"Face the brutes." That is a lesson for all life-face the terrible, face it boldly. Like the monkeys, the hardships of life fall back when we cease to flee before them.
Swami VivekanandaRead
Before my accidents, there were ten thousands things I could do. I could spend the rest of my life dwelling on the things that I had lost, but instead I chose to focus on the nine thousand I still had left.
Interpretation
Focusing on what you still have rather than what you've lost is a testament to resilience.
This quote by W Mitchell emphasizes the importance of perspective in the face of adversity. Instead of succumbing to the despair of loss after experiencing significant setbacks, Mitchell chooses to appreciate and focus on the remaining opportunities and capabilities. This mindset not only cultivates resilience but also enriches life by redirecting attention from what is absent to what is still possible.
In practice
In a speech about overcoming challenges after an injury, one might quote W Mitchell to inspire the audience.
"Face the brutes." That is a lesson for all life-face the terrible, face it boldly. Like the monkeys, the hardships of life fall back when we cease to flee before them.
I began revolution with 82 men. If I had to do it again, I do it with 10 or 15 and absolute faith. It does not matter how small you are if you have faith and plan of action.
What people don't understand when you've already been a suicide and pulled through is that after the sadness comes fear: Where is my mind going with this? I don't want to die. I do not want to die. When you don't have so much control over your own thoughts, over the myriad voices in your head, you don't know where they could go.
So the brother in black offers to these United States the source of courage that endures, and laughter.
You wish to put me in the dark. I tell you that I will never be put in the dark. You wish to beat me. I tell you that you will never beat me.
It's time to "stop being ambivalent." ... They (groups like the Islamic State) have no ideology beyond violence and chaos and the slaughter of innocent people.
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