“
The biggest wall you have to climb is the one you build in your mind: Never let your mind talk you out of your dreams, trick you into giving up. Never let your mind become the greatest obstacle to success. To get your mind on the right track, the rest will follow.
”
”
Roy T. Bennett (The Light in the Heart)
“
If I've learned one lesson from all that's happened to me, it's that there is no such thing as the biggest mistake of your existence. There's no such thing as ruining your life. Life's a pretty resilient thing, it turns out.
”
”
Sophie Kinsella (The Undomestic Goddess)
“
My biggest regret is what I didn’t say… (Jake)
”
”
Keary Taylor (What I Didn't Say)
“
It's sometimes easier to help others rather than helping yourself. The trick is to listen to your "self" as a friend. This may be the simplest change you ever make in life, with the biggest impact.
”
”
Lorii Myers (Make It Happen, A Healthy, Competitive Approach to Achieving Personal Success (3 Off the Tee, #2))
“
I dreamed about the future because that's what people persuade you to do when you're a kid, but that's the biggest lie of all--that you can plan. Reality is, you have no fucking clue what's coming and neither do they.
”
”
Tammara Webber (Breakable (Contours of the Heart, #2))
“
The biggest challenge facing the great teachers and communicators of history is not to teach history itself, nor even the lessons of history, but why history matters. How to ignite the first spark of the will o'the wisp, the Jack o'lantern, the ignis fatuus [foolish fire] beloved of poets, which lights up one source of history and then another, zigzagging across the marsh, connecting and linking and writing bright words across the dark face of the present. There's no phrase I can come up that will encapsulate in a winning sound-bite why history matters. We know that history matters, we know that it is thrilling, absorbing, fascinating, delightful and infuriating, that it is life. Yet I can't help wondering if it's a bit like being a Wagnerite; you just have to get used to the fact that some people are never going to listen.
”
”
Stephen Fry (Making History)
“
The lesson is, the rewards in life don't always go to the biggest, or the bravest, or the smartest. The rewards go to the dogged; and when your going though hell, to the person who just keeps going.
”
”
Bear Grylls
“
The biggest, most enduring lesson of school is that learning is work, to be avoided when possible.
”
”
Peter O. Gray (Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life)
“
In my experience, the biggest reason people struggle to get where they want to be is guilt. Guilt that they have let someone down, and also guilt that they are about to leave someone they love ...behind.
”
”
Bethany Brookbank (Write like no one is reading)
“
To go after what you want in life, you have to silence the critics, starting with the biggest one: you.
”
”
Regina Brett (God Is Always Hiring: 50 Lessons for Finding Fulfilling Work)
“
The biggest problem in this country is not corruption. The problem is that there are many qualified people who are not where they are supposed to be because they won’t lick anybody’s ass, or they don’t know which ass to lick or they don’t even know how to lick an ass. I’m lucky to be licking the right ass.” She smiled.
”
”
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Americanah)
“
Some flowers bloom beneath the biggest blue,
while others prefer the shade;
As is Human Nature.....
Some turn their faces to the sun
while others seek solitude.
But no matter where you wish to stand;
Stand Straight and Stand tall.
”
”
Michelle Geaney
“
The biggest lesson I’ve learned is, “It’s okay.” It’s okay for me to be kind to myself. It’s okay to be wrong. It’s okay to get mad. It’s okay to be flawed. It’s okay to be happy. It’s okay to move on.
”
”
Hayley Williams
“
The biggest lesson of my life – self-respect comes from respecting others; it is a two-way street.
”
”
Deepak Ohri (A Bridge Not Too Far: Where Creativity Meets Innovation)
“
As much as I would really like to have saved myself heartache, embarrassment or gossip, I also know that my biggest mistakes have turned into my best lessons. And sometimes my greatest career triumphs. If my life had been turbulence-free, maybe my music would be beige, maybe the stadiums wouldn’t be full and the mantle would be a little more empty.
”
”
Taylor Swift
“
Surviving war is an excellent training process. If it weren't so brutal, I 'd recommend it as an excellent start-up course in life. I feel that over years of endurance, hard work and perseverance of determination and conviction, of claiming our rights to stay alive, to be free and to be ourselves, of fighting the biggest wars as much as the smaller ones, our will can indeed move mountains for us.
”
”
Joumana Haddad (I Killed Scheherazade: Confessions of an Angry Arab Woman)
“
One of the biggest steps to gaining control over one’s life is gaining control over one’s self.
”
”
Zero Dean (Lessons Learned from The Path Less Traveled Volume 1: Get motivated & overcome obstacles with courage, confidence & self-discipline)
“
One of the biggest obstacles to finding real love can be hanging on to a rigid story about how it's supposed to be.
”
”
Charlotte Fox Weber (What We Want: A Journey Through Twelve of Our Deepest Desires)
“
.....the only sound was of the crickets, and the glittering speckled of stars on the night sky as witness of her biggest mistake, the night when it changed her life forever.
”
”
Aina M. Rosdi (One Minute to Midnight)
“
Your weaknesses may not seem overwhelming, but they will create the biggest problems you face.
”
”
Richelle E. Goodrich (Making Wishes: Quotes, Thoughts, & a Little Poetry for Every Day of the Year)
“
Every challenge we’ve faced…every turn life has thrown at us…I’m reminded of the lessons I learned in those stories. Lessons of fate and destiny and how the impossible is worth fighting for, no matter how long it takes. But the biggest thing I learned,” he paused and swallowed, “and also, the most relevant…is that in all of the universe, there is only one moon. And you, Alaina Elizabeth Thomas, are my moon. You are my destiny. You are, my Arabian Nights. I am so thankful that in all the stories of the world, you chose to be mine.
