--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My grandma always said, \"Where there's a…" description: "\"My grandma always said, \"Where there's a will, there's a way.\" I think it's just naturally in our DNA to be able to survive. We was always taught that:..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/250/kendrick-lamar-1241_able_my-grandma-always-said-where-there-s-a-w_1603558.jpg" --- # My grandma always said, "Where there's a will, there's a… ![“My grandma always said, "Where there's a will, there's a way." I think it's just naturally in our DNA to be able to survive. We was always taught that: to survive. When you talking about slavery, it's to survive.” quote by Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/250/kendrick-lamar-1241_able_my-grandma-always-said-where-there-s-a-w_1603558.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/250/kendrick-lamar-1241_able_my-grandma-always-said-where-there-s-a-w_1603558.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/250/kendrick-lamar-1241_able_my-grandma-always-said-where-there-s-a-w_1603558.jpg) > “My grandma always said, "Where there's a will, there's a way." I think it's just naturally in our DNA to be able to survive. We was always taught that: to survive. When you talking about slavery, it's to survive.” [Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Survival is portrayed as an innate drive, especially under oppression, suggesting resilience is coded in our DNA. **In simple terms:** Survival is a deep, natural instinct. Key Takeaway Cultivate resilience in adversity. Themes survival resilience heritage Mood hopeful determined reflective Type motivational social When to use this quote - social justice activism - personal hardship - community support Key Concepts psychology sociology cultural narrative Questions to Reflect On - In what ways does environment shape survival instincts? - How can we nurture resilience beyond innate traits? A Different Perspective Resilience may be overstated as purely genetic, ignoring environment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dna/) [Slavery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slavery/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [That's what Watts stand for, it taught me how to survive it taught me how to be a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-rock/that-s-what-watts-stand-for-it-taught-me-how-to-survive-it-taught-me/) [Jay Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-rock/) > [War is brutish, inglorious, and a terrible waste... The only redeeming factors were my comrades' incredible bravery and their devotion to each other. Marine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-b-sledge/war-is-brutish-inglorious-and-a-terrible-waste-the-only-redeeming/) [Eugene B. Sledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-b-sledge/) > [I got stopped in front of the bras in Victoria's Secret; I get interrogated in airport bathrooms. I went to South Africa in January…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sasha-pieterse/i-got-stopped-in-front-of-the-bras-in-victoria-s-secret-i-get/) [Sasha Pieterse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sasha-pieterse/) > [My grandma said - when I was really young and I'd sing along to the radio - why do you sing in an American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-watson/my-grandma-said-when-i-was-really-young-and-i-d-sing-along-to-the/) [Emma Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-watson/) > [My dad liked more macho adventure books like Shogun or spy novels. My mother reads murder mysteries. In fact, so does her mother, my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bollen/my-dad-liked-more-macho-adventure-books-like-shogun-or-spy-novels-my/) [Christopher Bollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bollen/) > [One night as I girl I spied my grandma and one of her sisters outside, holding hands and singing, "Sprites of the night are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-hunt/one-night-as-i-girl-i-spied-my-grandma-and-one-of-her-sisters-outside/) [Samantha Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-hunt/) > [As a kid, my grandma would be dancing all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-cruz/as-a-kid-my-grandma-would-be-dancing-all-the-time/) [Victor Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-cruz/) > [Christy: "My grandma made this. I've had it since elementary school." Todd: "I never knew that." Christy: "I never knew you left your towel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-jones-gunn/christy-my-grandma-made-this-i-ve-had-it-since-elementary-school-todd/) [Robin Jones Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-jones-gunn/) > [My mom would spend a week in jail. She would spend a day in jail here - a week again, a week and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-noah/my-mom-would-spend-a-week-in-jail-she-would-spend-a-day-in-jail-here/) [Trevor Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-noah/) > [What children need most are the essentials that grandparents provide in abundance. They give unconditional love, kindness, patience, humor, comfort, lessons in life. And,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudy-giuliani/what-children-need-most-are-the-essentials-that-grandparents-provide/) [Rudy Giuliani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudy-giuliani/) > [I don't think these women are stupid. I think they're selling a personality that's very marketable: Wouldn't it be fun if we were all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reese-witherspoon/i-don-t-think-these-women-are-stupid-i-think-they-re-selling-a/) [Reese Witherspoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reese-witherspoon/) > [Her grandmother, as she gets older, is not fading but rather becoming more concentrated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulette-alden/her-grandmother-as-she-gets-older-is-not-fading-but-rather-becoming/) Paulette Alden > [My grandma has said many of the things her character says. But she was much nicer! I made her meaner for dramatic purposes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-holofcener/my-grandma-has-said-many-of-the-things-her-character-says-but-she-was/) [Nicole Holofcener](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-holofcener/) > [I just love all the music. My grandma was a church organist for 40 years, and she got me into jazz music and great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-anner/i-just-love-all-the-music-my-grandma-was-a-church-organist-for-40/) [Zach Anner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-anner/) > [My family's still loves my music. Every time they hear me on the radio they call my phone - my grandma even called me:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/young-chop/my-family-s-still-loves-my-music-every-time-they-hear-me-on-the-radio/) Young Chop ## More by Kendrick Lamar > [I think that's why I put my energy into making music. That's how I get my thoughts out, instead