Wednesday, December 9, 2015

The Rise: Reflections

 [The Rise]  

Well, we've arrived at the end of Sarah Lewis's  The Rise. What's one idea that you found most memorable, challenging, or surprising concerning the book? Why or how so?

33 comments:

Mercedes H said...

One idea that I found most memorable is based on success. "Success means something is wrong," Brodhead said. "It means that we're either choosing very simple issues, or we're deluding ourselves about our results." This is very powerful because it gives a completely different outlook on what success means, one in which I have never seen before. I don't necessarily agree with it but I do like the challenging aspect of it. This view of success makes people question the intensity of their goals that lead to success and this could prove to lead to greater forms of such acquired success.

Olivia Slater said...

The saying "Aesthetic force is not merely a reflection of a feeling, luxury, or respite from life" (93) made a large impact on me. I have quoted this line in a previous post, and it still has stuck out as the most memorable part of the book. I had previously considered aesthetics to be strictly regarding looks or physical appearance. However, I now connect the word with the idea of a movement, a statement, a feeling of self-worth and confidence. Although this may be driven from a certain physical characteristic, I see it as gaining confidence through the way that one presents themselves. From experience, the idea that looking your best results in feeling your best is a proven ideology, which is the biggest part of the book that stuck out to me.

Ajeenah Johnson-Brown said...

One thing that Lewis talked about in the beginning of the book that was memorable to me was near misses. I remember she brought up Al Gore's near win of the presidency, where the office was literally taken back from him. We have all been there before, where we worked so hard for something, but it didn't end up happening. The quote that Lewis used by Winston Churchill really stuck with me throughout the semester, "Success is going from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm".

Jacqueline C. said...

The idea I found most memorable was on page 169 and said, "Grit is connected how we respond to so-called failure, about whether we see it as a comment on our identity or merely as information that may help us improve." To me, grit is connected to help people improve on things they find challenging and not easily done. As an old saying goes, "If it were easy, everyone would do it," goes along with this idea. Hard work doesn't come without a lot of effort and it can build individuals to be stronger and become more knowledgeable.

Shervonti N. said...

The most memorable part of this book was definitely the talk of surrender. There are times when I have somewhat of a defeatist attitude and reading the way surrender was described in this book allowed me to open my mind a little bit. As cheesy as it may sound, Saunders definition of surrender helped with my defeatist attitude. I'd like to think that I am now implementing the idea of "surrendering" my control of a situation but not completely giving in. Just let the bad happen and learn from it.

Alexandra J said...

This book had many principles that stuck out to mean and concepts that I really liked, however, the following quote was one of my favorites, "A fuller vision comes from our ability to recognize the fallibility in our current and past forms of sight.” This quote says a lot about life, perseverance and the fact that practice makes perfect and we have to fail in order to actually succeed. Sometimes taking steps backwards isn't really preventing us from reaching our goal, but we are taking a different path to get there. In the moment, its so easy to just give up when you haven't seen the results you've wanted but we got to the present by failing and we have to fail again in order to move forward. This view of vision, really stuck out to me.

Unknown said...

I think the book was great overall. The one thing that sticks it the most though is her discussion of the FailCon conference. I love the idea of humility and setting aside your honors to genuinely understand new concepts and even new methods of obtaining the materials in your field.

Unknown said...

Mt favorite concept from this book is the idea Safe Havens and what they do for you and your creative sense of style. They protect you from the harsh criticisms of your peers, but they also show you how to take that criticism and turn it into something that blow people's minds. That's important because you should not shut down when being critiqued but that you should rise up and be willing to prove people wrong. That's something I think that many of us in society struggle with.

Tashawna N. said...

If I would have to pick a favorite quote from the book, it comes from the end of the first chapter. "Who apart from ourselves can see any difference between our victories and defeats?" This quote is my favorite because I have had people tell me that I failed at something that I don't think I failed at. This quote is a reminder that really what other people think does not matter. I think that this quote was so memorable because it was one of the first that I read and actually had to think about.
~Tashawna Nash

Unknown said...

I have learned so many lessons from this book. There are some that stuck out to me more than others, but I feel like all of them were valuable. What motivated me in my journey through college and whatever I may choose to do beyond college is the ideas put forth in this novel about failure and success. When put into perspective, the things said in this novel about success and failure were just fancy ways of saying never give up and do not be afraid to fail. In all of my future endeavors, I will remember the things that I read in "The Rise" and follow everything I learned in this semester from reading this book and hopefully, one day, I will come out on top and have Sarah Lewis to thank!

Unknown said...

One idea I found most memorable in the rise are the three barriers of achievement, adversity, failure and plateaus. I had never thought of achievement in this way, but these three things outline it perfectly. I am in my 3rd semester of college and this has been my toughest semester yet. I've faced all of these barriers this semester and am still facing them. This idea along with many others in the book have been very relatable and helped me see things in a different light. I'm glad I got the chance to learn so much from one book.

