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You are in danger of living a life so comfortable and soft, that you will die without ever realizing your true potential.
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David Goggins (Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds)
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Take a chance and risk it all or play it safe and suffer defeat.
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Pittacus Lore (I Am Number Four (Lorien Legacies, #1))
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Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans, born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage, and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world. Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.
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John Fitzgerald Kennedy
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Though all three men faced the same hardship, their differing perceptions of it appeared to be shaping their fates. Louie and Phil's hope displaced their fear and inspired them to work toward their survival, and each success renewed their physical and emotional vigor. Mac's resignation seemed to paralyze him and the less he participated in their efforts to survive, the more he slipped. Though he did the least, as the days passed, it was he who faded the most. Louie and Phil's optimism, and Mac's hopelessness, were becoming self-fulfilling.
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Laura Hillenbrand (Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption)
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Just because a person successfully steers a voyage through hell doesn't mean he ever wants to sail that route again.
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Richelle E. Goodrich (Smile Anyway: Quotes, Verse, & Grumblings for Every Day of the Year)
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We shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and success of liberty
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John Fitzgerald Kennedy
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Every great man, every successful man, no matter what the field of endeavor, has known the magic that lies in these words: every adversity has the seed of an equivalent or greater benefit.
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W. Clement Stone
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To be successful, one has to be one of three bees - the queen bee, the hardest working bee, or the bee that does not fit in. One success is inherited, and the the next one is earned. While the last one is self-sought, self-served, and happens on its own terms.
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Suzy Kassem (Rise Up and Salute the Sun: The Writings of Suzy Kassem)
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Falling into the trap of self-pity will get you no where in life. It's sorrowful endless cycle will keep you from reaching your goals. Everyone has a sad story but not everyone allows it to restrain them. Let life's hardships fuel you to success instead of holding you back. Start controlling your life or it will control you!
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Timothy Pina (Hearts for Haiti: Book of Poetry & Inspiration)
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Resilience is built from real hardship and cannot be bought or manufactured.
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Julie Lythcott-Haims (How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success)
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I wish to preach, not the doctrine of ignoble ease, but the doctrine of the strenuous life, the life of toil and effort, of labor and strife; to preach that highest form of success which comes, not to the man who desires mere easy peace, but to the man who does not shrink from danger, from hardship, or from bitter toil, and who out of these wins the splendid ultimate triumph.
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Theodore Roosevelt (The Strenuous Life, Essays and Addresses)
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Maybe someday, if I succeed at something, I'll stop saying, "It isn't fair" about everything else.
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Lois Lowry (A Summer to Die)
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Your true love for God is demonstrated through your ability to hold onto your faithfulness in the midst of Prosperity and Poverty, Happiness and Hardships, Sickness and Success; in whatever is Appealing or Appalling!
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Israelmore Ayivor (The Great Hand Book of Quotes)
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To some extent we all need losses and difficulties and challenges, because without them the thrill of success weakens gradually with each new victory. That’s why people spend precious chunks of free time doing difficult crosswords and climbing dangerous mountains—because the hardship of the challenge is far more compelling than knowing you’re going to succeed.
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Adam Alter (Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked)
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Dreams and freedom are the same. In order for them to be, they come with a price.
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Criss Jami (Killosophy)
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I wish to preach, not the doctrine of ignoble ease, but the doctrine of the strenuous life, the life of effort, labor and strife; to preach that highest form of success which comes, not the the man who desires mere easy peace, but to the man who does not shrink from danger, from hardship, or from bitter toil, and who out of these wins the splendid ultimate triumph.
”
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Theodore Roosevelt
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When you are stressed and challenged by hardships just smile through it as frowning won’t help in changing the situation
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Abhysheq Shukla (The Reflection "Success or Stress"Choose Wisely)
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I wasn’t always broken; we are all born pure. It is our journey that burdens us and leads us astray. Our mistakes that beat us down and cover us in guilt and shame, burying us a little more with each successive hardship. It is up to us to dig ourselves out, to come to terms with our faults, to embrace not only our imperfections but those of the ones we love, and to once again find the path we strayed from.
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Madeline Sheehan (Unbeloved (Undeniable, #4))
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Because the Turkish nation has been successful in overcoming hardships through national unity and togetherness. And because the torch the Turkish nation holds in her hand and in her mind, while marching on the road of progress and civilization, is positive science.
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Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
“
Katz had read extensively in popular sociobiology, and his understanding of the depressive personality type and its seemingly perverse persistence in the human gene pool was that depression was successful adaptation to ceaseless pain and hardship. Pessimism, feelings of worthlessness and lack of entitlement, inability to derive satisfaction from pleasure, a tormenting awareness of the world's general crappiness: for Katz Jewish paternal forebears, who'd been driven from shtetl to shtetl by implacable anti-Semites, as for the old Angles and Saxons on his mother's side, who'd labored to grow rye and barley in the poor soils and short summers of northern Europe, feeling bad all the time and expecting the worse had been natural ways of equilibriating themselves with the lousiness of their circumstances. Few things gratified depressives, after all, more than really bad news. This obviously wasn't an optimal way to live, but it had its evolutionary advantages.