”
”
D.M. Simmons (Ravel (Lake Haven, #2))
“
Life up here may be simple but it’s not easy, and it’s not for everyone. Water runs out; pipes freeze; engines won’t start; it’s dark for eighteen, nineteen hours a day, for months. Even longer in the far north. Up here it’s about having enough food to eat, and enough heat to stay alive through the winter. It’s about survival, and enjoying the company of the people that surround us. It’s not about whose house is the biggest, or who has the nicest clothes, or the most money. We support each other because we’re all in this together.
“And people either like that way of life or they don’t; there’s no real in-between. People like Wren and Jonah, they find they can’t stay away from it for too long. And people like Susan, well . . . they never warm up to it. They fight the challenges instead of embracing them, or at least learning to adapt to them.” Agnes pauses, her mouth open as if weighing whether she should continue. “I don’t agree with the choices Wren made where you’re concerned, but I know it was never a matter of him not caring about you. And if you want to blame people for not trying, there’s plenty of it to go around.” Agnes turns to smile at me then. “Or you could focus on the here-and-now, and not on what you can’t change.
”
”
K.A. Tucker (The Simple Wild (Wild, #1))
“
The biggest prison in the universe is caring about what other people think of you.
”
”
Matshona Dhliwayo
“
Putting things off is the biggest waste of life: it snatches away each day as it comes, and denies us the present by promising the future.
”
”
Keisha Blair
“
It occurred to the man that the biggest problem with this staid world was the overwhelming demand for conformity. Everything was so eerily definitive: assent to the mandates of society would see you on the rise, but dissent was a steady downward path.
”
”
Django Wylie (The Middle)
“
At this point I might not be the biggest star in the world and I may not be the greatest artist in the world, but I have achieved a very wide spread of interesting experiences. And I’m very happy about that.
”
”
Debbie Harry
“
Teenagers are in the throes of learning the biggest lesson of all: life isn’t simple, it isn’t black and white. It’s multiple and varied shades of grey. If you mix these shades of grey you might end up getting close to black or white, but in the end, it’s the darkening of themselves around the edges and the ways in which they bend and break that will make them more wholesome people; people that others will want to be around and who will contribute greatly to society when given the awesome opportunity.
”
”
Danielle Weiler (Friendship on Fire)
“
Giving up is not an option. It is the biggest mistake one can make and there's nothing to be learnt from it
”
”
Lyrikal
“
Life works in mysterious ways, and I believe one of the biggest challenges and successes is to let go and let it be.
”
”
Brittany Burgunder (Safety in Numbers: From 56 to 221 Pounds, My Battle with Eating Disorders)
“
I think one of the biggest lessons in life is learning that your happiness doesn't look like everyone else's and not only is that okay, it's the way it's supposed to be.
”
”
Krissy Ponyboy as quoted by Joshua James Amberson
“
Our biggest fear is never to find out that we don't know how to find ourselves.
”
”
Santosh Kalwar (The Lacetier)
“
The Biggest Truth and Dare in the world is you
”
”
Kuldeep Chauhan
“
There comes a point when you begin to connect to the dots, when the chosen paths begin to mean something, when the picture starts to reveal itself. It is probably not at all what you had envisioned, but somewhere deep inside, perhaps you always knew. The journey was there for a reason. Its was there for you and for the others that have traveled along with you. The strength and comfort that comes from that awareness is amazing and beyond words. Once experienced, it becomes the biggest part of you. So let it unfold. Let your life reveal its lessons. Follow your heart, as it will not lead you astray. Find your passion and let its energy run through you in ways you have never experienced. With that, your real life will begin.
”
”
Angela Bushman (A Soul's Journey Home)
“
Don't let life's challenges discourage you. Some things are just out of your control. Make it work for you! The most painful lessons of the past can teach you how to survive in the present .
”
”
Carlos Wallace (Life Is Not Complicated-You Are: Turning Your Biggest Disappointments into Your Greatest Blessings)
“
The biggest mistake that parents make, is believing that their assigned task in life is to teach their children and to guide them in every situation of their children's lives. The truth is that it is the task of parents to both learn from their children and to guide them as well. Parenting is a relationship that goes both ways, from the moment your child is born, you learn from that person, and in fact, your lessons begin long before your child's lessons do. Later on, when you've learned a great deal already, then they begin to learn from you. Throughout our lives, it is a give-and-take relationship, in many ways. Our assigned task is to learn from our children, and to guide and teach them. Their assigned task is to learn from us, and also to teach us.
”
”
C. JoyBell C.
“
Maybe the biggest lesson I've learned, in art and in life, is that when the questions become too numerous and the considerations begin to feel a little overwhelming, you just have to look away for a minute and regather your vision for the thing, try to see it the way it originally came to you. Ask yourself, how did I arrive here? What was I trying to accomplish?
”
”
Jonathan Evison (Lawn Boy)
“
You made me see that friendship is a farce and trusting anyone other than myself is the biggest mistake I could make. It was a lesson I had been learning my whole life up until that point. But you tattooed it on my soul in a way I could never forget.
”
”
Aly Martinez (Fighting Solitude (On the Ropes, #3))
“
The personality of a man always poses the biggest obstacle to his own education, thought Charlie. He’s either too proud, too stubborn, or too timid to submit to the process of discovery. Many of life’s lessons come through trial or tribulation, and the cost of those lessons shouldn’t be taken lightly. But at least half of what a man hasn’t learned in his lifetime he could have learned with ease. This is one of the insights that comes with age—when one understands the nature of discovery but no longer has the time or energy to submit to its splendors. Thus, we are doomed to end our days in an ignorance largely of our own making.
”
”
Amor Towles (Table for Two)
“
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that life can change unexpectedly and instantaneously. Regardless, you have to keep putting one foot in front of the other, so that when life unexpectedly changes for the better -you already know how to walk and can seize it.
