I am an ordinary person who has been blessed with extraordinary opportunities and experiences.
Sonia SotomayorRead
When you come from a background like mine, where you're entering worlds that are so different than your own, you have to be afraid.
Interpretation
Acknowledging fear is part of stepping into unfamiliar environments.
Sonia Sotomayor emphasizes the need to confront fear when entering diverse and unfamiliar spaces, especially for those who come from different backgrounds. This sentiment reflects the struggles and courage necessary to navigate challenges that arise when stepping outside one's comfort zone, showcasing the importance of resilience in the face of adversity.
In practice
In a speech about overcoming challenges in higher education.
I am an ordinary person who has been blessed with extraordinary opportunities and experiences.
This wealth of experiences, personal and professional, have helped me appreciate the variety of perspectives that present themselves in every case that I hear.
I was fifteen years old when I understood how it is that things break down: people can't imagine someone else's point of view.
The truth is that since childhood I had cultivated an existential independence. It came from perceiving the adults around me as unreliable, and without it I felt I wouldn't have survived. I cared deeply for everyone in my family, but in the end I depended on myself.
As you discover what strength you can draw from your community in this world from which it stands apart, look outward as well as inward. Build bridges instead of walls.
There are uses to adversity, and they don't reveal themselves until tested. Whether it's serious illness, financial hardship, or the simple constraint of parents who speak limited English, difficulty can tap unexpected strengths.
Don't be scared to look for help. Depression is real... It's crazy, and all these guys, us athletes, that keep thinking we're superheroes. I like to think I'm a superhero, but superheroes got to fight their demons, too, sometimes.
I was taught to believe that the most dishonorable thing a Meredith could do was work in a white woman's kitchen and take care of a white man's child. I knew I would starve to death rather than do either.
The only difference between me and those other great Yankees is my skin color.
Stand through life firm as a rock in the sea, undisturbed and unmoved by its ever-rising waves
Iβm not running away from my responsibilities. Iβm running to them. Thereβs nothing negative about running away to save my life.
With all my devotion to the Union, and the feeling of loyalty and duty of an American citizen, I have not been able to make up my mind to raise my hand against my relative, my children, my home. I have, therefore, resigned my commission in the Army.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.