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Jonathan Franzen (Freedom)
“
Like those in the valley behind us, most people stand in sight of the spiritual mountains all their lives and never enter them, being content to listen to others who have been there and thus avoid the hardships. Some travel into the mountains accompanied by experienced guides who know the best and least dangerous routes by which they arrive at their destination. Still others, inexperienced and untrusting, attempt to make their own routes. Few of these are successful, but occasionally some, by sheer will and luck and grace, do make it. Once there they become more aware than any of the others that there's no single or fixed number of routes. There are as many routes as there are individual souls.
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Robert M. Pirsig (Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values (Phaedrus, #1))
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We all make mistakes. It is important to learn from them and just as important to know when to move on.
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Gina Varamo
“
Those who were raised in poverty and have been successful to overcome the shame of it, understands the hardship of those who are left behind.
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Ellen J. Barrier
“
People who are driven by love will overcome hardships and hurdles in ways that people who are only driven by profit never can.
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Simon S. Tam
“
Sometimes, situation may be uncomfortable but must endure.
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Think Great: Be Great! (Beautiful Quotes, #1))
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The hardest year of my life taught me perseverance in the face of difficulty is crucial for success. I believe the human soul desires hardship. Deterrents are put in your life to test your resilience, to bring you closer to your life’s purpose. If you don’t know failure, how could you ever relish in glory?
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Kristin Michelle Elizabeth
“
we are all born pure. It is our journey that burdens us and leads us astray. Our mistakes that beat us down and cover us in guilt and shame, burying us a little more with each successive hardship. It is up to us to dig ourselves out, to come to terms with our faults, to embrace not only our imperfections but those of the ones we love, and to once again find the path we strayed from.
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Madeline Sheehan (Unbeloved (Undeniable, #4))
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Known to successive generations of students as ‘Professor McGonagall,’ Minerva – always something of a feminist – announced that she would be keeping her own name upon marriage. Traditionalists sniffed – why was Minerva refusing to accept a pure-blood name, and keeping that of her Muggle father? The
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J.K. Rowling (Short Stories from Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies (Pottermore Presents, #1))
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We all have our own road to walk. Whether rocky, curving, straight or smooth, what good is a lonely road? It’s when we run and intersect with other roads that defines our road. When road meets road do we get direction, and choices to cross into another life.
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Anthony Liccione
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The results of learning from difficulties and obstacles are endurance and perseverance. Hardship, when combined with self-control, fosters strong soft skills.
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Norbertus Krisnu Prabowo
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It shouldn't take a life-changing event for you to change your life.
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Shaun Hick
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Do not judge my success by the destination I reached but the distance I traveled.
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Majid Kazmi (The First Dancer: How to be the first among equals and attract unlimited opportunities)
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A hardship mentality can make us narrow and defensive. A success and prosperity mentality can make us selfish. An attitude of thankfulness to God, for what He gives us, can make us truly generous.
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Charles R. Ringma (Seize the Day -- with Dietrich Bonhoeffer: A 365 Day Devotional (Designed for Influence))
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Good art can come out of thieves, bootleggers, or horse swipes. People really are afraid to find out just how much hardship and poverty they can stand. They are afraid to find out how tough they are. Nothing can destroy the good writer. The only thing that can alter the good writer is death. Good ones don't have time to bother with success or getting rich. Success is feminine and like a woman; if you cringe before her, she will override you. So the way to treat her is to show her the back of your hand. Then maybe she will do the crawling.
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William Faulkner
“
Though all three men faced the same hardship, their differing perceptions of it appeared to be shaping their fates. Louie and Phil’s hope displaced their fear and inspired them to work toward their survival, and each success renewed their physical and emotional vigor. Mac’s resignation seemed to paralyze him, and the less he participated in their efforts to survive, the more he slipped. Though he did the least, as the days passed, it was he who
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Laura Hillenbrand (Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption)
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Truth always teaches you more than ignorance.
Understanding always teaches you more than curiosity.
Sight always teaches you more than blindness.
Certainty always teaches you more than falsehood.
Silence always teaches you more than noise.
Stillness always teaches you more than motion.
Growth always teaches you more than stagnation.
Nature always teaches you more than appearance.
Enemies always teach you more than friends.
Composure always teaches you more than wrath.
Humility always teaches you more than arrogance.
Poverty always teaches you more than riches.
Sorrow always teaches you more than happiness.
Hardship always teaches you more than success.
Contentment always teaches you more than greed.
Pain always teaches you more than pleasure.
Misery always teaches you more than comfort.
Love always teaches you more than passion.
Action always teaches you more than apathy.
God always teaches you more than reality.
Life always teaches you more than death.
Light always teaches you more than darkness.
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Matshona Dhliwayo
“
Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and the success of liberty.” Vietnam became the case in point. In a letter to Diem in 1961, Kennedy wrote, “We are
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Mark Bowden (Hue 1968: A Turning Point of the American War in Vietnam)
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There is scarcely a quality which so much dignifies human nature as consistency of conduct -- and no weakness more deplorable than that of instability.
Examine, choose, compare, reject, but having once made your selection of profession, stand by your decision.
Difficulties, and privations, and hardships, must be encountered; but determination will overcome them all.
And not only sloth and folly, but even genius will be outdone by perseverance.
It often is the case that he who can endure the most is in the end the most successful.
”
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Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz (Dr. Mütter's Marvels: A True Tale of Intrigue and Innovation at the Dawn of Modern Medicine)
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Don't get discouraged by present hardships,
They are the reason to your success in future.
