Morhaf Al Achkar > Quotes

“Every person matters, and they matter equally.”
― Morhaf Al Achkar, ROADS TO MEANING AND RESILIENCE WITH CANCER: Forty Stories of Coping, Finding Meaning, and Building Resilience While Living with Incurable Lung Cancer

“Linda added, But then I look at those girls and my husband. I think about wanting to be there for them. I was telling myself, “This is the best you’re gonna feel for the rest of your life. So either you have to just shut up and do it, or you can keep going downhill.” That was a turning point for me. I thought to myself, “OK. Well, right now, this is the best I’m going to feel for the rest of my life. And so I might as well enjoy it.” It sucks that this is where it is, but I can either sit there and think how much it sucks or get up and live. I think I would rather get up and live.”
― Morhaf Al Achkar, ROADS TO MEANING AND RESILIENCE WITH CANCER: Forty Stories of Coping, Finding Meaning, and Building Resilience While Living with Incurable Lung Cancer

“I think there is too much emphasis in our culture today on being, or at least appearing, strong. I realize that this notion can be dangerous and burdensome. Dangerous, because it pressures people and sways them from being their authentic selves. Burdensome, because it can lay heavily on the person’s conscience and demand of them to be or appear what they are not.”
― Morhaf Al Achkar, ROADS TO MEANING AND RESILIENCE WITH CANCER: Forty Stories of Coping, Finding Meaning, and Building Resilience While Living with Incurable Lung Cancer

“It is tough to be thrown back to the starting point of suffering you thought you had left behind.”
― Morhaf Al Achkar, ROADS TO MEANING AND RESILIENCE WITH CANCER: Forty Stories of Coping, Finding Meaning, and Building Resilience While Living with Incurable Lung Cancer

“Cancer is no longer a death sentence. You can still try to live life, and the challenge is not as bad as we used to think.”
― Morhaf Al Achkar, ROADS TO MEANING AND RESILIENCE WITH CANCER: Forty Stories of Coping, Finding Meaning, and Building Resilience While Living with Incurable Lung Cancer

“Still, I told myself that I should take the opportunity while I am here, and I need to do what I need to do. The perception of having no time in hand helped me focus. It also helped me leverage my powers and put them to good use. With taking notes, I was not always strong. I had times when I thought this living is unbearable, and I had times when I felt broken inside. I also had times when I wanted to stop this striving. I hit deep bottoms. But because I was there, I am stronger now.”
― Morhaf Al Achkar, ROADS TO MEANING AND RESILIENCE WITH CANCER: Forty Stories of Coping, Finding Meaning, and Building Resilience While Living with Incurable Lung Cancer

“I thought that if I am going to die, the last thing I would teach others is how to do it well.”
― Morhaf Al Achkar, ROADS TO MEANING AND RESILIENCE WITH CANCER: Forty Stories of Coping, Finding Meaning, and Building Resilience While Living with Incurable Lung Cancer

“People have to work to build endurance for life’s struggles, he answered.”
― Morhaf Al Achkar, ROADS TO MEANING AND RESILIENCE WITH CANCER: Forty Stories of Coping, Finding Meaning, and Building Resilience While Living with Incurable Lung Cancer

“Sometimes, I don’t feel I have strength. Some days, I feel broken. I feel I can’t do it for another day. I remember thinking to myself one time, maybe shouting it out loud when I was newly diagnosed, and I was running. I was out for a run. “I cannot do it!” She has times when she doesn’t feel strong and only feels broken inside. Who doesn’t have that? However, when the person surrenders to those states, they sometimes bounce back immediately.”
― Morhaf Al Achkar, ROADS TO MEANING AND RESILIENCE WITH CANCER: Forty Stories of Coping, Finding Meaning, and Building Resilience While Living with Incurable Lung Cancer