The bad thing about falling into pieces is that it hurts. The good thing about it is that once you're lying there in shards you've got nothing left to protect, and so have no reason not to be honest
Interpretation
Embracing vulnerability allows for genuine honesty and self-discovery.
David James Duncan's quote highlights the dual nature of experiencing emotional pain; while it can be challenging to face the aftermath of personal struggles, the resulting vulnerability presents an opportunity for authentic self-expression. When one finds themselves 'in shards', it signifies a moment of truth where pretense is shed, leading to deeper honesty and connection with oneself and others.
In practice
During a therapy session, someone might reference this quote to illustrate the importance of being honest about their struggles.
Then in October, Indian Summer, the air turned so soft, the sunlight so fragile, and each day's loveliness so poignantly doomed that even self-ignorance and restlessness felt like profound states of being, and he just wandered the empty beaches and misty headlands in a state of serene confusion and awe.
When you've got nothing, you've got nothing to loose.
What a man knows at fifty that he did not know at twenty is, for the most part, incommunicable.
My advice to girls: first, don't smoke - to excess; second, don't drink - to excess; third, don't marry - to excess.
Your prayers are your light; _x000D_ _x000D_ Your devotion is your strength;_x000D_ _x000D_ Sleep is the enemy of both. _x000D_ _x000D_ Your life is the only opportunity that life can give you._x000D_ _x000D_ If you ignore it, if you waste it,_x000D_ _x000D_ You will only turn to dust.
Every increase in your knowledge is a simultaneous decrease. You learn and you unlearn at the same time. A new certainty is a new doubt as well.
I will eliminate hatred, envy, jealousy, selfishness, and cynicism, by developing love for all humanity, because I know that a negative attitude toward others can never bring me success. I will cause others to believe in me, because I will believe in them, and in myself.
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