When he thought of his history, what resonated with him now was not all that he had suffered but the divine love that he believed had intervened to save him.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes finding strength through the belief in divine love rather than focusing on past suffering.
In this quote, Laura Hillenbrand reflects on how one's perception of their history can shift from a focus on the hardships endured to an appreciation for the positive forces, such as divine love, that contribute to personal salvation and resilience. It speaks to the transformative power of love and belief, suggesting that what truly defines us is not merely our suffering but the help and support we receive along the way.
In practice
A speaker reflecting on personal growth at a motivational seminar.
Every day after lunch when I was writing my first book, I'd nibble a square of fine chocolate and meditate on all that had gone into its creation: the sun and rain that spilled on the cocoa plant, the soil that nourished it, the hands that picked the beans, and so on. My taste of chocolate became a lesson on the interconnectedness of things, and the infinite blessings for which I am grateful.
I identified in a very deep way with the individuals I was writing about because the theme that runs through this story is of extraordinary hardship and the will to overcome it.
Without dignity, identity is erased.
It's easy to talk to a horse if you understand his language. Horses stay the same from the day they are born until the day they die. They are only changed by the way people treat them.
Most people, when they hear the disease name, it's all they know about it. It sounds so mild. When I first was sick, for the first 10 years or so, I was dismissed. I was ridiculed and told I was lazy. It was a joke.
The paradox of vengefulness is that it makes men dependent upon those who have harmed them, believing that their release from pain will come only when their tormentors suffer.
After I made it to the NBA, I said that I didn't want to be the last player from Africa. After my rookie year, I went to the league and talked about this, and they embraced my idea and started conducting basketball clinics in Africa, and that's when I knew I wouldn't be the last African.
Each time we act to improve the life of another person, we send forth a ripple of hope in what appears to be a hopeless society.
I truly believe that if we keep telling the Christmas story, singing the Christmas songs, and living the Christmas spirit, we can bring joy and happiness and peace to this world.
Small things done with great love will change the world.
I was 14 when I placed a bet on Muhammad Ali to beat Joe Frazier in their first fight. There was something magical about Ali, like the first time I heard Ray Charles sing 'America The Beautiful' or Louie Armstrong blow the trumpet - feeling as if they could influence the cosmos, make anything right when they performed.
Mr. Olsen in the fifth grade made me want to be a writer. He said, 'Chuck, you do this really well. And this is much better than setting fires, so keep it up.' That made me a writer.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.