”
”
Brittany Burgunder
“
As we come to make the most important decisions in the history of life, I personally would trust more in those who admit ignorance than in those who claim infallibility. If you want your religion, ideology or world view to lead the world, my first question to you is: ‘What was the biggest mistake your religion, ideology or world view committed? What did it get wrong?’ If you cannot come up with something serious, I for one would not trust you.
”
”
Yuval Noah Harari (21 Lessons for the 21st Century)
“
It was the first and only fight of his childhood, but it had taught him a valuable lesson about human nature, how people were just another species of animal, and like any animal, from the biggest predators, to the smallest scavengers, most human beings could only be pushed so far before they lashed out.
”
”
D.J. Molles (Aftermath (The Remaining, #2))
“
You are as you are until you're not. You change when you want to change. You put your ideas into action in the timing that is best. That's just how it happens.
And what I think we all need more than anything is this: permission to be wherever the fuck we are when we're there.
You're not a robot. You can't just conjure up motivation when you don't have it. Sometimes you're going through something. Sometimes life has happened. Life! Remember life? Yeah, it teaches you things and sometimes makes you go the long way around for your biggest lessons.
You don't get to control everything. You can wake up at 5 a.m. every day until you're tired and broken, but if the words or the painting or the ideas don't want to come to fruition, they won't. You can show up every day to your best intentions, but if it's not the time, it's just not the fucking time. You need to give yourself permission to be a human being.
”
”
Jamie Varon
“
My life is always perfect. I am always exactly where I need to be to learn the lessons that will enable me to create everything I want for my life.
”
”
Hal Elrod (The Miracle Equation: The Two Decisions That Turn Your Biggest Goals from Possible, to Probable, to Inevitable)
“
Time is our biggest asset..
We can count the minutes or make the minutes count..
”
”
Abha Maryada Banerjee (Nucleus - Power Women: Lead from the Core)
“
India is going to face the biggest genital crisis, the only reason for which is not to have interracial marriages. At that time you will remember this sentence very much.
”
”
Pradip Bendkule
“
Every problem you face is an opportunity to learn something. The biggest lessons in your life have been learned from the darkest days.
”
”
Tracy Malone
“
Time heals all wounds is one of the biggest lie! Time does not heal all the wounds.
Some words, some memories stays with us forever.
”
”
Jyoti Patel
“
I believe in others because someone believed in me.
”
”
Carlos Wallace (Life Is Not Complicated-You Are: Turning Your Biggest Disappointments into Your Greatest Blessings)
“
I stopped telling you
all of my secrets
when you became
my biggest one.
”
”
Heather Angelika Dooley (Ink Blot in a Poet's Bloodstream)
“
Through my writing, I learned my Life Lessons from all the experiences in my past, good and bad. Letting go of the drama we create for ourselves is the biggest gift we can ever receive.
”
”
KoKo Nervelli (The Lie (At Home, #2))
“
Life is a wild rollercoaster ride, so buckle up and conquer every twist and turn that comes your way. Remember, the biggest thrill lies in taking care of yourself and embracing thrilling adventures!
”
”
Ahmed Zakaria Mami
“
In the beginning of running and of meditation, one of the biggest obstacles is laziness. One kind of laziness is basic slothfulness, in which we are unable to extract ourselves from the television or couch. In this case, just a little bit of exercise can send a message to the body that it is time to move forward. Even putting on workout clothes and beginning to stretch helps bring us out of our sloth. By the same token, sitting down to follow the breath for even five minutes has the power to move us out of laziness. Another form of laziness is that we don’t make time in our busy, speedy life to go for a run or to sit down and practice.
”
”
Sakyong Mipham (Running with the Mind of Meditation: Lessons for Training Body and Mind)
“
If I’ve learned one lesson from all that’s happened to me, it’s that there is no such thing as the biggest mistake of your existence. There’s no such thing as ruining your life. Life’s a pretty resilient thing, it turns out.
”
”
Sophie Kinsella (The Undomestic Goddess)
“
Often, our relationships become an unrealized quest for what is perfect, unfettered, and free of flaws. We expect our partners, spouses, and our friends to avoid missteps and to be magical mind readers. These secret expectations play a sinister part in many of the great tragedies of our lives: failed marriages, dissipated dreams, abandoned careers, outcast family, deserted children, and discarded friendships.
We readily forget what we once knew as children: our flaws are not only natural but integral to our beings. They are interwoven into our soul’s DNA and yet we continually reject the crooked, wrinkled, mushy parts of our life rather than embrace them as the very essence of our beings.
I once believed that aiming for perfection would land me in the realm of excellence. This, however, may not be the trajectory of how things happen. In fact, the pursuit of perfection may be the biggest obstacle to becoming whole.
It seems essential to value hard work and determination and yet recognize that the road to excellence is littered with mistakes and subsequent lessons. Imperfection and excellence are intertwined. There is joy in our pain, strength in weakness, courage in compassion, and power in forgiveness.
”
”
Ann Brasco
“
Jesus’ pattern prayer, which is both crutch, road, and walking lesson for the spiritually lame like ourselves, tells us to start with God: for lesson one is to grasp that God matters infinitely more than we do. So “thy” is the keyword of the opening three petitions, and the first request of all is “hallowed (holy, sanctified) be thy name”— which is the biggest and most basic request of the whole prayer. Understand it and make it your own, and you have unlocked the secret of both prayer and life.
”
”
J.I. Packer (Growing in Christ)
“
The Five-Minute Rule is so effective because it makes one lesson about emotional pain crystal clear: It’s not the experience, circumstance, or event that causes our emotional pain, but rather our unwillingness to accept life as it is and move forward that’s the cause.
