50 Quotes & Sayings By Ufuoma Apoki

Ufuoma Apoki is the author of the best-selling book The Fixer, which has sold over one million copies worldwide. It was named to Amazon's Best Books of the Year in 2016. She also writes personal essays and essays for Women's Health magazine. Her work has appeared in The Guardian, The New York Times, The Huffington Post, Essence Magazine, and more Read more

Apoki is currently working on her next novel, an exploration of black female resilience.

Good intentions do not always suffice.
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Good intentions do not always suffice. Ufuoma Apoki
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One great concern that plagues very ambitious people is this: in the end, they’ll get all the precious things they ever dreamed of and every precious accomplishment most expected and conceived they’d achieve . but on that path of ambition, they’d lose precious moments with the most precious people they’ve come across. However, they forge ahead on that path hoping, somehow, they might make up for it, sometime, in future. . Ufuoma Apoki
We'd rather have a grand spectacle of retribution of the...
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We'd rather have a grand spectacle of retribution of the 'wicked', than their silent walk towards redemption that our wishes questions the depth and nature of our love and hearts. Ufuoma Apoki
From the point in life when a man/woman is responsible...
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From the point in life when a man/woman is responsible for his/her choices, he/she starts to live a story brought to life by the dreams that have been consciously or subconsciously conceived. Ufuoma Apoki
You can choose daily to brace up and face the...
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You can choose daily to brace up and face the harsh realities of life .. . Or while away the days that come by daydreaming .. . Better still, you can make your dreams your realities. Ufuoma Apoki
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Honesty can sometimes be so brutal to take in. It's usual to get so drowned in perceived idealism that you can't seem to separate it from honest reality. If, and when, you can separate the two, the gaiety of fantasy is destroyed Ufuoma Apoki
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You don't always get your dreams come to you in FULL DEFINITION. It usually comes in bits and pieces of the picture you've conceived in your mind; but it certainly comes. And when it comes, even blurry in LOW DEFINITION, and you recognize it, all you've got to do is make a little tweaks here and there and then you can fine tune it to the BEST DEFINITION. You however, have to DREAM! Ufuoma Apoki
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We see so much bad and evil that we forget there could still be good left, somewhere. If you think you deserve to be treated well, it’s a sign that there still so much good left. People only treat us as best as their ability allows them; if you deserve more, try as much as you can to treat them better. Ufuoma Apoki
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Keep living the best you could possibly offer life. You might not literally change the world if that's your original dream, but you would change, inspire, and make a difference in one person's world with the best of your world. Then you'd realize the truth that, one is too many. That, my dear, is the right step in the direction of changing the world. Ufuoma Apoki
You can be beautiful, kind and, also, strong. Strength can...
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You can be beautiful, kind and, also, strong. Strength can be shown in very many ways besides a sword or bow. Ufuoma Apoki
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Ιη mÂ¥ books, Å‚'m †ђ3 best; I just need some time Ñ‚σ prove it ιη ¥øûЯ history books. Ufuoma Apoki
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One of the greatest purposes a man/woman can ever be indulged in is the positive evolution of self for the selfless service to humanity. Ufuoma Apoki
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In listening lies great power. Many are expert in speaking (while everyone hears), adept in analyzing in bits and pieces, very prompt in commenting, and always ready to stamp judgement of 'right' or 'wrong'.Very few are skilled in listening, first, with the ears and, then, with the heart. Those who do hold true, sustainable, and great power. Ufuoma Apoki
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And then, you just realise that everything you've ever needed to succeed just lies inside of you. You just really needed to look inside and draw from the strenght that lies inside. Nothing stands impossible at that very moment. You seem SUPERHUMAN! Ufuoma Apoki
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If ANYTHING is meant to be, it will be ONLY if you work out the methodologies for it to be. Things just don't be because they work themselves out to be, or they want to be. They be because someone conceived them to be, and worked them out to be. Therefore, debunk the idea of leaving your THINGS to be in the fragile gamble of fate. MAKE THEM BE! Ufuoma Apoki
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I try as much as possible to keep pushing myself beyond my limits, those set by myself, and those by others, to see how much lies within. He said nothing is impossible and I truly believe Him. Once in while I go beyond . More often than not, I get pretty burned and decline to tend to my sores in solitude, whilst trying the best I can to find out why I burned so bad. Other times, I surprise myself at the power within has been lying dormant probably out of ignorance or out of fear. Either ways, I learn . .And probably that is the most significant thing to be gleaned out of every experience. Ufuoma Apoki
