Our Secret Susan Griffin Analysis

Throughout "Our Secret" Griffin explores the different characters' fears and secrets and she gives specific insights into these "secrets". Through examining others Griffin comes to terms with her own feelings, secrets, and fears. She relates to Himmler, Leo, Helene, and everyone else even though she is different than all of them. One fact that can be made about all of these characters is that they all represent humans and human emotion

This article is an inspiring piece that teaches you, anything in life takes struggle. This article talks about the changes of a person’s mindset. “She has found that most people adhere to one of two mindsets: fixed or growth” (Paragraph 4). Fixed mindsets tend to believe that whether you’re intelligent or not is based on your genes. While growth mindsets believe that you expand your knowledge by challenges and learning from your mistakes. In my judgement, the author’s purpose was to inspire people to accept struggle, because that is what makes your knowledge expand and grow. Nobody is perfect and making mistakes and having a hard time is what helps you learn. “As long as they embrace

Throughout the past couple of months my fellow peers and I have been studying the topic ‘challenge’ and how it affects our lives and people around us. In our everyday lives we are confronting challenges, some are as small as walking up a few steps, and some are larger and more challenging that could be life or death circumstances.

“Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant.” What the Roman poet Horace was saying was that when there is an obstacle in our way, our true colors will radiate. I could not agree more. When we as human beings feel passionate about achieving a goal, we may learn something new of ourselves, maybe a new trait that we did not know we possessed, when we reach new heights we did not know we could push ourselves towards. Challenges are similar to tests. Challenges are faced every day, but how we respond to them determines how strong we really are. Prime examples are superheroes and students that move dramatically.

Everyone has experienced a dark moment in their lives. It is in these dark moments that turn out to be the most profound. In the story “Our Secret” by Susan Griffin, it talks about the connection of the past lives of those in Nazi Germany and about Griffin’s own family. Griffin has also talked about an artist named Kathe Kollwitz. Kathe Kollwitz has created many self portraits relating and expressing the emotions of the people of Nazi Germany. During this time, many people have gone through hardships such as poverty and war. Through poverty some may have experience or gone through some emotional situations. During war, people may have lost someone close to them or even the peace they had before the chaos have occurred. Griffin has related a painting by Kollwitz with her personal life. In the story, Griffin is trying to portray through this connection how people feel emotionally and physically in the midst of war and violence.

Therefore, the opportunity itself seemed incredibly interesting. It certainly presented a number of challenges. However, we could argue that these obstacles lead to self-development and improvement. Thus, hopefully, my life can present additional opportunities where a challenge could become an advantage.

Challenges are not meant to be easy. But the strength put into it, can help prepare for adulthood. Overcoming challenges can help a person grow maturely as shown by Scout in “To Kill A Mockingbird” and by Jerry in “Through the Tunnel”.

In life you are bound to face constant challenges, whether you want to be or not. What is important is how you handle yourself in the face of those challenges. Should you shy away and let the challenges beat you or should you face them, thoroughly accomplish them, and become a greater person due to the trial that you endured? These are the experiences in life that mean the most. People in my life challenged me and presented opportunities since they knew I could handle it and that it would help to shape my character. Others may need the same push in recognizing the challenges that will help them and the encouragement to participate in them. Challenging others in the same manner that you have been challenged is incredibly important. If only a few people change, then the world shall remain stagnant. You can question your friends and push them to learn or you can question the status quo, as I have attempted with the research I have conducted during my undergraduate career. I have come to think positively about challenge in two ways: to face challenges head-on and with fortitude and to challenge others, from your peers to the status quo.

Steve Goodier once said “Those who overcome great challenges will be changed, and often in unexpected ways. For our struggles enter our lives as unwelcome guest, but they bring valuable gifts. And once the pain subsides, the gifts remain. These gifts are life’s true treasures, bought at great price, but cannot be acquired in any other way.” This quote is saying that when one person is going through great challenges, they are changed and earn treasures after that adventure. Challenges can bring one wisdom, learning life lessons and becoming braver.

Be brave. Always remember that, after all the challenges that you will face, you will eventually surpass it. Be happy and strong to face the challenges in life. That has a big impact in making your life worthwhile. Life will be not worth living if there is no challenges. Challenges makes us stronger to also face the future challenges in life.

Challenges are the structure of self-development, so people could to develop critical-thinking skills to overcome those challenges. For example, workers are constantly encountering new set of challenges. The challenges help workers to gain more knowledge of their career and will prepare them for future challenges. According to a journal written by Doody discussed on jumping out of comfort zone in a medical field, “issues pertaining to patient safety and operative outcome targets may restrict the amount of autonomy that a trainee may be given to move from his or her comfort zone to the learning zone” (Doody). This prepares workers to encounter challenges, and how they will handle the situation either on their own or help from others. By doing so medical trainees will be able to adjust to their jobs on a medical field. It can help them learn and develop new tactics dealing with the situation because “advanced learners who require more complex, unpredictable challenges with higher stakes to maximize their learning” (Doody). People who are set in complex challenges will be able to handle the situation, which it can increase their ability to handle similar challenges they will encounter in the future. Comfort zones limits people from handling challenges, but enforcing challenges within their work can help them overcome the comfort zone. Challenges are necessary for people

“Nothing upon earth is without its difficulties! It is the secret impulse within, it is the love and the delight we feel, that help us to conquer obstacles, to clear out new paths, and to overleap the bounds of that narrow circle in which others poorly toil,” Johann Goethe. Obstacles in life are unavoidable, as expressed in the above quote, but we can still learn from them. Obstacles can be extremely difficult to overcome. Barriers can primarily help you develop the capabilities to do everyday things. Furthermore, everyday challenges can help spice up your life. At the same time, bumps in the road can help you to be able to achieve your future plan. Obstacles are important to overcome as they give you life skills,

In a world that is constantly changing and throwing more obstacles your way, you have two options on how you handle it. You can either shy away from these challenges and let them control your life, or you can tackle them head on and make the most out of every situation. Throughout my life, I have had many challenges put in front of me, but instead of letting them control me, I overcome these challenges and adapt to it’s new changes. I’m no stranger to hardship and change in life. I grew up in a middle class family, where my mother spent her days as a sub in local schools and her nights going back to school to get her degree and my father has been laid off twice in the past two years. Instead of panicking or resisting these challenges, I watched them adapt to the world around them, and control the outcome. Having the opportunity to observe how they handled situations like these, and many others, helped shape the way I cope with all the changes in life.

‘It is when I struggle that I strengthen. It is when challenged to my core that I learn the depth of who I am.’ I kept on repeating this to myself waiting for my campus interview in the final year. Sitting there with fervor, I entered the room with utmost confidence. The whole interview was not just technical but challenged my grit, determination and presence of mind. And after coming out of the interview, I just knew I had grabbed the opportunity. That day taught me; challenges can make you or break you; it all depends on you.

Some of these challenges will test our courage, strengths, weaknesses, and faith. Along the way, we may stumble upon obstacles that will come between the paths that we are destined to take. In order to follow the right path, we must overcome these obstacles. Sometimes these obstacles are really blessings in disguise, only we don't realize that at the time.