Wisdom of Tina Turner

Tina Turner (November 26th, 1939 – May 24, 2023) was a singer, dancer and actress. She became famous as the lead singer of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue before she became far more successful on her own. Her 1984 multi-platinum album Private Dancer won the Grammy for record of the year and she was the oldest female solo artist, at 44, to top the Hot 100. She’s sold over 100 million records and received 12 Grammy Awards. She’s also the first black artist and first woman to be on the cover of Rolling Stone.

Tina considered herself a Buddhist, and was introduced to it by a friend in 1973. After using Buddhist chants over time, she said she noticed positive changes in her life. "I realized that I had within me everyone I needed to change my life for the better," she said. Tina chanted for up to four hours a day during the most difficult times of her life. She said, "…Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is like a song. In the Soka Gakkai tradition, we are taught how to sing it. It is a sound and a rhythm and it touches a place inside you. That place we try to reach is the subconscious mind. I believe that is the highest place…"

Below we list some words of wisdom from Tina Turner.

"Sometimes you have to let everything go - purge yourself. If you are unhappy with anything - whatever is bringing you down - get rid of it. Because you will find that when you are free, your true creativity, your true self comes out."

"In Buddhism there are words you can say... as you say the words with rhythm the conscious tells the subconscious."

"The older you get, the more you realize it's not what happens, but how you deal with it."

"I'm not wise, but the beginning of wisdom is there; it's like relaxing into - and an acceptance of - things."

"I never close a door on any other religion. Most of the time, some part of it makes sense to me. I don't believe everyone has to chant just because I chant. I believe all religion is about touching something inside of yourself."

"I know the difference between black magic and white magic."

"You asked me if I ever stood up for anything. Yeah, I stood up for my life."

"I believe that if you'll just stand up and go, life will open up for you."

"I never said Well, I don't have this and I don't have that. I said, I don't have this yet, but I'm going to get it."

"My greatest beauty secret is being happy with myself. I don't use special creams or treatments - I'll use a little bit of everything. It's a mistake to think you are what you put on yourself. I believe that a lot of how you look is to do with how you feel about yourself and your life. Happiness is the greatest beauty secret."

"I didn't have anybody, really, no foundation in life, so I had to make my own way. Always, from the start. I had to go out in the world and become strong, to discover my mission in life."

"My legacy is that I stayed on course...from the beginning to the end, because I believed in something inside of me."

"I will never give in to old age until I become old. And I'm not old yet!"

"They're still in good shape, but I'm not flashing them anymore. I'm an old lady. I leave all the flesh to the kids."

"I was a victim; I don't dwell on it."

"You take your problems to a god, but what you really need is for the god to take you to the inside of you."

"I never had that thing about being black. If the whole world was like that, maybe there would be more harmony and love."

"I heard stories from my mother's mother who was an American Indian. She was spiritual, although she did not go to church, but she had the hum. She used to tell me stories of the rivers."

"I'm self-made. I always wanted to make myself a better person, because I was not educated. But that was my dream - to have class."

Copyright © Stephen Petullo, Scott Petullo