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For every decision a 'man' makes, he makes it with the best of the depth of knowledge he possess at that particular instant and the quality of experiences he's passed through. It's not an excuse though for mediocrity, but an avenue to learn, rise, and conquer your inefficient self. By inference, beyond an extreme line, there might not necessarily be a qualification of a choice as wrong or right, but an avenue to grow depending on how the intricacies of such a choice and its consequences are handled. Ufuoma Apoki
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Sometimes, we get too keen and in a haste to make new relationships, learn new things, stumble upon new ideas .. .. Always tending to the unknown and easily excited by the mysterious, that we lose value for and forget to appreciate the things and people that have brought and kept us going this far. Keep the things and people which are sure, else they, too, become mysterious and unknown. Ufuoma Apoki
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If you've been on this side, then you'll have more compassion and understanding for those still on this side when you get to the other side, because you know how it feels like to be on this side. Sometimes though, relief comes too sudden and good that we tend to lose our sense of empathy for those still on this side, and it's amazing how we've forgotten so soon how it felt like to be on this side. How would it have felt if you were treated the same way you treat those who are on this side by those who were on the other side, when you were still on this side, now that you are on the other side? . Ufuoma Apoki
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When you have a good heart, kindness becomes a responsibility you take up. Ufuoma Apoki
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When a situation becomes too uncomfortable for you, it's either it's way bigger than you can handle or you've become too big for it. The catch, though, is that you decide which is - To outgrow it or let it grow all over you. Ufuoma Apoki
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The more you try, so desperately, to prove a point to get someone's approval, the more fleeting that approval might be, causing a chain of depreciation of self-esteem. Sometimes, all you need do is truly love yourself and get only the approval and acceptance of the inner self. Ufuoma Apoki
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A lady laced with grace .. . Such, is impossible to despise. Ufuoma Apoki
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She seems to always get it To have become adept at empathy Always giving excuses for people who’ve aggrieved her To the point it’s hard for her to hit back when necessary All because she assumes she ‘understands’Then, one day .She finally stands up for herself At that moment, she revels in the natural instinct of self-preservation She realises all this while the power she’s been withholding In a transcendent moment of epiphany It’s all beautiful ‘causeNow, she can get back to empathy with understanding, rather, than without. Ufuoma Apoki
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Patience, my friend; Once again, I say, Patience. In an era 'plagued' with speed, doggedness of character and drudgery of persistence is the only guarantee to mastery. Ufuoma Apoki
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One very beautiful virtue one can master is to learn to ignore; to ignore perceived and intended slights no matter how infuriating they might feel. Not to ignore in anger, rather, to ignore with understanding. However, to keep account for future purposes, to ignore with adept skill and less hurt. Life just becomes easier and more beautiful. Ufuoma Apoki
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Right or Wrong, most times, merely depends on perspective. It takes humility (not necessarily logic) to let go of our egos to see through the other person's eyes. But I guess even I, myself, can't let go to see why you'd object. Ufuoma Apoki
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Anyone can be anything, irrespective of their stars; Anyone can be anything, irrespective of their sex (or orientation, if you may); Anyone can be anything, irrespective of their age; Anyone can be anything, irrespective of their size; Anyone can be anything, irrespective of their religion (or choice of nonconformity); Anyone can be anything, irrespective of their colour (or absence thereof); Anyone can be anything, irrespective of any previous defining moments; Anyone can be anything, irrespective of anything; Even if, just, for a while. It all comes from a place of choice, will, and determination. And if you, probably, wonder if I blunder when I juggle such trivial and contrasting ideologies, That’s simply because I can be just about anything. C H E C K: Anyone can be anything, but not everything is expedient for everyone. . Ufuoma Apoki
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If everyone just accepted you the way you are, then, probably, you'd still be the way you were. So for anyone who didn't accept you at one point, just give 'em a smile in your heart and say, "Thank You"! Ufuoma Apoki
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With the constant pile of past experiences having a toll, most people get too scared to see beauty in themselves. A very honest compliment and they try inevitably to cook up conspiracy theories. Although there are ulterior motives (to the compliments) most of the time, look past it, accept, and appreciate your magic. Ufuoma Apoki