"Easy Victory is less valued than a hard one".
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Jiten Bhatt
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Be flexible like trees; when the wind blows bend, but do not break.
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Matshona Dhliwayo
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Every seed must rise through dirt to enjoy the sunshine.
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Matshona Dhliwayo
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Success is something that comes to you after you pull off many seemingly impossible tasks.
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Johannes Larsson
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I admire successful men and women who endured and overcome unusual circumstances to fulfill their dreams.
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Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
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It takes an enormous amount of self-confidence to tell others about your struggles while you are still struggling.
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Mokokoma Mokhonoana
“
Breakdowns create breakthroughs.
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Richie Norton
“
It is our journey that burdens us and leads us astray. Our mistakes that beat us down and cover us in guilt and shame, burying us a little more with each successive hardship. It is up to us to dig ourselves out, to come to terms with our faults, to embrace not only our imperfections but those of the ones we love, and to once again find the path we strayed from.
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Madeline Sheehan (Unbeloved (Undeniable, #4))
“
Optimists Optimism is normal, but some fortunate people are more optimistic than the rest of us. If you are genetically endowed with an optimistic bias, you hardly need to be told that you are a lucky person—you already feel fortunate. An optimistic attitude is largely inherited, and it is part of a general disposition for well-being, which may also include a preference for seeing the bright side of everything. If you were allowed one wish for your child, seriously consider wishing him or her optimism. Optimists are normally cheerful and happy, and therefore popular; they are resilient in adapting to failures and hardships, their chances of clinical depression are reduced, their immune system is stronger, they take better care of their health, they feel healthier than others and are in fact likely to live longer. A study of people who exaggerate their expected life span beyond actuarial predictions showed that they work longer hours, are more optimistic about their future income, are more likely to remarry after divorce (the classic “triumph of hope over experience”), and are more prone to bet on individual stocks. Of course, the blessings of optimism are offered only to individuals who are only mildly biased and who are able to “accentuate the positive” without losing track of reality. Optimistic individuals play a disproportionate role in shaping our lives. Their decisions make a difference; they are the inventors, the entrepreneurs, the political and military leaders—not average people. They got to where they are by seeking challenges and taking risks. They are talented and they have been lucky, almost certainly luckier than they acknowledge. They are probably optimistic by temperament; a survey of founders of small businesses concluded that entrepreneurs are more sanguine than midlevel managers about life in general. Their experiences of success have confirmed their faith in their judgment and in their ability to control events. Their self-confidence is reinforced by the admiration of others. This reasoning leads to a hypothesis: the people who have the greatest influence on the lives of others are likely to be optimistic and overconfident, and to take more risks than they realize.
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Daniel Kahneman (Thinking, Fast and Slow)
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Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and the success of liberty.
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James Rosone (Monroe Doctrine: A Post-War Novel)
“
If everything is smooth sailing right from the beginning, we cannot become people of substance and character. By surmounting paining setbacks and obstacles, we can create a brilliant history of triumph that will shine forever. That is what makes life so exciting and enjoyable. In any field of endeavour, those who overcome hardships and grow as human beings are advancing towards success and victory in life.” – Daisaku Ikeda
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Tom Corson-Knowles (20 Life-Changing Books Box Set: 20 Bestselling Authors Share Their Secrets to Health, Wealth and Success)
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Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.” – John F. Kennedy
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John F. Bronzo (Mary Bernadette: Secrets of a Dallas Moon)
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You are not what you have done, but what you have overcome. All the hardships, the mistakes, the rejections, the pain and all the times you questioned why have given birth to the wisdom and strength that will help you shine your light on the world, even in the darkest of hour. Failures and struggles keep you humble. Success and achievement keep you glowing, but only faith and determination keep you going. Stay focused and celebrate your efforts too, not just the outcomes.
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John Geiger
“
Katz had read extensively in popular sociobiology, and his understanding of the depressive personality type and its seemingly perverse persistence in the human gene pool was that depression was a successful adaptation to ceaseless pain and hardship.
”
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Jonathan Franzen (Freedom)
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People who’ve had lots of failures talk about those failures as if to imply that if they have another life, they’ll be a big success. After facing all that hardship, they think they won’t mess up again. But they’re all – me included, of course – making a fundamental mistake. Failures know a lot about failure, sure. But knowing failure is completely different from knowing success. Fixing your mistakes doesn’t mean success takes their place – you’ve just got a point to start at, is all. That’s something failures don’t understand.
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Sugaru Miaki (Ich habe mein Leben für 10.000 Yen pro Jahr verkauft #1)
“
She endures in times of hardship. She takes pain and fuels it to her creative advantage. She knows in order to achieve her greatest expression she must embrace her demons. That is the only true way to grow as a human being. She would rather struggle than be stagnant.
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Kristin Michelle Elizabeth
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An inexhaustible capacity to engage in sin is what makes human beings capable of living a virtuous life. To err is human; to seek penance is humankind’s unique act of salvation. Whenever a person fails, it is often their overwhelming sense of anguish that drives them forward to make a second attempt that is far more bighearted than they originally envisioned. The need for redemption drives us to try again despite our backside enduring the terrible weight of our greatest catastrophes. There is no person as magnanimous as a person whom finally encountered tremendous success after previously enduring a tear-filled trail of hardships and repeated setbacks. In an effort to redeem our lost dignity, in an effort to regain self-respect, we find our true selves. By working independently to better ourselves and struggling to fulfill our cherished values, we save ourselves while coincidentally uplifting all of humanity.
