourself. Outsource some of your life. Because you know what won’t be cute on a tombstone? ‘Her grind was impeccable, and she did it all by herself.’

I knew I was Yoruba and Nigerian for the first 9 years of my life. I did not become conscious of my color and all that came with it until I moved to the United States with my family.

In a world that wants women to whisper, I choose to yell.

Who needs soap operas now when we have social media timelines? Now you can get a similar drama fix by just paying attention to your friends and family members’ Facebook pages.

I need to sleep more. The ‘sleep when I die’ mantra is not cute.

I think that if everybody committed themselves to making a better world than how we found it, things would be much better than what they are.

In my workshops for young adults, the most important thing I emphasize is that anything posted online, no matter how private they think it is, is permanent.

I am a firm believe in the power of dreams, because the world is basically one giant realization of people’s collective dreams come true. We need to dream to aspire to do something that keeps us striving. But those dreams and ideas and wants mean nothing without execution, which doesn’t usually happen without a plan.

If a brand will shy away from you because you dare to say that black lives matter, that’s probably not a brand you want to work with anyway.

Unless life is one giant rap battle, you don’t need to freestyle your way to success.

Working 16-hour days to ensure that I can pay my bills has been a bulk of my entrepreneurship life. And on days when I don’t, odds are I’m running to the airport.

I am not the best. I don’t have to be. I am enough.

It took me a while to affirm the fact that I’m actually a really good writer. I couldn’t even call myself a writer with a straight face because I didn’t take my gift seriously.

I knew exactly what I wanted to be when I grew up. I was like, ‘I’m going to be a doctor!’ Doctor Luvvie was the dream. I was Doc McStuffins before it was a thing.

Being a ‘good man’ is something you do, not something you are.

My integrity is something I hold dear.

You can be tweeting strangers and saying, ‘Don’t say that,’ but are you saying that to your friends? How about your mom? Your boyfriend at the dinner table who says something homophobic? If you’re not saying the same things in person that you’re saying online, then what are your tweets doing?

You can’t just set the vision, take a nap, and not keep working on making your vision happen. Your intention has to be backed by work.

Through my school years, I learned more about slavery, anti-black racism, and oppression in the U.S., and my blackness could no longer be an afterthought. I started wearing it proudly, and as my consciousness deepened, so did my love for black folks.

I want to create a TV show that people will watch and say, ‘Hey, I have a favorite character,’ or ‘Hey, that person reminds me of myself,’ or ‘Hey, I’ve made some of those same mistakes, or those are some of the things I’ve dealt with.’

I feel like my career is to speak truth to power, and a lot of times, that sounds like troublemaking. If speaking truth is troublemaking, then yes, I will consider myself a professional at that.

I’ve reached the point where people text me randomly for favors, like, ‘Hey can I pick your brain?’ People I haven’t talked to in years are asking for favors. It’s like, ‘Wow people really got some nerve.’

When I set out to write ‘I’m Judging You,’ I wanted to create something that was both timely and timeless. But I didn’t know how timely this book would be until we, the people of the United States, elected a walking Cheeto to the highest office in the land on November 8, 2016.

When people say things like, ‘Oh, I can’t find black or brown whatever position it is,’ I wanted to be clear that we exist in droves. When I tell people, ‘Hey, share your work, share your LinkedIn,’ it’s with the ultimate goal that somebody on that thread gets hired, or something positive happens.

There are two types of people in this world: people who can be on time and Nigerians. I am in the latter group, and I confess to my inability to arrive anywhere punctually.

Good friends are often our lifelines. Mine have seen me through heartbreak, through the deaths of loved ones, and through that phase in college when I was obsessed with denim jumpsuits and matching fingerless gloves.

Putting out a book is absolutely a lesson in vulnerability because it doesn’t matter how much of an audience you have. Some people who have giant audiences can’t sell books because those audiences don’t feel like they need to give them their money.

Being able to live without having to be defined by your skin color is the hallmark of privilege.

Find me someone who is Nigerian who is always on time for things that aren’t work-related, and I will find you a Tyrese quote that makes perfect sense. They might exist, but they sure are rare.

Shoes are my love language, and women love shoes.