New E-book: The Fifty Pearls of Wisdom I have learned from survivors around the world
My first e-book "Words That Never Leave You: Fifty Pearls of Wisdom and Reflection from Survivors Across the World" is now available
Notebooks, however flimsy or fancy, are a writer’s indispensable tool. Mine are often (almost) eligible encapsulations of a moment that won’t come again, of humans who pass through your life for one and only one powerful encounter. Thus, in this process of collating the anecdotes that have spoken to me most I wrenched open the dozens and dozens of notebooks I have kept – strewn inside apartments and storage units across the country – to find the fifty most powerful phrases and ruminations uttered to me from people across the world.
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But the truth is, I didn’t need written chronicles of these moments. Instead, the most influential words remain etched in my brain. I remember everything about who said them, how they said them, the smell of the air, and the noises in the distance. Words of poignance and power tattoo themselves into the crevices of your brain, forcing you to face and probe their deeper meaning and make you view and ponder situations in a new light.
Over my almost two decades as a writer, war reporter and war crimes investigator, I have had the enormous privilege of sitting with humans in dozens of countries and from all walks of life – humans who teach me what it means to be brave, tough and to power on when the world is falling apart.
I have read countless books on resilience, hanging on to the utterings of people who chose to undertake seemingly impossible physical feats, run through the elements for days or propel their bodies through grueling fitness obstacles.
But what happens when there is no choice?
The individuals I meet who have survived the most unfathomable things humans do to each other often leave me in awe. I’ve sat with people who’ve had their body parts surgically removed by aggressors, women who have been abused until they can no longer move, and children whose tiny bones have been cracked and crushed without mercy. Yet, I am constantly stunned and galvanized by what the human body can withstand, our innate ability to push through the storm and the capacity we all harbor to heal.
For those who survive, the silver lining that shines through them is as miraculous as it is tragic. I’ve often been struck by how ordinary people, with no formal training or skills, are forced to become extraordinary at the drop of a hat — or a bomb. The resilience to withstand the pain (both physical and psychological), to push through the darkness, and to find the thread of hope in the bundle of misery has left me both perplexed and inspired.
Through this short read, I want to share a selection of the most impactful idioms and, in doing so, shine a light on how strong the human mind can be when it comes to holding on. In addition, I hope to illuminate our ability to prepare for and push through a crisis as it dawns. And above all, I hope to instill what it means to rise above being a victim and into the terrain of survivor and to seek inner peace long after the torment and war have subsided.
Moreover, Words that Stop You in Your Tracks: Fifty Pearls of Wisdom, Reflection and Lessons from Survivors Across the World remind us that our breakthrough moments often stem not from speaking – but from listening. There is something to be gleaned and understood from everyone we encounter, yet we seldom take the chance to pause and listen, really listen, without judgment or defensiveness.
This isn’t an inventory collated from the western lens of the best of the best on the planet, the top CEOs or athletes or the cream of the crop in the professional world. These are the beautifully ordinary, and not all I have featured would be considered “good” individuals on the side of battlefield righteousness.
However, we all have something significant to say, something I have taken and learned from, and something that has pushed past the frontier of the mind, framing life in a different and more introspective way.
For those who survive, the silver lining that shines through them is as miraculous as it is tragic. I’ve often been struck by how ordinary people, with no formal training or skills, are forced to become extraordinary at the drop of a hat — or a bomb. The resilience to withstand the pain (both physical and psychological), to push through the darkness, and to find the thread of hope in the bundle of misery has left me both perplexed and inspired.
Through this short read, I want to share a selection of the most impactful idioms and, in doing so, shine a light on how strong the human mind can be when it comes to holding on. In addition, I hope to illuminate our ability to prepare for and push through a crisis as it dawns. And above all, I hope to instill what it means to rise above being a victim and into the terrain of survivor and to seek inner peace long after the torment and war have subsided.
Moreover, Words that Stop You in Your Tracks: Fifty Pearls of Wisdom, Reflection and Lessons from Survivors Across the World remind us that our breakthrough moments often stem not from speaking – but from listening. There is something to be gleaned and understood from everyone we encounter, yet we seldom take the chance to pause and listen, really listen, without judgment or defensiveness.
This isn’t an inventory collated from the western lens of the best of the best on the planet, the top CEOs or athletes or the cream of the crop in the professional world. These are the beautifully ordinary, and not all I have featured would be considered “good” individuals on the side of battlefield righteousness.
However, we all have something significant to say, something I have taken and learned from, and something that has pushed past the frontier of the mind, framing life in a different and more introspective way.
I want to share this as a reminder that there is always light in the darkness when we look for it, and the most challenging times are opportunities to grow and overcome. Much like those who smash through obstacles to achieve peak performance, survivors are very visceral examples of what the human mind and body can do when we refuse to adhere to the convention of boundaries and limitations.
Thank you for your support,
Hollie
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HOLLIE’S BOOKS (please leave a review)
** Short read of meaningful lessons gleaned from the ordinary forced to become extraordinary
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