When I first saw Trevor Noah live at a comedy show in Melville, Johannesburg in South Africa, a light shon on him. This was thirteen years ago and I can’t believe how time flies.
Trevor has grown to be a kind, humble and smart man. As a fellow South African, I am so honoured to share these quotes with you by him. That will, hopefully, encourage and inspire you:
1. ‘I know that I cannot change the world, but I’ve always believed I can at least affect change in the world.’
2. ‘I've come to learn as an adult that love is a hell of a drug. It's one of the most dangerous things that human beings can have. It's also one of the most beautiful things that human beings can possess because love, on one hand, gives you the ability to care for a human being sometimes more than you would care for yourself. Love, unfortunately, sometimes gives you the ability to forgive somebody and blind yourself to the truth.’
3. ‘In my world, a woman was the most powerful thing that I knew. Still is. A woman made the money in my house; a woman made my food. A woman beat my ass when I wasn't a good kid. Women were behind a lot of what spurred South Africa toward democracy.’
4. ‘We get angry about the small things sometimes, I feel, so that we feel like we're doing something, so that we don't have to tackle the big things. And it's fine; let people do that. But I'm not gonna now change because of that. You know? Like, the worst thing that happens to me is you don't like me. And then what?’
5. ‘Africa's not a color. It’s a place.’
6. ‘I've never been afraid to fall in love, nor impatient to find it.’
7. ‘I don't think I have thick skin, but I heal fast. It's easy to break through, but I heal fast.’
8. ‘Nobody owns comedy. Nobody owns a premise. Nobody owns an idea.’
9. ‘Progression, in my opinion, is often identifying shortcomings - whether it's views or the things you're doing in your life, your relationships - and trying to find the places where you improve on those.‘
10. ‘I often feel like the woman in your life is your driving force. She's your muse. She plays a big role in determining how confident you feel when you walk out the door. She can add 1,000 kilowatts of energy - or drain that out of you. She said, "No, you're not that funny." I thought, She knows better than anyone.’