"Your memory is a monster; you forget, it doesn’t. It simply files things away. It keeps things for you, or hides things from you, and summons them to your recall with a will of its own. You think you have a memory; but it has you."
- John Irving
Don't walk with the past that hurts. It maybe unforgettable but in reality it's a lesson. Just look back, but don't bring it back.
"Your memory is a monster; you forget, it doesn’t. It simply files things away. It keeps things for you, or hides things from you, and summons them to your recall with a will of its own. You think you have a memory; but it has you."
"Suffering has been stronger than all other teaching, and has taught me to understand what your heart used to be. I have been bent and broken, but - I hope - into a better shape."
There are moments in our lives when we find ourselves at a crossroad, afraid, confused, without a roadmap. The choices we make in those moments can define the rest of our days. Of course when faced with the unknown, most of us prefer to turn around and go back.
If you’re feeling frightened about what comes next, don’t be. Embrace the uncertainty. Allow it to lead you places. Be brave as it challenges you to exercise both your heart and your mind as you create your own path towards happiness, don’t waste time with regret. Spin wildly into your next action. Enjoy the present, each moment, as it comes; because you’ll never get another one quite like it. And if you should ever look up and find yourself lost, simply take a breath and start over. Retrace your steps and go back to the purest place in your heart… where your hope lives. You’ll find your way again.
It’s a little bit horrifying just how quickly everything can fall to crap. Sometimes it takes a huge loss to remind you of who you care about the most. Sometimes you find yourself becoming stronger as a result; wiser, better equipped to deal with the next disaster that comes along. Sometimes, but not always.
I think life should be about touching the lives of people around us. Making a difference. Accepting people for who they are, going out of our way to help others, and loving with all that we’ve got. Sometimes all it takes is one simple gesture, and we can put a smile on someone’s face and make them feel less alone. That is what we should live for, because when we’re gone from this world, we can’t take anything with us. All that’s left are the people whose lives you touched, and the difference you’ve made while you were here. So make this life count, because you don’t get a second chance.
In life you are the author of your own book. Writing in pen doesn’t come out so easily. When you make a mistake you can’t just erase it and pretend as if nothing happened. You can always try to cover it up with white out, but it’s still there. Forget it, just turn the page over and have a fresh start. Remember your mistake from before, this is the time to make things right.
There’s always at least one person; the one great friend that comes along having you convinced that nothing bad will ever happen to or get in the way of your friendship. Then comes the day when you two start drifting apart to the point where it seems like neither of you know each other anymore.
You can seek the advice of others, surround yourself with trusted advisors. But in the end, the decision is always yours - and yours alone. And when it’s time to act and you’re all alone, with your back against the wall, the only voice that matters is the voice in your head. The one telling you what you probably already knew. The one’s that almost always right.
I think it’s brave to try to be happy. You’ve gotten so comfortable being unhappy. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to wake up in the morning and choose to be happy, to let the water wash everything away?
It doesn't matter how tough we are, trauma always leaves a scar. It follows us home, it changes our lives. Trauma messes everybody up, but maybe that’s the point. All the pain and the fear and the crap, maybe going through all that is what keeps us moving forward. It’s what pushes us. Maybe we have to get a little messed up before we can step up.
You take for granted what you have and you can’t take it with you when you die. There is never enough and you will always want more. No matter how much you learn, no matter how much you earn, you are still yourself and exactly as close to the edge as where you began. And all you can ever learn is what you already know. You will always want to know what the ending is, but you can’t because you’re dead. Dear God, I’m on my knees before you. the words are on their knees. Ready to go. All the words. All the words. The ending is words.