”
”
Hal Elrod (The Miracle Equation: The Two Decisions That Turn Your Biggest Goals from Possible, to Probable, to Inevitable)
“
Witches Brew Keep in mind that this recipe is from the 1980s! 6 tea bags of your choice (I use a spice tea) 1 can frozen orange juice 1 can frozen lemonade 3 cinnamon sticks 1 tablespoon cloves Grab the biggest pot in your kitchen and add 4 quarts of water. Bring to a slow boil and add the tea bags. Let steep for 7 minutes. Remove the tea bags and add the frozen juice, lemonade, cinnamon sticks, and cloves. Simmer on medium heat for at least 30 minutes. To serve, strain out the spices and ladle into a teacup. Splash in a healthy dose of whiskey to make it interesting.
”
”
Hilarie Burton Morgan (The Rural Diaries: Love, Livestock, and Big Life Lessons Down on Mischief Farm)
“
That’s the biggest difference between the amateur and the professional, between the wannabe and the star, between the dabbler and the expert. The unsuccessful get halfway to the finish line, then turn around. The successful get halfway, then keep going. Both run the same distance, but only one makes it to the finish line. To win the race, then, having talent, speed, and endurance help, but those things are nothing without commitment. To commit successfully, you don’t have to always believe in yourself—because, let’s face it, we all have our doubts at times. But you do have to believe in something higher than yourself: your purpose. If you believe in your purpose, you can survive the most challenging times, because God or destiny or your will—or whatever you prefer to believe in—is on your side. If you know it’s your purpose to win the race, then you’re not going to turn around, because there is no other option but to win.
”
”
Kevin Hart (I Can't Make This Up: Life Lessons)
“
When you’re a kid, you don’t think about big stuff that could change your life. You think about small things that might terrify you –like a bad report card or missing a goal in front of all your friends or your friends no longer wanting to play with you. Because that's the biggest stuff you know. The biggest disappointments are all tied to this small little universe of yours, because bigger things cannot fit into a small universe. If you wanted bigger things in there you needed to have more room –or make more room. Perhaps you thought about your parents or your pets dying, which was rare. But all you knew was you would be terribly sad and lonely. And on those occasions when people or pets actually died, someone usually came along and distracted you from feeling too much of your actual feelings. Grownups did that –they never left you alone to feel alone or think alone too much. They tended to think you are too small to know how to think and feel in big heaps, so they took parts of your heap onto themselves. To help – but in the long run –it doesn’t help at all. Because if you do not see, or feel or think, or taste the bitter things in life, you don’t know they exist. You have not seen enough of the world to know how terrible it could be. And unfortunately for Sam, this inability to process change persisted into adulthood.
”
”
Adelheid Manefeldt (Consequence)
“
Today I feel like all the doors have closed on me I just needed one more chance to get my life on track. And no matter how much I tried I couldn't get that chance again. Biggest lesson I have learnt is truly remarkable. God doesn't give you the same chances over and over.. sometimes you have to swim in the deep ocean. It's impossible but just maybe by a chance of a needle in a haystack I'll find my way out.
”
”
Kabashe Pillay
“
Every single parent is doing the best he or she can. Never judge an angry parent who screams at their child, or judge any parent for any behavior. You don’t know them, you don’t know their story, you don’t know about their silent struggles or childhood traumas, you don’t know
how hard it is for them, you don’t know anything about anyone. you don’t know what you would do if you were in their shoes. Viktor Frankl said, “No man should judge unless he asks himself in absolute honesty whether, in a similar situation, he might not have done the same.” We all do the best we can. It is hands down the hardest never-ending but fulfilling job
on this planet. It isn’t easy to create, shape, and raise another human being when most of us aren’t raised, shaped, or grown up. So, one of the biggest lessons I also learned is to stay in my lane, don’t judge any parent, to never say never, and be compassionate toward myself and others. Of course, if you see a parent spanking a child, you have to stop them, if you know a child is in an unsafe environment, you have to change it and help any child in need, but try as hard as you can not to judge them and just let
go of your thoughts when they arise. At the end of the day, we all do the best we can with the tools we have.
”
”
Ani Rich (A Missing Drop: Free Your Mind From Conditioning And Reconnect To Your Truest Self)
“
As we come to make the most important decisions in the history of life, I personally would trust more in those who admit ignorance than in those who claim infallibility. If you want your religion, ideology, or worldview to lead the world, my first question to you is: “What was the biggest mistake your religion, ideology, or worldview committed? What did it get wrong?” If you cannot come up with something serious, I for one would not trust you.
”
”
Yuval Noah Harari (21 Lessons for the 21st Century)
“
I'd encourage [you] to think big and be delusional when setting goals. Yes, delusional. The biggest mistake that I made with my first business was I didn't think big enough. I limited my success by just focusing on a small geographic area and focusing on hitting small sales targets. Now when I set my goals, I make sure that they are ridiculous. I prefer to work extremely hard and fall short on my ridiculous goals than to achieve mediocre goals.
”
”
Warren Cassell Jr. (Swim or Drown: Business and Life Lessons I've Learned from the Ocean)
“
As we come to make the most important decisions in the history of life, I personally would trust more in those who admit ignorance then in those who claim infallibility. If you want your religion, ideology, or worldview to lead the world, my first question to you is: “What was the biggest mistake your religion, ideology, or worldview committed? What did you get wrong?”
If you cannot come up with something serious, I for one would not trust you.
”
”
Yuval Noah Harari (21 Lessons for the 21st Century)
“
As we come to make the most important decisions in the history of life, I personally would trust more in those who admit ignorance than in those who claim infallibility. If you want your religion, ideology, or world view to lead the world, my first question to you is: 'What was the biggest mistake your religion, ideology, or world view committed? What did it get wrong?' If you cannot come up with something serious, I for one would not trust you.
