Jenna Ortega Quotes

Be patient with a broken heart.

Faith is unique to each person, but it provides a great connection to the world and the universe around us. Faith is not necessarily the same as religion, although they're often used interchangeably. If you don't have a strong religious practice or an affliction with a certain religious sect, you can still be faithful. Faith is also belief, and that belief can be in God, or in the goodness of the universe around you, or maybe even in yourself. It's a foundation to stand on when things get hard.

I stay connected to my faith by praying. I love that prayer can happen wherever you are, whenever you have a spare moment.

While filming season three of Stuck in the Middle, my schedule got much busier than usual. I wasn’t praying, and I felt disconnected from the world around me. My anxiety was getting worse. Finally, I sat down with my mom and broke down crying. I told her I didn’t feel like myself. She made me sit there for ten minutes doing nothing, just breathing. Then she asked what I’d done during those few minutes of silence, and I told her I was thinking about all the things I had to do. She asked, Why aren’t you praying? That shook me and made me realize that I was allowing myself to lose the solid ground beneath my feet.

The principles of my faith inform who I am every day, especially the way I treat others. The idea of “love thy neighbor as thyself” is important to me and something I try to live by.

When I say “love thy neighbor as thyself,” I’m really saying “come from a place of love.” It’s about not treating anyone with disrespect for the way they live. I try to value every connection that I make and appreciate the individual and the opportunity to learn from new perspectives. My faith encourages me to educate myself, to hear from people with different religious backgrounds or views.

I definitely go through periods where I stray from God’s light, forgetting to turn to God. It always happens during times of distraction and work stress, when self-doubt pushes me to my limits. I’ve realized that letting go of my faith makes me feel worse about myself—more unsure and isolated.

On a much-needed break, I went to visit my family, and we all went to church together. The pastor was telling Bible stories I’d heard my whole life, but they took on new meaning in the context of what I was struggling with. I felt like I was at home for the first time in a long time. I was able to take those feelings of comfort and confidence, of identity and belonging, and bring them into my hectic life in LA.

My friend was open, and the way I talked about my faith seemed to give her hope. She wanted to know more about God and what I got out of my faith practices. I brought her to church with my family a few times, and she really connected with it. In those moments when she needed support and needed to feel connected, she found it in faith.

Things may happen more quickly for others, but it’s all in God’s timing. Now I don’t cry over roles. If something doesn’t go my way, I reassure myself that it’s all God’s plan, and I’ll get the right role when it’s the right time.

It’s so important to gravitate toward the things that keep you grounded, connected, and inspired.

My faith reminds me who I am and gives me a connection to members of my church community and believers at large. I lean on my faith to reassure me and give me hope.

The way we love and support each other unconditionally is so affirming.

Sometimes the best thing for us is to love our family members from a distance, as painful as it is.

Home is where your people are, where you’re comfortable and feel safe and loved because you’re with them.

Family is the foundation of who you are, and it influences how you see the world in so many ways. My family absolutely shaped my values and beliefs. I want to make them proud, and that informs how I treat people and carry myself.

Faith helps me let go of what I can’t control. As long as I know that I did everything I could, my faith reassures me when doubt creeps in.

If something doesn’t work out like you want it to, it’s because that’s not your purpose yet and you’ll find it eventually. Just have faith.

My mom reminded me one day that I didn’t have to ask for anything when I prayed. I could simply have a conversation with God.

When you go through storms in life, you really understand how much family matters. They’re the people who drop everything and rush to help you pick up the pieces when you need them most.

It’s so important to me to stay connected. But nothing beats coming home for a few days, resting, hanging out with everyone, playing soccer, and going to church.

I actually started to change for the better when I told myself never to use the word hate again. What we say to others, and especially what we say to ourselves, affects our emotional state and our energy. Now I try to stick to lighter words and lighter ways of being because I want to surround myself with light and positivity and love.

I trust that my past self knew what she was doing and jump into whatever I’m doing with confidence.