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Kilroy J. Oldster (Dead Toad Scrolls)
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depression was a successful adaptation to ceaseless pain and hardship [...] feeling bad all the time and expecting the worst had been natural ways of equilibrating themselves with the lousiness of their circumstances. Few things gratified depressives, after all, more than really bad news [...] Grim situations were Katz's niche the way murky water was a carp's [...] he might well have started making music again, had it not been for the accident of success. He flopped around on the ground, heavily carplike, his psychic gills straining futilely to extract dark sustenance from an atmosphere of approval and plenitude.
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Jonathan Franzen (Freedom)
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Here, dear reader, you must summon patient compassion. Try to imagine the hardships of a military officer triply burdened by close relationships with political leaders and the national news media, an Ivy League PhD, and wartime triumphs leading an elite airborne division. Our hero somehow survived in spite of it all. He rose against his handicaps, triumphing over the awful mark of Princeton University, that great gathering place for outcasts, rebels, and the socially obscure. He secured higher military rank even though he had been successful in combat. He adroitly worked CBS News, the Washington Post, and the United States Senate, yet still rose to prominence.
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Chris Bray
“
Mountains like these and travelers in the mountains and events that happen to them here are found not only in Zen literature but in the tales of every major religion. This allegory of a physical mountain for the spiritual one that stands between each soul and its goal is an easy and natural one to make. Like those in the valley behind us, most people stand in sight of the spiritual mountains all their lives and never enter them, being content to listen to others who have been there and thus avoid the hardships. Some travel into the mountains accompanied by experienced guides who know the best and least dangerous routes by which they arrive at their destination. Still others, inexperienced and untrusting, attempt to make their own routes. Few of these are successful, but occasionally some, by sheer will and luck and grace, do make it. Once there they become more aware than any of the others that there's no single or fixed number of routes. There are as many routes as there are individual souls.
”
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Robert M. Pirsig (Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values (Phaedrus, #1))
“
Lack of harmony and cooperation between the railroad management and the workers has made it necessary for the railroads to increase their freight and passenger rates, and this, in turn, has increased the cost of life's necessities to almost unbearable proportions. Here, again, lack of cooperation between a few leads to hardship for millions of people.
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Napoleon Hill (Think and Grow Rich / The Law of Success)
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Though all three men faced the same hardship, their differing perceptions of it appeared to be shaping their fates. Louie and Phil’s hope displaced their fear and inspired them to work toward their survival, and each success renewed their physical and emotional vigor. Mac’s resignation seemed to paralyze him, and the less he participated in their efforts to survive, the more he slipped. Though he did the least, as the days passed, it was he who faded the most. Louie and Phil’s optimism, and Mac’s hopelessness, were becoming self-fulfilling.
”
”
Laura Hillenbrand (Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption)
“
The narrow path of the righteous is an extremely difficult path to travel. The rough road to victory is a very challenging endeavor that pushes the limits of endurance. Enormous mountains of hardship, boisterous storms of adversity, and several other elements of confrontation are there in their various forms of operation to test our faith. So it’s very important for us to apply the word of our God to our lives, and believe it with unwavering faith. Then no form of adversity can keep us back from a successful advancement into a deeper progression where greater achievements are obtained.
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Calvin W. Allison (Standing at the Top of the Hill)
“
No Love Without Tears (The Sonnet)
There is no love without tears.
There is no diversity without difference.
There is no revolution without smears.
There's no justice without inconvenience.
There is no development without flaws.
There is no dignity without disrespect.
There is no learning without falling.
There is no heart without heartbreak.
There is no path without the thorns.
There is no pedestrian without weariness.
There is no dream without the hardship.
There's no determination without doubtfulness.
Only those who have felt excruciating pain,
Can help others without expecting any gain.
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Abhijit Naskar (Mücadele Muhabbet: Gospel of An Unarmed Soldier)
“
Testing for a sense of purpose at its broadest and most visceral is simple: make the experience unpleasant enough and only the truly committed will persevere. The physical hardship of BUD/S is a test, not of strength, but of commitment. “We could tell from interviews who would drop,” Ruiz says. “It was the ones who were in it for themselves: ‘I want to try BUD/S,’ ‘I think I’ll enjoy the challenge.’ Nobody enjoys BUD/S—it’s hell.” The successful ones, he explained, “were the guys who said, ‘I wanna be on the SEAL teams. I wanna fight overseas.’ It seems like a small difference, but it means everything.
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Stanley McChrystal (Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World)
“
In the second story, which reminds me to look inward for solutions to what may be troubling me, the ninth-century sage Rabia was looking for a lost key under a streetlight. Her neighbors turned out to help, but without success. Finally, they asked where she might have dropped the key, so that they could better focus their search. “Actually,” said Rabia, “I lost it in my house.” Bemused, they asked her why she didn’t look for it there. “Because,” she said, “there’s no light in my house, but out here the light is bright!” The neighbors laughed, and Rabia seized the moment to make her point. “Friends,” she said, “you are intelligent people and that is why you laugh. But tell me: When you lose your joy or peace of mind because of some disappointment or hardship, did you lose it out there [gesturing around her] or in here [gesturing to her heart]?” We tend to lay blame on our external circumstances and seek superficial solutions, but the truth is that we lost our peace and joy inside ourselves. We avoid looking inside us, where the light is dim. When we make it a lifelong practice to shine the light of compassionate awareness on ourself, our shadow gently begins to diminish, and we come closer to discovering our radiant, divine Self.