”
”
Yuval Noah Harari (21 Lessons for the 21st Century)
“
What I’ve learned from these long voyages of ours is that, in the end, we all strive for our own good. It does not matter what race we are, who we are… We have that one thing in common – the wish to live this life the best way possible. Hence, our definitions of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ always remain subjective – no matter how many perspectives we consider, no matter how objective we try to be, we still judge according to our own beliefs, principles, and opinions – things that we develop throughout our entire life. In truth, nothing is either ‘good’ or ‘bad’ but is both good and bad, all at the same time, depending on the perspective and the relation with other matters. This world is much more versatile than we thought it was. The only universal truth is the energy of life and love – the unending circle, and the undying emotion – interconnected for eternity. Life bears love, and love bears life. Hence, I believe that whatever era may come, major concepts shall never change. We should pave our way and live to our content, staying harmonious with ourselves, because in the end, we shall never know what is right and what is wrong. We interrelate just like the tiniest substances – molecules, atoms, etc. – and the biggest substances – planets, galaxies, universes… During these interrelations, there shall be unions as well as collisions, destructions as well as creations… As long as we live, there shall be both oppositions and friendships. There shall be peace, there shall be war, and then peace again. This shall not change. Hope will motivate us, mind shall guide us, love shall rejoice us, death shall sadden us, but life will go on. Life is always moving and ardent, never to stop or pause. This is the only universal truth that exists in this world – the energy of ardour and life.
”
”
Tamuna Tsertsvadze (Galaxy Pirates)
“
Instead, my biggest piece of advice to anyone just starting out, or to anyone who feels like they are taking a wrong turn along the way, is this. Find something you want to do and learn how to do it really well. Take what you got and make the most of it. Learn how to do something, whatever it is, you would choose to do for nothing. Whatever it is, when you are doing it, it makes you feel amazing and most yourself. Throw yourself into it. Challenge yourself to be the best you can be. We can’t all be famous actors. But, if you can find something you love and if that something will also pay the bills, you will be on your way to your own personal paradise.
”
”
Michael Caine (Blowing the Bloody Doors Off: And Other Lessons in Life)
“
It’s about a Tatooine myth: the sun-dragon. The sun-dragon is a beast that lives inside a star, guarding everything it treasures. Nothing could hurt it. Not fire, not flame. It survived through the most impossible circumstances, even life in the core of a star. Because the sun-dragon had the biggest heart in the galaxy, a burning furnace powerful enough to protect everything and everyone it loved. “My mother used to tell me the story in different ways. A celebration for good days. A lesson for bad days. But it always returned to one thing, the most important thing: Your heart can take you where you want to go. Where you need to go. Because it is strong enough.
”
”
Mike Chen (Star Wars: Brotherhood)
“
One of the biggest lessons-and another gift of the dark night-is the realization that I'm not as much in control of life as I'd like to be. This is not an easy learning, especially for take-charge people like me, people who think the can-and more important, should-be in control of things. Other people are more naturally able to go with the flow of life. They deal with things as best they can and then go on to the next moment. They too have their dark nights, but they don't pester themselves. Either way, each experience of the dark night gives its gifts, leaving us freer than we were before, more available, more responsive, and more grateful. Like not knowing and lack of control, freedom and gratitude are abiding characteristics of the dark night. But they don't arrive until the darkness passes. They come with the dawn.
”
”
Gerald G. May (The Dark Night of the Soul: A Psychiatrist Explores the Connection Between Darkness and Spiritual Growth)
“
Revitalized and healthy, I started dreaming new dreams. I saw ways that I could make a significant contribution by sharing what I’ve learned. I decided to refocus my legal practice on counseling and helping start-up companies avoid liability and protect their intellectual property. To share some of what I know, I started a blog, IP Law for Startups, where I teach basic lessons on trade secrets, trademarks, copyrights, and patents and give tips for avoiding the biggest blunders that destroy the value of intellectual assets. Few start-up companies, especially women-owned companies that rarely get venture capital funding, can afford the expensive hourly rates of a large law firm to the get the critical information they need. I feel deeply rewarded when I help a company create a strategy that protects the value of their company and supports their business dreams. Further, I had a dream to help young women see their career possibilities. In partnership with my sister, Julie Simmons, I created lookilulu.com, a website where women share their insights, career paths, and ways they have integrated motherhood with their professional pursuits. When my sister and I were growing up on a farm, we had a hard time seeing that women could have rewarding careers. With Lookilulu® we want to help young women see what we couldn’t see: that dreams are not linear—they take many twists and unexpected turns. As I’ve learned the hard way, dreams change and shift as life happens. I’ve learned the value of continuing to dream new dreams after other dreams are derailed. I’m sure I’ll have many more dreams in my future. I’ve learned to be open to new and unexpected opportunities. By way of postscript, Jill writes, “I didn’t grow up planning to be lawyer. As a girl growing up in a small rural town, I was afraid to dream. I loved science, but rather than pursuing medical school, I opted for low-paying laboratory jobs, planning to quit when I had children. But then I couldn’t have children. As I awakened to the possibility that dreaming was an inalienable right, even for me, I started law school when I was thirty; intellectual property combines my love of law and science.” As a young girl, Jill’s rightsizing involved mustering the courage to expand her dreams, to dream outside of her box. Once she had children, she again transformed her dreams. In many ways her dreams are bigger and aim to help more people than before the twists and turns in her life’s path.
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Whitney Johnson (Dare, Dream, Do: Remarkable Things Happen When You Dare to Dream)
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Lies always hurt.
Shirley made it clear to me that she would accept nothing but 100 percent honesty in our relationship. That slap across the face was an eye-opener. It made me feel that I didn’t need to sneak around behind her back. It gave me the freedom for the first time in my life to let go of my secrets. It’s a lesson that I continue to learn--if you lie, no matter how good your intentions, you carry the lie with you. It weighs you down, it holds you back, and you start to lose respect for yourself.
