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This video is part of Health's My Mantra series. Follow along with new videos on our Instagram page and share your own words of wisdom using #MantraMonday.
Nigerian-American actress and comedian Yvonne Orji, 37, repeats a simple phrase when she's stressing out and unsure of her next steps. "My daily mantra is, 'All things work together for my good,'" Orji tells Health. The Insecure actress finds these words uplifting as she wrestles with the uncertainty of her life.
"Even when things don't work together, they find their way to working together," Orji says. "At some point, this L is going to get turned into a W. I may not be able to see it in the moment, but without fail, the things that you feel like are going to take you out, it's like, oh, it actually took me higher."
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While her mantra applies to several areas of her life, it's especially important in health care settings. "We already know when it comes to receiving health care—especially people of color receiving health care—you could be dismissed. Your pain could be downplayed. Even in those circumstances, it's like: You know what? This situation's going to work out."
Her mantra can lead her to finding a better health care provider or simply sticking up for yourself. In doing so, "your self-esteem, your self-advocacy, your self-awareness get boosted up.," she says. Orji has partnered with Merck and the breast cancer advocacy community on a three-part web docuseries, Uncovering TNBC.
Orji's mantra also comes in handy when she's tempted to throw in the towel. "Bad things happen every single day. It's not where we stay; it's how we rise. You can get down, but don't stay down," she says, adding that her mantra is a good reminder that it's never too late to work your way through tough times: "You're still here; you're still able to turn the tide."
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