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Jamal Rahman (Spiritual Gems of Islam: Insights & Practices from the Qur’an, Hadith, Rumi & Muslim Teaching Stories to Enlighten the Heart & Mind)
“
I have talked with many pastors whose real struggle isn’t first with the hardship of ministry, the lack of appreciation and involvement of people, or difficulties with fellow leaders. No, the real struggle they are having, one that is very hard for a pastor to admit, is with God. What is caused to ministry become hard and burdensome is disappointment and anger at God.
We have forgotten that pastoral ministry is war and that you will never live successfully in the pastorate if you live with the peacetime mentality. Permit me to explain. The fundamental battle of pastoral ministry is not with the shifting values of the surrounding culture. It is not the struggle with resistant people who don't seem to esteem the Gospel. It is not the fight for the success of ministries of the church. And is not the constant struggle of resources and personnel to accomplish the mission. No, the war of the pastor is a deeply personal war. It is far on the ground of the pastor’s heart. It is a war values, allegiances, and motivations. It's about the subtle desires and foundational dreams. This war is the greatest threat to every pastor. Yet it is a war that we often naïvely ignore or quickly forget in the busyness of local church ministry.
When you forget the Gospel, you begin to seek from the situations, locations and relationships of ministry what you already have been given in Christ. You begin to look to ministry for identity, security, hope, well-being, meeting, and purpose. These things are already yours in Christ.
In ways of which you are not always aware, your ministry is always shaped by what is in functional control of your heart.
The fact of the matter is that many pastors become awe numb or awe confused, or they get awe kidnapped. Many pastors look at glory and don't seek glory anymore. Many pastors are just cranking out because they don't know what else to do. Many pastors preach a boring, uninspiring gospel that makes you wonder why people aren't sleeping their way through it. Many pastors are better at arguing fine points of doctrine than stimulating divine wonder. Many pastors see more stimulated by the next ministry, vision of the next step in strategic planning than by the stunning glory of the grand intervention of grace into sin broken hearts. The glories of being right, successful, in control, esteemed, and secure often become more influential in the way that ministry is done than the awesome realities of the presence, sovereignty, power, and love of God.
Mediocrity is not a time, personnel, resource, or location problem. Mediocrity is a heart problem. We have lost our commitment to the highest levels of excellence because we have lost our awe.
”
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Paul David Tripp (Dangerous Calling: Confronting the Unique Challenges of Pastoral Ministry)
“
Here are the four keys to successful commitments: 1. Strong desire: In order to fully commit to something, you need a clear and personally compelling reason. Without a strong desire you will struggle when the implementation gets difficult, but with a compelling desire, seemingly insurmountable obstacles are seen as challenges to be met. The desired end result needs to be meaningful enough to get you through the hard times and keep you on track. 2. Keystone actions: Once you have an intense desire to accomplish something, you then need to identify the core actions that will produce the result you’re after. In today’s world, many of us have become spectators rather than participants. We must remember that it’s what we do that counts. In most endeavors there are often many activities that help you accomplish your goal. However there are usually a few core activities that account for the majority of the results, and in some cases there are only one or two keystone actions that ultimately produce the result. It is critical that you identify these keystones and focus on them. 3. Count the costs: Commitments require sacrifice. In any effort there are benefits and costs. Too often we claim to commit to something without considering the costs, the hardships that will have to be overcome to accomplish your desire. Costs can include time, money, risk, uncertainty, loss of comfort, and so on. Identifying the costs before you commit allows you to consciously choose whether you are willing to pay the price of your commitment. When you face any of these costs, it is extremely helpful to recognize that you anticipated them and decided that reaching your goal was worth it. 4. Act on commitments, not feelings: There will be times when you won’t feel like doing the critical activities. We’ve all been there. Getting out of bed at 5:30 a.m. to jog in the winter cold can be daunting, especially when you’re in a toasty warm bed. It is during these times that you will need to learn to act on your commitments instead of your feelings. If you don’t, you will never build any momentum and will get stuck continually restarting or, as is so often the case, giving up. Learning to do the things you need to do, regardless of how you feel, is a core discipline for success.
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Brian P. Moran (The 12 Week Year: Get More Done in 12 Weeks than Others Do in 12 Months)
“
In 1932, the combination of these intractable forces would result in widespread hardship for the agricultural provinces of old Russia, and death by starvation for millions of peasants in Ukraine.* [*While many of the young loyalists (like Nina) who joined the udarniks in the countryside would have their faith in the Party tested by what they witnessed, most of Russia, and for that matter the world, would be spared the spectacle of this man-made disaster. For just as peasants from the countryside were forbidden to enter the cities, journalists from the cities were forbidden to enter the countryside; delivery of personal mail was suspended; and the windows of passenger trains were blackened. In fact, so successful was the campaign to contain awareness of the crisis, when word leaked out that millions were starving in Ukraine, Walter Duranty, the lead correspondent for The New York Times in Russia (and one of the ringleaders in the Shalyapin Bar), would report that these rumors of famine were grossly exaggerated and had probably originated with anti-Soviet propagandists. Thus, the world would shrug. And even as the crime unfolded, Duranty would win the Pulitzer Prize.]