The biggest lies of all are those we tell ourselves. Every time you say, “I can’t do that,” “I don’t have what it takes,” “It’s too late,” or “I’m not good enough,” you’re keeping yourself from living your truth. This is always a tough one for me, and something I continually have to work on. Why do we lie to ourselves? Because a lie feels easy and comfortable. It keeps fear and pain away; it shields you from the unknown. But you deserve more. You deserve not to settle, not to be distracted, and not to deny yourself your highest potential. As the saying goes, “The truth shall set you free.” Be honest about what you want, what you need, and what you’re capable of. Tune out the negative voices in your head that hold you back. Change your mind, change yourself.
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Derek Hough (Taking the Lead: Lessons from a Life in Motion)
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thepsychchic chips clips ii
If you think of yourself instead as an almost-victor who thought correctly and did everything possible but was foiled by crap variance? No matter: you will have other opportunities, and if you keep thinking correctly, eventually it will even out. These are the seeds of resilience, of being able to overcome the bad beats that you can’t avoid and mentally position yourself to be prepared for the next time. People share things with you: if you’ve lost your job, your social network thinks of you when new jobs come up; if you’re recently divorced or separated or bereaved, and someone single who may be a good match pops up, you’re top of mind. This attitude is what I think of as a luck amplifier. … you will feel a whole lot happier … and your ready mindset will prepare you for the change in variance that will come … 134-135
W. H. Auden: “Choice of attention—to pay attention to this and ignore that—is to the inner life what choice of action is to the outer. In both cases man is responsible for his choice and must accept the consequences.” Pay attention, or accept the consequences of your failure. 142
Attention is a powerful mitigator to overconfidence: it forces you to constantly reevaluate your knowledge and your game plan, lest you become too tied to a certain course of action. And if you lose? Well, it allows you to admit when it’s actually your fault and not a bad beat. 147
Following up on Phil Galfond’s suggestion to be both a detective and a storyteller and figure out “what your opponent’s actions mean, and sometimes what they don’t mean.” [Like the dog that didn’t bark in the Sherlock Holmes “Silver Blaze” story.] 159
You don’t have to have studied the description-experience gap to understand, if you’re truly expert at something, that you need experience to balance out the descriptions. Otherwise, you’re left with the illusion of knowledge—knowledge without substance. You’re an armchair philosopher who thinks that just because she read an article about something she is a sudden expert. (David Dunning, a psychologist at the University of Michigan most famous for being one half of the Dunning-Kruger effect—the more incompetent you are, the less you’re aware of your incompetence—has found that people go quickly from being circumspect beginners, who are perfectly aware of their limitations, to “unconscious incompetents,” people who no longer realize how much they don’t know and instead fancy themselves quite proficient.) 161-162
Erik: Generally, the people who cash the most are actually losing players (Nassim Taleb’s Black Swan strategy, jp). You can’t be a winning player by min cashing. 190
The more you learn, the harder it gets; the better you get, the worse you are—because the flaws that you wouldn’t even think of looking at before are now visible and need to be addressed. 191
An edge, even a tiny one, is an edge worth pursuing if you have the time and energy. 208
Blake Eastman: “Before each action, stop, think about what you want to do, and execute.” … Streamlined decisions, no immediate actions, or reactions. A standard process. 217
John Boyd’s OODA: Observe, Orient, Decide, and Act. The way to outmaneuver your opponent is to get inside their OODA loop. 224
Here’s a free life lesson: seek out situations where you’re a favorite; avoid those where you’re an underdog. 237
[on folding] No matter how good your starting hand, you have to be willing to read the signs and let it go.
One thing Erik has stressed, over and over, is to never feel committed to playing an event, ever. “See how you feel in the morning.”
Tilt makes you revert to your worst self. 257
Jared Tindler, psychologist, “It all comes down to confidence, self-esteem, identity, what some people call ego.” 251
JT: “As far as hope in poker, f#¢k it. … You need to think in terms of preparation. Don’t worry about hoping. Just Do.” 252
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Maria Konnikova (The Biggest Bluff: How I Learned to Pay Attention, Master Myself, and Win)
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Life is full of blunders & mistakes. The biggest mistake I ever made is meandering behind desire without admiring myself. From Hari Krishnan Nair
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Hari krishnan Nair (WHO AM I: Author Hari Krishnan Nair)
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The biggest lesson we learned is the same lesson you will learn as you deal with your child’s chronic condition: No one knows the nuances of your child’s health like you do. When you think something’s wrong, it probably is. And you are your child’s best witness. It’s up to you to pursue the matter with grace and firmness. It’s up to you to describe what you see happening. Speak calmly and knowledgeably. Don’t cast blame. Don’t be unreasonable. Just tell the truth about what you observe, and don’t give up until you get a satisfactory answer. Once we started to do that, the doctors listened. In fact our pediatrician apologized about the Fourth of July phone call and said, “If I ever have another patient with this condition, I’ll refer the parents to you. You’re better experts about this than I’ll ever be.” The truth is a powerful witness. It saved our child’s life. It can save your child’s too. Dear Father, make me an expert about my child’s health. Help me be a good observer of the truth and a good communicator with the doctors when I sense something is wrong. Keep me from blaming them when they can’t find the answers. Give me strength to speak the truth until they do.
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Jolene Philo (A Different Dream for My Child: Meditations for Parents of Critically or Chronically Ill Children)
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The biggest mistake I made was to believe that I could graduate from the school of life by skipping all the self-knowledge classes.
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Valeria T. Koopman
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The biggest delusion of human is when he declares he has learnt, and the realization of that very delusion is when he corrects and says that, " Yes, he is still learning"!