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The will, we have, is a very strong force. If we set our minds to get to a goal and focus intensely on it, it’s hard for anything to get in the way. Ufuoma Apoki
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Knowing that one thing you want is a great step. Sure, whether you prefer or not, you'll get offers, and many will seem just like that one thing you want. Ufuoma Apoki
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Knowing that one thing you want is a great step. Sure, whether you prefer or not, you'll get offers, and many will seem that one thing you want. Ufuoma Apoki
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Give as much you can possibly give, even if, or when, you do not receive. For the more you give, the more the heart gets 'bigger' and 'stronger'. So, never for one moment you hold back from giving, until the heart has nothing left to give again. Ufuoma Apoki
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I've learnt not to draw my sword first to strike. That in no way portends I have the most feeble of minds or might .. . Probably, I'm waiting for the perfect moment to startle with a fatal strike. Ufuoma Apoki
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And then, that feeling comes again when you seem invincible and totally awesome. You simply can't hold it in and you just smile to everyone you come across; infectiously, they have no choice but to smile back. You are more than convinced in your guts that something beautifully indescribable is coming your way. You just drown yourself in the feeling of awesomeness. Faith, probably. or the hands of providence?. Ufuoma Apoki
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You make the decision to love everyday, whether you feel the magic or not. It's the decision that creates perseverance, not the feeling of love in itself, because sometimes, butterflies do not suffice Ufuoma Apoki
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Try this: Be What or Who You feel/think is missing from your 'world'. Then You wouldn't have to exhaust You in searching for something or someone. You'd be so indulged in finding You inside You and be so fulfilled in being You to You and everyone else. The catch: What is missing from You is definitely missing from many outside You Ufuoma Apoki
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The heart, so small, yet, able to grow so large, sometimes always wants to take or give more than can be managed successfully. Thanks to the rational head, though, it's always there to save her from taking more than she can contain.. .. or so it thinks. Ufuoma Apoki
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Everyone just wants to be like that Somebody else. Ironically, that Somebody wishes to just be like everyone else. If this is achieved, however, individuality is annihilated. Ufuoma Apoki
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Letting go is one of the most difficult experiences to deal with whether it's right or wrong. So make the most of every moment you've been gifted with. To whoever you initiate contact with and wherever, try to leave a positive impression. To whoever you have the power to make smile, exploit that power as often and best as you can, because when every other material thing fades, it's those memories that keep us alive. Ufuoma Apoki
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We're taught and trained to hold it all inside, to not feel the beauty of the innocence of letting it out when and how we feel it. And we do; we do for the fear of avoiding the stigma of weakness, until it breaks us from the inside, slowly and silently, and there is "little" or "nothing" left of us. Those who are courageous to hold on, learn to be strong and proficiently wave off the numerous darts as they come. Do they, really? It takes just one "planned" move, and all the impenetrable walls come crashing down. . Ufuoma Apoki
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Don't make the effort to appeal to logic and reasoning all the time; very few people can relate to that. Appeal to emotions instead; everyone, at least, can relate to that. Ufuoma Apoki
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Virtues should not be seen as a medium to please others, else, they'll always fall short. They should, first, be a medium of self-edification. Ufuoma Apoki
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I've lost so many battles than I can even remember. What I never knew, though, was that I was actually stronger than I thought I was. Ufuoma Apoki
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I've lost so many battles than I can even remember. But I didn't know I was stronger than I thought. Ufuoma Apoki
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Before you take up that fight against history, do remember that she has a track record of beating 'champions' like you. Therefore, it's best to stick with the flow, and go with what works for everyone. But. In the event you do decide to go against the convention, all you need is to get your heart straight, and your eyes fixed on the target. You might just be the underdog that will surprise history. Ufuoma Apoki
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You have the power inside of You. Do not be scared to wield it, for the battles You face give no allowances for your cute little sense of innocence and ignorance. They will overrun and vanquish You at the slightest chance they get. So, fight You must to stay up or be prepared to go down. Remember this though: With great power comes great responsibility and true power is wielded efficiently in time and with wisdom. Ufuoma Apoki
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People of different dispositions make the world go round. That's why it's insanity to try to be someone else. Ufuoma Apoki