Wednesday, March 16, 2011

What do you do with Defeat?


Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent. 
 - Marilyn vos Savant

I was struck by this quote as I read it in The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women this morning. Think about what constitutes defeat: Rejection, criticism, negative comments - these are all external factors. These are not of us, they are what comes at us from other sources. 

Giving up, however, is all internal. It is a choice, a decision we make. Our choice is what makes the "defeat"  permanent.

This is something important to remember. As artists, we are all going to suffer defeat. We have a choice in how we respond. If we give up, we cannot point to anyone other than ourselves as the reason, no matter how much we might want to blame the defeat.


The images in today's posts are from a Sunday excursion into Milan, using my phone camera for the current Mortal Muses theme. Visit me at Mortal Muses today to see another subway shot that captures something uniquely Italian.

11 comments:

  1. Wow - these are brilliant for a phone camera. I think it's important to remember that if we give up to defeat we shouldn't beat ourselves up about it. We need to be kind and gentle with ourselves and accept ourselves as we are :-)

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  2. loving your mobile photography kat!

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  3. WOW! Somehow this resonated with me today. So..so true!

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  4. What a thought provoking thought!

    Your photos are amazing - makes me want to jump into the worlds you captured.

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  5. wonderful captures on your phone wow! I always cry when I feel defeated!

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  6. i go thru those moments of giving up, tho! but i've kept at it for many years, and am sure i will continue to do so...

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  7. Lovely quote!! No giving up here... plodding along and dragging 8 great ladies with me.

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  8. I've been feeling defeated by all the clean up, purging, and record keeping I need to get done. Sometimes I'm ready to give up -- for example, today. Thanks for reminding me I can keep going.

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  9. I love your take on this quote; it's an inspiring reflection on this quote.

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  10. great mobile photography - I need to get out and practice this more

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  11. That first photo with the umbrellas I adore. Defeat vs. Giving Up. Thanks for those thoughts to ponder.

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