When he thought of his history, what resonated with him now was not all that he had suffered but the divine love that he believed had intervened to save him.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes finding strength through the belief in divine love rather than focusing on past suffering.
In this quote, Laura Hillenbrand reflects on how one's perception of their history can shift from a focus on the hardships endured to an appreciation for the positive forces, such as divine love, that contribute to personal salvation and resilience. It speaks to the transformative power of love and belief, suggesting that what truly defines us is not merely our suffering but the help and support we receive along the way.
In practice
A speaker reflecting on personal growth at a motivational seminar.
Every day after lunch when I was writing my first book, I'd nibble a square of fine chocolate and meditate on all that had gone into its creation: the sun and rain that spilled on the cocoa plant, the soil that nourished it, the hands that picked the beans, and so on. My taste of chocolate became a lesson on the interconnectedness of things, and the infinite blessings for which I am grateful.
I identified in a very deep way with the individuals I was writing about because the theme that runs through this story is of extraordinary hardship and the will to overcome it.
Without dignity, identity is erased.
It's easy to talk to a horse if you understand his language. Horses stay the same from the day they are born until the day they die. They are only changed by the way people treat them.
Most people, when they hear the disease name, it's all they know about it. It sounds so mild. When I first was sick, for the first 10 years or so, I was dismissed. I was ridiculed and told I was lazy. It was a joke.
The paradox of vengefulness is that it makes men dependent upon those who have harmed them, believing that their release from pain will come only when their tormentors suffer.
Gandalf! I thought you were dead! But then I thought I was dead myself. Is everything sad going to come untrue? What's happened to the world?" A great Shadow has departed," said Gandalf, and then he laughed and the sound was like music, or like water in a parched land; and as he listened the thought came to Sam that he had not heard laughter, the pure sound of merriment, for days upon days without count.
I want to try to prove that at 100, I could sing as well as I was singing when I was 45 or 43. I'd like to prove that if you take care of yourself, you can actually not regret the fact that you've become an old-timer, but you can just still improve and actually get better.
I had always been proud of my body - its strength and grace enabled me to pursue my passions.
He who endeavors to serve, to benefit, and improve the world, is like a swimmer, who struggles against a rapid current, in a river lashed into angry waves by the winds. Often they roar over his head, often they beat him back and baffle him. Most men yield to the stress of the current... Only here and there the stout, strong heart and vigorous arms struggle on toward ultimate success.
The first fresh hour of every morning should be dedicated to the Lord, whose mercy gladdens it with golden light.
I am just learning to notice the different colors of the stars, and already begin to have a new enjoyment.
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