--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It was difficult to step away. I've…" description: "\"It was difficult to step away. I've always been an athlete. And to give that up was extremely daunting. The looming factor of brain damage, to me, was ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92b/david-robinson-11635_always_it-was-difficult-to-step-away-i-ve-alway_2034365.jpg" --- # It was difficult to step away. I've always been an… ![“It was difficult to step away. I've always been an athlete. And to give that up was extremely daunting. The looming factor of brain damage, to me, was too strong.” quote by David Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92b/david-robinson-11635_always_it-was-difficult-to-step-away-i-ve-alway_2034365.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92b/david-robinson-11635_always_it-was-difficult-to-step-away-i-ve-alway_2034365.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92b/david-robinson-11635_always_it-was-difficult-to-step-away-i-ve-alway_2034365.jpg) > “It was difficult to step away. I've always been an athlete. And to give that up was extremely daunting. The looming factor of brain damage, to me, was too strong.” [David Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-robinson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Leaving a lifelong athletic identity feels terrifying, especially fearing brain injury. **In simple terms:** Leaving sport is scary, especially with health worries. Key Takeaway Accept change, seek new purpose. Themes identity fear health transition Mood anxious reflective Type personal motivational When to use this quote - Retirement from sports - medical diagnosis - career pivot - mental health counseling Key Concepts Neuropsychology career change self‑concept Questions to Reflect On - How can you redefine self beyond sport? - What steps ease health‑related anxieties? A Different Perspective Fear may paralyze decision‑making, limiting growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain/) ## Related quotes > [“The most difficult step ever is the first step. It comes with doubts, uncertainties, and all sort of fears. 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Those two things validate me. Yes, it's important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-robinson/what-i-need-to-do-is-have-a-great-positive-attitude-and-a-great-work/) [David Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-robinson/) > [Just being raised in a home where my mother, from as early as I can remember, always taught me to be thinking about other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-robinson/just-being-raised-in-a-home-where-my-mother-from-as-early-as-i-can/) [David Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-robinson/) > [Marc Gasol, he's more of a true center. There are guys who play that traditional center role, but the game is also played differently…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-robinson/marc-gasol-he-s-more-of-a-true-center-there-are-guys-who-play-that/) [David Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-robinson/) > [It's an interesting juxtaposition, being student body president and leading others and learning how to effectively help people on the team in a way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-robinson/it-s-an-interesting-juxtaposition-being-student-body-president-and/) [David Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-robinson/) > [You have to raise your game, you have to be ready to compete, and you've just got to give Hakeem credit. He was great.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-robinson/you-have-to-raise-your-game-you-have-to-be-ready-to-compete-and-you/) [David Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-robinson/) > [I was always curious. 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It's not the vocabulary - my father made me read the dictionary when I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-robinson/i-m-not-a-great-reader-believe-it-or-not-it-s-not-the-vocabulary-my/) [David Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-robinson/) > [You're always going to face criticism, you're always going to face challenges, but those things are there to make you stronger and more committed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-robinson/you-re-always-going-to-face-criticism-you-re-always-going-to-face/) [David Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-robinson/) > [Defense is what matters. Scoring doesn't interest me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-robinson/defense-is-what-matters-scoring-doesn-t-interest-me/) [David Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-robinson/) [Explore all 59 David Robinson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-robinson/) ## More Always quotes > [I think performing has pretty much always been a part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-briones/i-think-performing-has-pretty-much-always-been-a-part-of-me/) [Isa Briones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-briones/) > [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/) [Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [It's always great to see old friends, especially those I have not been able to see in 15 months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-regal/it-s-always-great-to-see-old-friends-especially-those-i-have-not-been/) [William Regal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-regal/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. 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He's been in contact with humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/mythology-is-something-that-always-has-opportunities-to-explore-it/) [Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/) > [It's not writing in the traditional sense, but I've always said that the writing process continues on the set and even into the editing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-weide/it-s-not-writing-in-the-traditional-sense-but-i-ve-always-said-that/) [Robert B. Weide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-weide/) > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [I've always been of the idea that is doesn't really matter where you are geographically - with 'Lonerism,' we made half the album in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-parker/i-ve-always-been-of-the-idea-that-is-doesn-t-really-matter-where-you/) [Kevin Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-parker/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [Bayern is always a team that can win the Champions League title in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lothar-matthaus/bayern-is-always-a-team-that-can-win-the-champions-league-title-in/) [Lothar Matthaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lothar-matthaus/) Browse all 36,048 Always quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It was difficult to step away. I've always been an athlete. And to give that up was extremely daunting. 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