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Amor Towles (A Gentleman in Moscow)
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Climb That Mountain (Poem)
***
There is a mountain placed before us.
It's wide, big; high above the clouds.
With no way around it;
no choice about it.
Just to climb it,
even through low sighs.
Some mountains, we choose.
Often those that we pursue
are easy to climb.
They leave no bruise;
we step on them like crumbs.
No sweat, no fuse.
But also no valuable lesson.
Just an excuse after an excuse.
There are harsh sessions on the high mountain.
Hard lessons on the big mountain.
No breaks, no fountains.
Just hardships and rough times.
No awards, no rewards.
Just emotional, mental tides and fines.
Fine, we usually accept the challenge.
Out of options, we welcome the change.
An exchange of comfort for caution.
We become deranged for family.
For our children, friends, even lovers.
Some lovers who may become an enemy.
We become a destiny with no back covers.
With our back against the wall.
Our back totally exposed to all.
But, step by step,
day by day,
with our veins, we climb up but not in vain.
Some days we want to go back to our fortress.
Some days we only see black, no success.
But, after a while, mounting in grime,
we forget about the pain.
The hardships start to fade.
We start to familiarise the pain with the trees.
We accept the bushes and rocks as home.
We follow the footsteps of animals and bees;
looking for shortcuts to roam.
Seeking solace in the shade of what we see.
We seek and become one with isolation.
In isolation, we start to rely on ourselves more.
We learn to love all our sores;
to trust our own instincts.
We become stronger and sharper in senses.
And the stronger we become,
the faster we mount in fun.
In the end, we reach the top.
Out of it all,
we come out unbreakable, alive.
Tired but, surely, revived.
”
”
Mitta Xinindlu
“
45. No Plan Survives First Contact With The Enemy
No matter how well you have prepared for something in advance - whether it’s an expedition, an exam, a marriage or a race - when you find yourself in the thick of the action, however good your plan, things happen.
Adventure is unpredictable, and you had better learn to be flexible and to swing with the punches, or you will get beaten - it’s as simple as that.
Mike Tyson famously once said: ‘Everyone has a plan…until they get punched in the face!’
If the adventure is an exciting one, you can bet your bottom dollar you will get hit by the occasional punch in the face. So prepare for the unexpected, and remember that forewarned is forearmed.
Knowing that things will and do go wrong in the heat of battle is actually half the battle. It means that when it happens you are ready for it - you can react fast, stay nimble and you can survive the barrage.
We used to say in the military that when things took a turn for the worse you have to ‘improvise, adapt and overcome.’ IAO. It is a good one to remember. It gives us a road map to deal with the unexpected.
Being caught out, being caught off guard often makes people freeze - it is a human reaction to shock. But freezing can cost you the edge. So learn to anticipate the unexpected, and when it happens, smile to yourself and treat it as a solid marker that you are doing something right on your road to success.
If nothing ever goes wrong then you haven’t been ambitious enough!
I also like to say that the real adventure begins in earnest when things go a little bit wrong. It is only then that you get to pit yourself against the worst the wild has to throw at you. When all is going to plan, with all the kit working perfectly and the weather benign, then it isn’t really a test of character. It is easy to be the hero when all is going your way.
But when it all goes wrong and life feels like a battle, it is then that we can see what sort of people we have around us. It is only through the hardships that our character becomes forged. Without struggle there can be no growth - physically or emotionally.
So embrace the unexpected, feed off it, train yourself to be a master of the curve ball, and you will have built yourself another solid ‘character’ rung on the ladder to success.
”
”
Bear Grylls (A Survival Guide for Life: How to Achieve Your Goals, Thrive in Adversity, and Grow in Character)
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God has not given us the spirit of fear. He has given us the spirit of Love and a competent mind.
Love conquers fear, because Love has Power, that creates a competent mind, that allows a person to make rational decisions and use righteous judgment to resolve or solve problems.
Through this God-given process, we are able to endure and persevere in times of hardships, and when facing a crisis. When our spirit is broken by hate, and heavy loads are placed upon us, we turn to God for strength in our storms of life. And we seek his Love to restore us to wholeness. He restores us with Hope. From within him we receive Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance as it is noted in Galatians 5:22.
Because of God's Love for us, we are able to have the patience to wait for his Power to restore us so that we are in control of our mind to over-power fear and to lead a successful life to meet our goals and create a greater opportunity filled with his blessings.
He has created us to be a victorious people. Therefore, we are able to create far greater opportunities through Love.
God gives power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increases strength. (Isaiah 40:29)
When we are broken by the storms of life, God's Love restore us. We bow before him, in a humble spirit at his throne of grace, and ask in prayer for mercy and renewed strength. It is here that we find the needed strength to forgive those who have wronged us and the Power to Love.
Those who wait upon the Lord, shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31)
Fear is powerless. It torments the mind and paralyzes the thought process. It causes panic. Thereby, leaving the person, feeling a sense of hopelessness and unwilling to trust others. It closes possibilities to allow for change.
The prophet Isaiah noted; Even the youth shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall. (Isaiah 40:30)
And when Jesus disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It is a spirit," and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I, be not afraid. (Matthew 14:26, 27)
Fear is a person's worst enemy; it causes panic, that results in making irrational decisions. Such behavior is based on poor judgment, that was made due to a lack of patience, to make an adequate investigation of the situation before proceeding. The outcome will create serious problems that can cause serious harm.