I only want to do kind things because anything else is a waste of time and a waste of energy. Being mean doesn’t improve your state of mind. Why not look for something positive?

Someone who can challenge you intellectually and teach you something new about yourself is someone you can build a friendship with. The best relationships are always built on friendship first. Rather than get carried away by the attention or an initial attraction, I remind myself to really get to know someone. Trustworthiness, optimism, and a good sense of humor are very attractive to me. Life is stressful, so I need someone to help me feel good and see the positive. I also find kindness the most attractive quality in a guy. When I like someone, I want to see how he treats others who have nothing to give him in return, whether he’s kind for the sake of being kind.

I’ve learned not to criticize, get caught up in negative energy, or speak badly about others. On subjects I’m passionate about and involved in, I speak out in a positive way to bring people together to discuss important issues without hatred. And when I feel less informed about a topic, I make sure to educate myself.

When I’m working, I try to bring love and positivity to the set with me every day.

Healing is a process, and it doesn’t happen overnight. A relationship is only between you and that other person: nobody else will truly understand what it meant to you, and nobody else can know for sure when it’s time for you to move on.

Just as it’s important to cherish and respect your memories, it’s even more important to remember that you need to go out and make new ones. Continue to live life! When you are too focused on the past, you can get stuck there. Sometimes I’ll see a friend get so wrapped up in grieving the end of a relationship, they forget to go out with friends and make new memories. Try not to hold on to things that keep you stuck in the past.

I’ve been cautious about who I let into my inner social circle, and I’m open and direct if any issues come up with a friend. It’s made me appreciate my true friendships even more.

Everyone has insecurities, and many people have moments when they feel they’re not worthy of love. Believe me, I’ve been there. When I feel really insecure and low, I tend to isolate myself from the people I love most so that I won’t drag them down. My insecurities act as a wall. But then I think about my family and my close friends, about how amazing they are, and wonder what I did to deserve them. And you know what I’ve learned? Those insecure, low moments happen exactly when I need them most.

But love, for me, is something you build through trust and connection. It’s a journey you go on with somebody. You don’t start at the finish line. For me, love is knowing someone’s going to be by your side through the ups and downs. It’s built over time, maybe starting with that early infatuation, and then growing a friendship as you get to know each other. That’s what leads to love.

You don’t need a ton of people in your world—just a few important ones to reflect your value and give you peace when you can’t find it for yourself.

I’ve taught myself how to slow down that initial attraction and really get to know someone before jumping in. It’s easy to meet someone and dive into the fantasy of being with them. I try to limit how much I think about someone new, to stay firmly rooted in reality.

it’s important to give people the benefit of the doubt, to give them the chance to show you who they are and what they’re about.

The beauty of life is in the unknown, and you never know what you can accomplish until you try. It can be scary and uncomfortable to put yourself out there, but taking risks is how you push yourself to new heights.

Failure, as much as it can suck, is such a crucial part of learning and improving.

My faith inspires me to believe in myself when I feel doubts and insecurities creeping in. When I pray, I’m reminded of the strength of my family and our shared convictions, and how much they love and support me. I’ve grown so much within the context of my faith, and it’s been a source of encouragement and inspiration that I’ve relied on all my life. When I’m feeling down or frustrated about not getting a role, messing up my lines while filming, or a misunderstanding with my friends, I remember to pray to reconnect to God and remind myself there’s a greater plan at work.

Life is constantly evolving, and your view of the world will change as you get older. You should embrace this process rather than fight it. People change, and it’s only natural that your take on certain things will change with you. We should all continue to educate ourselves, talk to new people, and seek out new information. Let’s embrace the idea that the day we stop learning, we stop growing. And I want to be continually learning, growing, and improving. Each of our perspectives is based on our memories and ideas and conversations. It’s important that you have an open mind and know there’s so much more to experience and learn.

Faith is also belief, and that belief can be in God, or in the goodness of the universe around you, or maybe even in yourself. It’s a foundation to stand on when things get hard.