Tiera W.

Ta'Mara Woodson said...

Something memorable from this book is from Archer's Paradox. "I have not failed, I've just found 10,000 ways that don't work." (page 10) I loved this quote because if you really want something in life, there are going to be plenty of nay sayers and "apparent failures," but keep trying for that 10,001 time where you'll meet success. It's very motivating and uplifting especially to me, a college student.

Unknown said...

I loved the chapter that dealt with success. The quote that stood out to me was "success means something is wrong," Brodhead said. "It means that we're either choosing very simple issues, or we're deluding ourselves about our results." Being a science major, success to me is being able to function on 5 hours of sleep after studying all night but this makes me think that sometimes we need to challenge ourselves. We can't keep staying in that safe box because it gets too comfortable and then success won't mean as much because it was too easy and we expected it. When we take a hard class, or try something new, of course we are going to fail but when we finally succeed, it means a lot more than if we did something easy because we had to work so hard to achieve this success.

Mikaela S said...

While a lot of pieces from this book touched me, one stuck with me the most. On page 165, Lewis stated, "The entrances to the graphite mines are clearly visible, but only after first scaling its gateway peaks. Otherwise, thy remain hidden in plain sight. To play is a way of climbing and finding hidden mines without serious strain. Those who manage to suspend their disbelief see the threshold - horizontal and often dry - and enter" (Lewis 165). Play is the work of children, and a lot of time adults forget how beneficial it can also be for them. This quote is a reminder that being adventurous and not so serious all the time can help you figure out new things. Of course there are other ways to obtain new information such as going to school and reading educational articles. More people should explore those other ways!

Unknown said...

One of the most memorable concepts is a safe haven. Safe Haven is space for creativity. And considering myself a creative person, safe havens are times in moments where creativity is allowed to thrive without interruption. Without those moments, some of the greatest pieces of art that are known to date may not exist. Art is an important aspect of life that is not always given its due credit. Art and the safe havens attached to it is more than a space for creativity, its a space of peace and freedom.

Georgy N said...

The idea that stuck with me the most in The Rise is the idea of success and failure. I have always seen success as something to strive for. If I fail along the way it's easy to feel bad and unsure about any potential I have. This section helped me realize that failure is just a stepping stone to something greater. It shouldn't be seen as something negative. Success is unattainable because the parameters always change. It's important to always strive to improve yourself but not put yourself down for minor setbacks.

Unknown said...

The most memorable is the idea of failure and what it truly means. Too many, failure is something that one would try to avoid there whole lives. But in reality failure is a huge part of success. In fact, if you truly felt like you were a success than it was probably not of challenge. True challenges may be "failed" initially, but after perseverance, the failure will turn into the accepted idea of success.

Kelsey W said...

There were so many sections in The Grit of the Arts chapter that I enjoyed. I especially liked the section when she was trying to decide what to do with her life. People who are gritty keep their mind on one path and work on that path until when? Forever? I don't really think that's fair because some people don't know what they want to do and enjoy trying out different things. Does that make them not gritty? Or is there a point in your life where you have to make that big decision and stick with it? If a person decides they aren't happy years into it and choose to step into a different path is that wrong? She says everyone's goal is happiness which achievement is linked to. It is hard to say though because people have such different ideas about what makes them happy.

Unknown said...

I really enjoyed this reading. This was a book I felt that I could relate some of my life experiences too. One idea I remembered from the book was in the chapter "The Rise". It reads, " There were days where it seemed completely impossible, and I couldn't even contemplate the ultimate goal. There were days when I'd just look at a bit of ice in front of me on the right bearing north, and just think, All I'm going to think about is getting to that bit of ice there, that's 30 feet away, and when I get there, if I get there, that will be success." I love this because I feel like right now I am so close to my goal in nursing school. It's not about if I complete school. but when I complete school, it will be a success. I am so close to finishing and whatever I have to so to get there, I will do.

Sierra E said...

I have really enjoyed the honesty of this text. The author is very good at highlighting the parts of success that get overlooked. I also appreciate the attention to struggle and the growth that happens there. I loved the gentle reminders to stay humble, continue to be teachable and also impart the gifts that you have to serve others. I love the emphasis that success occurs on a personal level and in community. We are incapable of doing everything on our own. We need struggle and we need to continue seeking new knowledge.

Kayleigh E. said...

One of my favorite quotes in this book was "If a pot of wisdom is broken, it could mean wisdom will spill out of the world or, on the contrary, it would mean it will permeate every nook and corner and be accessible to everyone." page 107

The idea that knowledge and wisdom is like energy and flows from one person to another has just stuck with me through the entire book. I never would have thought of it like that unless reading this quote at the top of the page. I find when reading any book many times the quotes at the top of pages are the most interesting to me.