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Yash Thakur
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I think the biggest disease the world suffers from in this day and age is the disease of people feeling unloved. I know that I can give love for a minute, for half an hour, for a day, for a month, but I can give. I am very happy to do that. I want to do that.” – Princess Diana Aside
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Larry Berg (Princess Diana: Her Royal Story and Lessons for Life Changing Success: Princess Diana Revealed (Princess Diana, British Royalty, Royal Biography, Dead Wrong, Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales Book 1))
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Now I live in New York. I have a house and furniture and an electric bill and a wife. None of it is particularly glamorous or exciting. And I like it that way. Because after all the years of excitement, the biggest lesson I took from my adventuring was this: absolute freedom, by itself, means nothing.
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Mark Manson (The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life)
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Our biggest problem is that we are a generation that chooses to compete,
because the only time we think we are better or doing better is when we compare ourselves to others.
We choose not to support each or be there for one another because we see everyone as a competition and a threat. We rather see other businesses fail than succeed because we are in competition with the owners.
We are comparing our problems. Instead of finding a solution.
We are comparing our mistakes. Instead of acknowledging and apologizing.
We are comparing our stress and depression. Instead of finding help or counseling.
We are comparing our failures. Instead of improving.
We are comparing our history and past. comparing our shame, abuse, rape,
and assault. Instead listening, caring, sympathizing and finding help or supporting each other.
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D.J. Kyos
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And yes, if the person you're in love with doesn't love you back, your friendship probably won't go back to what it once was. But would you want it to? There's no way I'd have been able to stand by and watch Aaron carve out a life for himself with another person. Jealousy would've got the better of me, as it would almost any human being.
It's a gamble, sure. But the biggest risk of all, I realised, is risking nothing. Because that way, you end up risking anything.
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Stylist Magazine (Life Lessons On Friendship: A collection of funny and inspiring essays on the power of friendship)
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Everyone makes mistakes. Apologize as needed and do better next time. The biggest lessons in life often grow out of mistakes.
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Jessica Speer (Middle School - Safety Goggles Advised: Exploring the WEIRD Stuff from Gossip to Grades, Cliques to Crushes and Popularity to Peer Pressure)
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The biggest lesson I have learned in my life is that we are never alone in our struggle. The rain will stop and your rainbow will shine bright.
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Alexandra Elle (Love in my Language)
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That's the thing, isn't it, when you grow with Time, you learn to value your Time more than anything in this world. You safeguard your peace from literally anything that seems to pull it down, even if that means transient happiness. I learnt long back that Life is a series of lessons, some bitter and well some very very bitter, but all of them assimilate into something so serene, so beautiful actually when looked from a distance. Because each time you're broken, you're made once again, some from the pieces that lay scattered on the ground while some entirely new coming from all across the Sky where He Smiles at You, knowing that your fall was nothing but a blur in the Time that would clutch you later in Life into understanding the Truest Meaning of Life, the virtue of Patience and Perseverance, the lesson on Time, that Time alone has the biggest Smile and if you evolve with it you would walk the fire with the Zeal of your Soul that never ages, you will find wrinkles and scars but those are like battle ropes that get you motivated to walk this Earth one more time, to know that you're still alive, only your core never changes, You in your heart is always that child, the one who is always eager to embrace as much colour from this moment as your senses can. I am not hushing the child but patting it with the serenity of a grey hair, knowing that Life has been kind even at the battles that were thrown along the way, and eventually letting my heart know that the biggest war I'd ever face is within, the war that demands me to hold on too tightly all while letting go too spontaneously, the least I could find is a victory of Knowing I have done it all with an Honest Heart and a Soul that thrives on Faith.
If colours were hued on my Soul, let Integrity be my Sun and as for the Moon, I'd always be Kindness' arm.
Thank You, Life
And to every momentary transient passerby of this beautiful journey, no matter where we left off, I wish your journey finds the course it's meant to walk.
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Debatrayee Banerjee
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Life hit him with the biggest burden it could find but yet it couldn’t knock him down. He is smiling as a little Nepali boy with rhododendron flowers in his hands high up in the Himalayas and is making everybody around him cheerful and calm.
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Bhuwan Thapaliya
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The biggest problem about greedy people. They think kind people are stupid. While you are being generous to them. They think they are playing you.
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D.J. Kyos
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The things that I did when I grow up and the standards I hold and followed in the society. Kept me safe and I was labeled as a good person, but those things costs me joy, happiness and pleasures of life. I had to fight nature and my feelings everyday. Today I am branded and trusted with titles that cost me my time and life. I still try to maintain the standards but I don't have life of my own or experience any pleasures of life.
I had achieved what I wanted and what other people wanted for me, but I had lost what it is important in this life. To live and experience life. All the good decisions I made then are now my biggest regrets, root of my depression and downfall.
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D.J. Kyos
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My face softens into a smile. How was there ever a day that I wasn’t completely and utterly gone for this guy? There are a lot of things I learned in our time together, but the biggest lesson my husband taught me is what it feels like to be loved for the first time in my life.
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Liz Tomforde (Play Along (Windy City, #4))
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There are a lot of things I learned in our time together, but the biggest lesson my husband taught me is what it feels like to be loved for the first time in my life.
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Liz Tomforde (Play Along (Windy City, #4))
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Shocks and Joys"
The biggest shocks in life were:
That freedom is a lie
Choosing chains carefully is more important
than chasing illusions…
That family and relatives are but a hit or miss biological coincidence…
That life isn’t short as they claim
for those who understand the game…
That there is no friend in need,
but indeed, need is the only constant friend…
The biggest joys in life were:
The smell of a freshly baked loaf of bread
A sip of water
The depth of a word
The taste of a fresh fig
The silence and tunes of nature
The unexpected scent of a rose that tickles the nose
after having fallen in the abyss of despair…
[Original poem published in Arabic on March 9, 2023 at ahewar.org]
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Louis Yako
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Negative habits eat you up. They’re the biggest roadblocks that prevent you from realising your fullest potential; and the very first step towards crafting real change is to become aware of all the destructive habits that squander you! An awareness of what needs to be improved, tackled, or abandoned will go a long way in restructuring your life. Make a list of all the lousy habits that you want to eliminate; and then roust them out of your life, before they chomp you up completely. Axe them, uproot them, throw them into the ocean and never look back.