of being crazy all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/i-think-that-s-why-i-put-my-energy-into-making-music-that-s-how-i-get/) [Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/) > [ Got in the studio at sixteen, \[and\] that's when I felt like I wanted to make this a career. I had a passion for… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/got-in-the-studio-at-sixteen-and-that-s-when-i-felt-like-i-wanted-to/) [Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/) > [Black and brown pride have been taught in my household for a long time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/black-and-brown-pride-have-been-taught-in-my-household-for-a-long-time/) [Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/) > [Everybody has their own way of hearing songs. My fans are usually pretty on point. Sometimes they go all the way to the bottom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/everybody-has-their-own-way-of-hearing-songs-my-fans-are-usually/) [Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/) > [I don't really believe in the type of pressure that people are wanting to put on the type of music that I make.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/i-don-t-really-believe-in-the-type-of-pressure-that-people-are/) [Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/) > [I've got an extra-specific story about Dr. Dre. I saw him when I was 9 years old in Compton - him and Tupac. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/i-ve-got-an-extra-specific-story-about-dr-dre-i-saw-him-when-i-was-9/) [Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/) > [Brother Kendrick Lamar: he's not a rapper, he's a writer, he's an author. And if you read between the lines, we'll learn how to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/brother-kendrick-lamar-he-s-not-a-rapper-he-s-a-writer-he-s-an-author/) [Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/) > [You can have the platinum album, but when you still feel like you haven't quite found your place in the world - it kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/you-can-have-the-platinum-album-but-when-you-still-feel-like-you/) [Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/) > [You really can't categorize my music, it's human music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/you-really-can-t-categorize-my-music-it-s-human-music/) [Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/) > [My passion is bringing storylines around and constructing a full body of work rather than just a 16-bar verse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/my-passion-is-bringing-storylines-around-and-constructing-a-full-body/) [Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/) > [I'm only as good as my last word, my last hook, my last bridge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/i-m-only-as-good-as-my-last-word-my-last-hook-my-last-bridge/) [Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/) > [The message I'm sending to myself - I can't change the world until I change myself first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/the-message-i-m-sending-to-myself-i-can-t-change-the-world-until-i/) [Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/) > [We all seem to stumble, planning our own demise, Getting the big picture, and making it wallet-sized.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/we-all-seem-to-stumble-planning-our-own-demise-getting-the-big/) [Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/) > [I was raised inside the gang culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/i-was-raised-inside-the-gang-culture/) [Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/) > [We look so much on color that we forget about the soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/we-look-so-much-on-color-that-we-forget-about-the-soul/) [Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/) [Explore all 266 Kendrick Lamar quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/) ## More Able quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [In the '80s, the way radio was programmed, if you didn't have a hit record you weren't going to be able to make any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-lewis/in-the-80s-the-way-radio-was-programmed-if-you-didn-t-have-a-hit/) [Huey Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-lewis/) > [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/) [Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/) > [I wanted to remember in order to be able to return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-wanted-to-remember-in-order-to-be-able-to-return/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/) Greg Perry > [I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. I think I have managed to function pretty successfully on the fringes of the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/i-don-t-know-if-i-would-qualify-as-mainstream-i-think-i-have-managed/) [Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [- You look fine. - Right. I look fine. Except I don't, said Zora, tugging sadly at her man's nightshirt. This was why Kiki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-look-fine-right-i-look-fine-except-i-don-t-said-zora-tugging/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/) [Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/) Browse all 17,257 Able quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My grandma always said, \"Where there's a will, there's a way.\" I think it's just naturally in our DNA to be able to survive. We was always taught that: to survive. When you talking about slavery, it's to survive.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kendrick Lamar" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/my-grandma-always-said-where-there-s-a-will-there-s-a-way-i-think-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Able" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/my-grandma-always-said-where-there-s-a-will-there-s-a-way-i-think-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/250/kendrick-lamar-1241_able_my-grandma-always-said-where-there-s-a-w_1603558.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/250/kendrick-lamar-1241_able_my-grandma-always-said-where-there-s-a-w_1603558.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/250/kendrick-lamar-1241_able_my-grandma-always-said-where-there-s-a-w_1603558.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“My grandma always said, \"Where there's a will, there's a way.\" I think it's just naturally in our DNA to be…” — Kendrick Lamar", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Kendrick Lamar", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "My grandma always said, \"Where there's...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/my-grandma-always-said-where-there-s-a-will-there-s-a-way-i-think-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/my-grandma-always-said-where-there-s-a-will-there-s-a-way-i-think-it/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```