LOVE is the chain that binds us together.
Do not allow hate to separate us.
There is One God
One family
One faith
One world
We are not defined by belief or by faith nor religion.
We are the family of God.
Written by: Ellen J. Barrier
Source of Scriptures: King James Version Bible
”
”
Ellen J. Barrier
“
Whether the stress in our life is harmful or beneficial depends on how we respond to it. If we believe the barriers before us too burdensome and a threat to our well-being, the stress they evoke is detrimental to our health. But if we adopt a “challenge response” (Kelly McGonigal) – perceiving them as problems to solve in pursuit of success and growth – the stress we experience acts as a constructive companion; it spurs us to action.
Many people dream of living a stress free life; but in reality such a life would be unbearably boring. To flourish, we should not avoid hardship. Instead, we should adopt a more competitive attitude towards our existence – a life of agon, as the Ancient Greeks called it – and in whatever domains we devote ourselves to, our goal should be excellence. Living in this manner will call forth an abundance of challenges, and hence, the type of meaningful stress and struggle we need to feel life is worth living.
”
”
Academy of Ideas
“
We shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to insure the survival and the success of liberty.” — President John F. Kennedy in his inaugural speech, January 20, 1961.
”
”
Clarence Vold
“
The awesome truth we need to understand here is that the greatest temptation we face in life is success. Hardship is not the worst situation in our lives. Even someone with a minimal commitment to the Lord will seek Him when the pressure is on. Failure and disaster typically drive us into the arms of God. Success is different; it makes us feel like we can make it all on our own. When everything is going good and the pressure is off, or when we don’t have to seek God because it looks like everything is going our way, the contents of our heart will be revealed. Success, not failure, is the true test of character. The question is: Are you going to seek God as strongly during the good times as you do when you are struggling?
”
”
Andrew Wommack (How to Find, Follow, Fulfill God's Will)
“
Josh Shipp spent his childhood bouncing around from foster home to foster home. A lot of teens would have been stuck in that experience, never able to make their way out of that hardship. Josh turned his experience into a mission to help other at-risk kids. One of his favorite sayings is, “Every kid is one caring adult away from being a success story.” I love that idea and think it’s true of kids. I also believe it’s true of adults.
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Jon Acuff (Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done)
“
When we pause, pull back, and take a look at the events of our lives, we’ll see that failures, heartbreak, and hardship can flow into opportunities, joy and success - they all connect.
”
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Joel Primus
“
The 5 Scientific Truths Behind Excellent Habits Truth #1: World-class willpower isn’t an inborn strength, but a skill developed through relentless practice. Getting up at dawn is perfect self-control training. Truth #2: Personal discipline is a muscle. The more you stretch it, the stronger it grows. Therefore, the samurais of self-regulation actively create conditions of hardship to build their natural power. Truth #3: Like other muscles, willpower weakens when tired. Recovery is, therefore, absolutely necessary for the expression of mastery. And to manage decision fatigue. Truth #4: Installing any great habit successfully follows a distinct four-part pattern for automation of the routine. Follow it explicitly for lasting results. Truth #5: Increasing self-control in one area of your life elevates self-control in all areas of your life. This is why joining The 5 AM Club is the game-changing habit that will lift everything else that you do.
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Robin Sharma (The 5AM Club: Own Your Morning. Elevate Your Life.)
“
Be sure that your definite purpose is constructive; that its attainment will bring hardship and misery to no one; that it will bring you peace and prosperity, then apply, to the limit of your understanding, the principle of self-suggestion for the speedy attainment of this purpose.
”
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Napoleon Hill (Law of Success in 15 Lessons (2020 edition))
“
And so the talk turned to the many disappointments and hardships of the lives we were living, and how once you got rid of one thing, another thing was sure to turn up, and how this succession of pests, irritations, and unfairness would surely last until we were too weary to move, and so lay down on the lush water-laden land, lay down to rest, just to rest, lay down and died.
”
”
Madeline Ffitch (Stay and Fight)
“
Destiny is smiling at the people who are going to become successful, but are still struggling in the present moment.
”
”
Mwanandeke Kindembo
“
There is something infinitely worse than being forced to work. It is being forced not to work. In the main, that depression was more of a blessing than it was a curse, if analyzed in the light of the changes it brought.” Is Hill being harsh here, or is he looking beyond the immediate cause and effect of economic disaster to the underlying spiritual result that comes from a true crisis? Can our present economic travails be more of a blessing than a curse? Can economic hardship, such as the loss of a job, be a blessing in disguise? Perhaps yes, if the result is the awakening of an entrepreneurial spirit and the creation of a new business.
”
”
Napoleon Hill (Outwitting the Devil®: The Secret to Freedom and Success (Official Publication of the Napoleon Hill Foundation))
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Grander the dream, steeper the climb.
”
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Abhijit Naskar (Sapionova: 200 Limericks for Students)
“
To labor is to dream,
to dream is to labor.
The lazy can’t dream,
dreamer savors labor.
”
”
Abhijit Naskar (Sapionova: 200 Limericks for Students (Caretaker Diaries))
“
All crowns come from "once upon a pain".
