John Steinbeck Quotes

I think I was as mentally tough as I've ever been. I felt like I handled the situation both on and off the court extremely well. I felt like I needed to.

You must remember that no one lives a life free from pain and suffering.

Dark clouds may hang on me sometimes, but I'll work it out.

You're going to have highs and lows, but it's how you get through the lows.

Our attitude in the face of life's challenges determines our suffering or our freedom.

We all build internal sea walls to keep at bay the sadnesses of life and the often overwhelming forces within our minds. In whatever way we do this—through love, work, family, faith, friends, denial, alcohol, drugs, or medication—we build these walls, stone by stone, over a lifetime. One of the most difficult problems is to construct these barriers of such a height and strength that one has a true harbor, a sanctuary away from crippling turmoil and pain, but yet low enough, and permeable enough, to let in fresh seawater that will fend off the inevitable inclination toward brackishness.

If you have high self-esteem, you might still know times of emotional suffering, but less often and with faster recovery-your resilience is greater.

The concept of emotional or spiritual survival has an honorable history, but it does invite self-indulgence. In my own case, the worst I ever survived was severe personal and political confusion, the temptation to various sorts of craziness and a couple of bad acid trips. It felt pretty horrendous at the time, and some of it was even dangerous, but Auschwitz it wasn't.

I'm not saying that everything is survivable. Just that everything except the last thing is.

If you're strong enough on the inside, you can handle anything that comes at you on the outside.

Life is getting through the moment. The philosopher William James says to cultivate the cheerful attitude. Now nobody had more trouble than he did -- except me. I had more trouble in my life than anybody. But your first big trouble can be a bonanza if you live through it. Get through the first trouble, you'll probably make it through the next one.

There’s always going to be ups and downs in life and it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t feel the pain. Pain is good. It makes you stronger in time. You will realize how great the ‘great’ really is. Life is about ups and downs. You just have to be able to ride the waves.

A man is not little when he finds it difficult to cope with circumstances, but when circumstances overmaster him.

I’ve told you the four thunderstorms – disappointment, frustration, unfairness and isolation. You cannot avoid them, as like the monsoon they will come into your life at regular intervals. You just need to keep the raincoat handy to not let the spark die

To be emotionally resilient and to overcome your circumstances, not through fighting, but through being courageous and having endurance was something I thought was of primary importance.

Mental strength is really important because you either win or lose in your mind.

We're living or dying. We're already dead, the living dead. So do what you gotta do. Take care of your family, of yourself as a whole, and everything will be alright.

Life inflicts the same setbacks and tragedies on the optimist as on the pessimist, but the optimist weathers them better.

The most important attribute a player must have is mental toughness.

No day-to-day mishaps or indignities can really compromise your sense of self after you've survived a deep tragedy.

You have power over your mind - not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.

How you recover from what life's throwing at you is what matters.

Human beings have enormous resilience.

I choose not to think of my life as surviving, but coping.