We see it in the body, that if you just give the body enough rest and comfort, it has remarkable self-healing capacities. Well, so does the spirit.
No sooner do we think we have assembled a comfortable life than we find a piece of ourselves that has no place to fit in.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects the constant struggle of finding balance and fulfillment in our lives, suggesting that even when we achieve comfort, there remains an aspect of ourselves that feels unfulfilled.
Gail Sheehy's quote highlights the ongoing journey of self-discovery and the complexity of human existence. It suggests that life is not merely about achieving comfort or happiness; instead, it reveals the deeper layers of our identity that often go unacknowledged. As we strive for a comfortable life, we may encounter parts of ourselves that feel alienated or unfulfilled, prompting a continuous exploration of our true desires and needs.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
Use this quote in a personal development seminar to discuss the importance of self-exploration.
More from Gail Sheehy
All quotes βI was devastated when I got the review for my first book. The book came out a couple years before the women's movement broke through, and people were putting it down, asking, 'Why does the woman in this book need to get a divorce? Why can't she just shut up and be happy?'
A seasoned woman is spicy. She has been marinated in life experiences. Like a complex wine, she can be alternately sweet, tart, sparkling, mellow. She is both maternal and playful. Assured, alluring, and resourceful.
This is something caregivers have to understand: You have to ask for help. You have to realize that you deserve to ask for help. Because you need to keep on working on your own life.
I found that female pathfinders generally integrate characteristics commonly associated with being women - like the capacity to be intimate - with 'male' ones like ambition and courage.
Being a pathfinder is to be willing to risk failure and still go on.
Similar quotes
Sometimes I go, βWhat am I doing with my life?β But then I get letters from young women, or people come up to me, and they say, βYouβve made such a difference to my confidence.β And that is a good thing. I should read more fan mail though. Iβm crap at responding.
When we are young, the words are scattered all around us. As they are assembled by experience, so also are we, sentence by sentence, until the story takes shape.
I have lived through many wars and have lost everything many times Yet, life is beautiful, and I have so much to learn and enjoy. I have no space nor time for pessimism and hate.
It's easy to discount water's importance in the kitchen. After all, it has no flavor, and more often than not, it's left off ingredient lists, making it seem like an afterthought. Yet water is an essential element of almost everything we cook and eat, and it affects the flavor and texture of all our food.
Your life is your own, to develop or to destroy. You can blame others little and yourself almost totally if that life is not a productive, worthy, full, and abundant one.
My story starts with my dad, a black boy born to a single mother in a small town in North Carolina. It starts with my parents meeting in Washington, D.C., in the '60s, at a time of incredible activism.