”
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Abhijit Naskar (Sapionova: 200 Limericks for Students (Caretaker Diaries))
“
Explorers of night are emperors of the day.
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Abhijit Naskar (Insan Himalayanoğlu: It's Time to Defect)
“
Definitely not a spy. More in the 'or something' category. Anyway, my point was that a tough childhood isn't the kiss of death. It certainly doesn't doom you to a miserable and hopeless life. I've seen a lot of people rise above absolutely deplorable circumstances to be successful. My advice to you would be to take advantage of the grit and determination that hardship has given you. Use that toughness. That hardness. Embrace being a badass.
”
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Franklin Horton (Ultraviolent (The Mad Mick, #6))
“
Leadership is shown through difficult and challenging times. If people face hardship or difficult , challenging times and there is no one to lead them. People tend to lead themselves to disaster, because everyone thinks they are right by what they doing and they are only thinking about themselves.
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D.J. Kyos
“
Pinpoint the moment you thought you could not go on, the moment you thought all your hopes would fall short, the moment you truly believed everything you worked for would desert you, take you back to the start. That moment often changes your course, but never your heart. Harness those feelings, and use it for greatness.
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Courtney Peppernell (I Hope You Stay)
“
It’s a failing of genius, and of supposed genius,” she murmured. “If you start believing in your own successes too much, you start believing in the hype and forget the hard work and careful thought that went into building that kind of reputation.
”
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Jean Johnson (Hardship (Theirs Not to Reason Why, #4))
“
It’s truly fascinating how successful people approach problems. Where others see impenetrable barriers, they see challenges to embrace & obstacles to overcome.
Their confidence in the face of hardship is driven by the ability to let go of the negativity that holds so many otherwise sensible people back.
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Dembe Michael
“
Even though they may feel satisfied momentarily when their manipulation achieves its desired goal, people who habitually use manipulation seldom feel good about themselves. They realize how destructive their methods are to relationships, and can’t respect themselves because their methods, though successful, are unhealthy and unfair. In their more honest moments they feel guilty for the hardship their self-centeredness causes others. Unfortunately, manipulative people seldom admit any of the above problems. Like aggressive people, they usually cover over any feelings of sadness with brusqueness, irritability, and an air of self-righteousness.
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Henry Virkler (Speaking the Truth in Love)
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O believers! Bow down, prostrate yourselves, worship your Lord, and do ˹what is˺ good so that you may be successful. 78. Strive for ˹the cause of˺ God in the way He deserves, for ˹it is˺ He ˹Who˺ has chosen you, and laid upon you no hardship in the religion—the way of your forefather Abraham. ˹It is God˺ Who named you ‘the ones who submit’666 ˹in the˺ earlier ˹Scriptures˺ and in this ˹Quran˺, so that the Messenger may be a witness over you, and that you may be witnesses over humanity.
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Anonymous (The Clear Quran: A Thematic English Translation: English Only)
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The stories of others who have pushed past their hardships and difficulties to become great should be terrific encouragement for whatever situation you are facing and whatever part of your story you have to write yourself through.
”
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Nate Green (Suck Less, Do Better: The End of Excuses & the Rise of the Unstoppable You)
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The deeper that you have to dig to conquer the hardships in front of you, the more capable you will be to unlock your best future.
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Nate Green (Suck Less, Do Better: The End of Excuses & the Rise of the Unstoppable You)
“
It’s up to you to navigate the obstacles and the difficulties and constantly drive toward success despite all odds against you.
The best stories, movies, and inspiring real-life accounts always have major hardships followed by great triumphs. Why would your story be any different?
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Nate Green (Suck Less, Do Better: The End of Excuses & the Rise of the Unstoppable You)
“
The seasons of our lives are full of hardships and unknowns, but we can control our response to these challenges.
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Nate Green (Suck Less, Do Better: The End of Excuses & the Rise of the Unstoppable You)
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Your story does not end in those moments, hardships, or challenges—they are just chapters, small parts of the entire adventure of your life.
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Nate Green (Suck Less, Do Better: The End of Excuses & the Rise of the Unstoppable You)
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She had aged him, she knew, taught him that success and money couldn’t insulate a family from loss or hardship.
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Kristin Hannah (The Women)
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People think success comes unexpectedly, without knowing the struggles, emotional hardships, and moments of doubt that often accompany the journey.
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Ojingiri Hannah (Body Shaming : Reclaiming Your Confidence.)
“
success and money couldn’t insulate a family from loss or hardship.
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Kristin Hannah (The Women)
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INTERVIEWER: You mentioned economic freedom. Does the writer need it?
Faulkner: No. The writer doesn’t need economic freedom. All he needs is a pencil and some paper. I’ve never known anything good in writing to come from having accepted any free gift of money. The good writer never applies to a foundation. He’s too busy writing something. If he isn’t first rate he fools himself by saying he hasn’t got time or economic freedom.
Good art can come out of thieves, bootleggers, or horse swipes. People really are afraid to find out just how much hardship and poverty they can stand. They are afraid to find out how tough they are.
Nothing can destroy the good writer. The only thing that can alter the good writer is death. Good ones don’t have time to bother with success or getting rich. Success is feminine and like a woman;if you cringe before her, she will override you. So the way to treat
her is to show her the back of your hand. Then maybe she will do the crawling.
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Malcolm Cowley (Writers at Work: The Paris Review Interviews, Eighth Series)