Some pain is simply the normal grief of human existence. That is pain that I try to make room for. I honor my grief.
Whatever we focus on is bound to expand. Where we see the negative, we call forth more negative. And where we see the positive, we call forth more positive. Having loved and lost, I now love more passionately. Having won and lost, I now win more soberly. Having tasted the bitter, I now savor the sweet.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Our focus shapes our experiences; positive attention brings positive outcomes, while negative focus can amplify negativity.
This quote by Marianne Williamson emphasizes the power of focus in shaping our reality and experiences. It suggests that whatever we concentrate our thoughts and energies on tends to grow, whether it's positive or negative. By reflecting on past experiences of love and loss, the speaker conveys a sense of growth and maturation, where having endured hardships allows for a deeper appreciation of both love and victories. The key takeaway is that our mental focus directly influences our emotional and experiential landscape.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
During a motivational speech, one could use this quote to illustrate the importance of a positive mindset.
More from Marianne Williamson
All quotes →As we become purer channels for God's light, we develop an appetite for the sweetness that is possible in this world. A miracle worker is not geared toward fighting the world that is, but toward creating the world that could be.
Governments move armies, but only individuals can move hearts.
The world is in trouble. Many have prayed. God sent help. God sent you.
Once we truly understand that God's will is that we be happy, we no longer feel the need to ask for anything other than that God's will be done.
A queen is wise. She has earned her serenity, not having had it bestowed on her but having passer her tests. She has suffered and grown more beautiful because of it. She has proved she can hold her kingdom together. She has become its vision. She cares deeply about something bigger than herself. She rules with authentic power.
Similar quotes
It's not what enters men's mouth that is evil," said the alchemist. It's what comes out of their mouths that is.
Be like the rocky headland on which the waves constantly break. It stands firm, and round it the seething waters are laid to rest.
Man, being made reasonable, and so a thinking creature, there is nothing more worthy of his being than the right direction and employment of his thoughts; since upon this depends both his usefulness to the public, and his own present and future benefit in all respects.
Don't talk about it. The rose doesn't have to propagate its perfume. It just gives it forth, and people are drawn to it. Live it, and people will come to see the source of your power.
Nothing great is created suddenly, any more than a bunch of grapes or a fig. If you tell me that you desire a fig. I answer you that there must be time. Let it first blossom, then bear fruit, then ripen.
What people most need now is to apply their conversion skills to those things that are essential for their survival. They need to convert facts into logic, free will into purpose, conscience into decision. They need to convert historical experience into a design for a sane world.