Quincy Sanderlin said...

I mentioned in my last post that a core idea in Lewis's book is the idea that failure can be turned into a positive aspect. Her many discussions on the idea of failure inspires readers to use their failures as motivation for another attempt. The concept of perseverance in the face of failure has been the most essential idea I took from reading Sarah Lewis's novel.

Anitra B. said...

The idea that I found memorable was when Lewis described the concept of grit in the chapter "The Grit of Arts". The quote that stuck out to me the most was "grit is not just a simple elbow-grease termed for rugged persistence. It is an often invisible display of endurance that lets you stay in an uncomfortable place, work hard to improve upon a given interest, and do it again and again" (pg. 169-170). Grit allows a person to learn and grow from certain situations if you put yourself out of your comfort zone. I think that this a good concept to follow in life. You will never learn or grow if you do not put yourself out there and try new things.

Jenee B. said...

The idea that has been most memorable and keeps coming back to me is the idea that giving up and failing at certain things does not always have to be negative. The author makes it clear that at certain times one must remain persistent to reach their goals, but they also need to realize when it is best to let go. I especially liked the way that she explained how sometimes giving up can open up new opportunities that are better meant for you. The quote that stuck with me, one I have previously referenced in a couple of other posts, was when the author writes, "Yet when feelings of failure come with their own form of pain, empowerment through accepting it--surrender-- and pivoting out of it can be more powerful than fighting" (pg. 71).

Kiara G. said...

The idea that stood out to me the most in the entire book is when she talks about failing and what it means to be a failure or to fail. She made me realize that failing is a part of life and the only way to really fail is to never learn and move on from the thing that put you down in the first place. In order to grow into a stronger and wiser person you have to go through challenges and learn from your mistakes.

Kiana S said...

The most memorable part in this book to me, mostly because it stood out so much, was its definition of failure and success. Success, in the eyes of Lewis, meant that you didn't set your goals high enough. It means that you didn't push yourself hard enough. Many people fear failure, but it is a wonderful part of life that sets apart the "gritty" people from the non-doers.

Aliyah B. said...

What I found most memorable was the idea that we must surrender to our pain and accept it (from the chapter "Arctic Summer: Surrender"). I think that most people fight against their pain. They'll do any and everything to eliminate their pain. This chapter suggested that we do the opposite of this--embrace our pain. I thought this was interesting because this is a concept that is common in certain meditations like "mindfulness". The person deals with their pain by accepting the hurt and sitting with it. Which in the end, is supposed to heal the person.

Unknown said...

The most memorable theme seems to be failure. I have identified with many of the references to failure throughout the different chapters. I'm not sure if it helps me be complacent in my failures or if it motivates me just yet. Nonetheless, it has caused me to think about failure, my life, and the future.

Unknown said...

I find the last thing I read about the most memorable. I was always familiar with what "grit" was, but the fact that there were so many successful and historically important people that attribute their success to "grit" is influential. I am still amazing that James Watson, the person who contributed to the discovery of the DNA structure, "didn't have the highest IQ," but he definitely had grit.

-Belainesh Nigeda

Samiya Barber said...

Something that I found the most memorable was on page 112. It says, "I was brought up to wear two faces." This quote stood out to me the most after reading this book because it is so accurate. Many people hide their authentic self without even realizing it because we do not want to be judged more than we already are for the color of our skin. It is sad that society makes this such thing okay and that we do not even try to stand up to stereotypes that we face daily.

Brianna R. said...

One chapter I found memorable was The Grit of the Arts. In this chapter it reaffirmed the idea that failures are not things to be ashamed of. As stated on page 172 "We need to make a safer to fail" and stop tearing people down when they don't succeed right away at something.When someone has grit, they truly have a strength within themselves which they realize to be much greater than the obstacles they face. I think that a few of the other chapters really stressed this as well and that is why I found this book enjoyable. To me the messages throughout it were very empowering and motivating. Another chapter I really likes was Beauty, Error, and Justice. Overall this book gave a really positive message and I believe it promotes the idea that we should embrace and empower one another to help each other grow.

Unknown said...

The theme that I found the most interesting was the the theme about grit. I thought that the idea that failure was not the end of your journey, but just an another path was really impactful to me. someone with Grit has the ability to keep going after many failures have knocked them down and I hope that I can have that type of attitude in my life as well.

Unknown said...

As we come to the end of Sarah Lewis The Rise, I've found many things to be interesting and profound.I found the power of surrender in connection with innovation. She details how play is essential for innovation. Which is an idea that I've definitely found to be very correct in my everyday life. In the book she goes into great detail of the importance of creativity and the importance of it which is important, because many choose not to acknowledge that that is a very important aspect of life and it does have a huge connection to happiness.Overall, I thouroougly enjoyed the book and all of the valuable lessons it offered to me as a reader.