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Manprit Kaur
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Endure and I Will Save You Give Me your mind, My child, and I will keep it with tranquility. Through the trials and through the storms, I will keep you at peace. Though your life may be tempest-tossed, I will keep you safely in My arms. So do not trust the doubts and fears that arise in hardships. Rather, render your thoughts to Me and do not have an anxious mind. I promise you that I will take care of you! Simply have faith—that’s all I require of you. Then, in time, you will see that My provision is all you need. Be content with the things I give you, and above all, remember that I have given it. If you view your possessions as a work of your own hands, you’ll fret when you lose it. But if you recognize that all you have comes from Me, then you’ll understand that I am taking away your abundance to temper your heart. So do not succumb to the temptations to fix your own situation when trials arise. I know it’s hard to wait for Me, but by waiting you’ll learn to grow in faith. Sometimes the biggest lessons in faith do not come from facing your giants. They come instead from the waiting place. As you wait, you’ll be tempted to run from My will and save yourself. However, if you rest in Me, you’ll find that after you have endured, I will save you. Scripture for Thought “Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!” (Psalm 27:14, NKJV)
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Adam Houge (30 Days With Jesus)
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Life Lesson 14 The biggest adventure you can ever take is to live the life of your dreams.
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Sophia Franklin (Oprah: Oprah Winfrey, 70 Greatest Life Lessons)
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The biggest moment of your life when your enemy think for a second that you are a good person..
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Aditya Pandya
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The best opportunities sometimes have the worst appearances.
The poorest people sometimes have the richest minds.
The shallowest people sometimes have the deepest pockets.
The quietest people sometimes have the wildest hearts.
The meekest people sometimes have the greatest power.
The calmest people sometimes have the uneasiest souls.
The humblest people sometimes have the biggest accomplishments.
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Matshona Dhliwayo
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Only knowledge that is used sticks in your mind. My biggest problem with a lot of schooling institutions is that everything is taught through books and lectures and nothing is actually experienced. There is nothing wrong with learning this way but it has to be followed by action. You will only truly learn something if you experience it too. Whenever you learn something make sure you are also putting it into practice. That way you will never forget it.
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Joy Jefferson (Carnegie: Carnegie, 70 Greatest Life Lessons)
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One reason why birds and horses are not unhappy is because they are not trying to impress other birds and horses. One of the biggest reasons people are unhappy is because they are constantly trying to please other people rather than pleasing themselves. Once you realize that life has got nothing to with other people you will understand the true meaning of happiness. Today start by focusing on doing things to impress yourself and ask yourself ‘what would make ME proud’?
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Joy Jefferson (Carnegie: Carnegie, 70 Greatest Life Lessons)
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Good Things Happen to Big-Thinking People A tourist walked down a pier and watched a fisherman pull in a large fish, measure it, and throw it back. He caught a second fish, smaller this time, he measured it, and put it in his basket. Oddly, all fish over 10 inches, he discarded. The smaller ones, he kept. Someone asked him, “why?” The fisherman said, “Because my frying pan only measures 10 inches.” Is that foolish? Of course it is, but it’s no more so than when we throw away the biggest ideas and most beautiful dreams that come into your mind simply because your experience is too limited. Start growing now. Start thinking. Big things happen to big-thinking people. You can become the team you want to be. It’s possible. Every man must make his contribution.
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Peter G. Tormey (The Thursday Speeches: Lessons in Life, Leadership, and Football from Coach Don James)
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One impulsive act can break you. Never push things to the edge, no matter who you are, you will be the biggest loser.
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Mayur Ramgir
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Pain is the only pleasure in the world, this is the biggest paradox!
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Dixy Gandhi (SHE- Stories of Modern Indian Women)
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I’d like to see my niece, if you don’t mind.” “She’ll be here pretty soon. But there’s another thing. I’d like your permission to ask Shelby to be my wife.” Walt ground his teeth. “You’re really pressing your luck.” “Oh, you don’t know the half.” Luke chuckled before he could stop himself. “Almost thirty-nine years old and I’m buying into the whole program. It’s not even one of her conditions—it’s one of mine. General Booth, she’s everything to me. I can’t live without her. I thought I could and I tried, but it’s too late for me. I’m in love with Shelby. I’m going to be in love with her for the rest of my life.” Walt was sitting straighter. He moved to the edge of his chair. “What about her education? What about a family? I think my niece wants a family and I heard you say that wasn’t—” “You probably heard me say a lot of things I thought I meant and didn’t, sir. Shelby can have anything she wants, do anything she wants—I’ll support her. I’m not going to waste her time, sir. If she’ll marry me, I’ll give her everything I have, go anywhere she needs me to go. She won’t ever again leave my house thinking I don’t care about her. That could have been the biggest mistake of my lifetime.” Walt smiled in spite of himself. “Learned your lesson, did you, boy?” Luke didn’t mind so much being called a boy by this military icon, but the truth hit him pretty hard. “Oh, man,” he said, shaking his head. “You have no idea.” Walt leaned back. “I like seeing you humbled a little bit, Riordan. What if I withhold my permission?” “Oh, I’ll ask her anyway. I’ll tell her you disapprove and ask her to overlook that. But I’d like to do this right, sir. I’ve made enough mistakes—I don’t want to make one more.” “Hmm,” Walt hummed. “I guess I can still be surprised….” “Sir?” “I didn’t figure you for intelligence.” Luke
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Robyn Carr (Paradise Valley)