You want to be taken seriously as an artist and not just known as 'that girl wrestler who sings.' So you want to go out and stand on your own legs. But at the same time, I don't negate the fact that without everything I've accomplished in wrestling, I wouldn't have been given so many really cool opportunities on the music side.

When I fell in love with wrestling, I fell in love with the characters and the over-the-top kind of personalities and the wrestling aspect of it.

I try to remember who I am and what I come from, because I didn't come from super means. I had to work and pray and try really hard to succeed and get everything that I wanted out of life.

I'm good at wrestling, and I love it with all my heart.

I didn't want to be good for a girl: I wanted to be as good, if not better than, all the guys.

I've always loved music. I've worked on music and written music, but, it wasn't until I was actually on the road full time with WWE that I put my first album out.

To be a true star, you need to find that balance in between shining the light on the professional wrestling aspect, of being the absolute best in the ring, but also being the best character and finding that balance in between them.

I love being on the road. I sit at home too long, and I start to go a bit stir crazy.

I don't want to retire on the independent scene. I don't want my legacy to be remembered as that.

I feel like my music at least allows me to release the other side of me, a more vulnerable and sensitive side.

To see how far female wrestling has come is just inspiring and incredible.

I just love working.

I think what GFW is doing is cool and unique. They're taking some of the talent you've seen elsewhere or haven't had a chance to see before because there's so much talent everywhere.

I would like to take on Charlotte. That would be fun because I've been friends with Ric Flair. He does nothing but brag about her. He is proud of her, as he should be.

I watched WWE as a child. I was a fan.

When I retire, I want to retire the right way.

I do have little trinkets. I'm a little bit of a hippie, so I have my wisdom rock - it goes with me; it's always in my purse, wherever I go. That's just me, being a hippie.

Obviously, my wrestling boots end up going with me everywhere, because you just never know.

The key is that you never check the championship. You always carry it on. So when you're going through TSA, it's always a treat because, for some reason, they always like to pull it out and hold it way above their head and throw it over their shoulder and put it across their waist, see what it looks like on them.

Most people know that Lita has been, as far as my wrestling career is concerned, a big influence even before I came to the WWE. We met when I was working the independent scene in North Carolina. She's always been so kind to me and helped me out a lot.

Before Lita, women weren't doing moonsaults, hurricanrana, and other high-flying maneuvers. I think she really changed the game in the women's division.

When the lights in the arena turn on, I'm Mickie James all the time.

I've always believed that I performed better under pressure.

I don't kiss and tell.

When I was younger, my mom worked at a roller rink, so I'd go all the time. I learned to skate pretty well. I won the limbo all the time.

Now I find my happiness in my music, what I'm doing in the ring, and being a mom. No one thing controls my happiness.

I love healthy competition, since I already know I'm the best in the world.

We've all had our share of relationships failed.

You don't want to lose the nostalgia of being a superstar.

I guarantee you, 9 out of 10 people in the world wouldn't step in the ring and do what I do, nor could they. I think we have one of the hardest jobs in the world.

It's always a big thing when you get to hold the championship because it shows that not only are you capable but that the company as a whole has faith in you.

I've always wanted to sing so badly, but I didn't think it was something that was possible for me. Plus, I didn't think I was good at it.

I have planned my whole future, my whole life. And nine out of 10 times, it never happens the way you want or plan or think it's going to happen.

I think it's human nature to say, 'You're a wrestler. That is what you do.' I think it can be hard sometimes for people to understand that you can have more than one thing you like to do.

I definitely want to go down as the greatest of all time. That's what anyone who has ever wanted something believes.

I've had a lot of opportunities to grow inside and out as a performer, artist, and a woman.

One really never knows what tomorrow holds. That's why you make the most of every moment - good, bad, or indifferent - and own it like only you can.

I have horses.

I'm not against competitive racing. I obviously grew up with horses.

I've always wanted to run my horse farm.

I love English and literature.

I have kind of reached the pinnacle of wrestling.

My stepfather was a country music fan, and I grew up on a horse farm, so the older country, that's what he listened to.

I kept doing tryouts, and finally, after five years I got signed by WWE.

I wanted to have something to fall back on. I got my degree in business administration.

Probably the first artist who really captured me was Tim McGraw. His songs 'Don't Take the Girl' and 'Indian Outlaw' were fun, and he was different than a lot of artists.

It's cool to be able to give your fans, and people in your life, a look at a lot of things that are going on.

I do not want to get hit in the face for real. I'll get mad.

I grew up listening to all music, not just country.

I stopped trying to plan a long time ago - whatever's meant to happen for me in the future will happen.