--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We can decide to let our trials crush us…" description: "\"We can decide to let our trials crush us, or we can convert them to new forces of good.\" — Helen Keller" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffe/helen-keller-429_adversity_we-can-decide-to-let-our-trials-crush-us_743334.png" --- # We can decide to let our trials crush us, or we can… ![“We can decide to let our trials crush us, or we can convert them to new forces of good.” quote by Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffe/helen-keller-429_adversity_we-can-decide-to-let-our-trials-crush-us_743334.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffe/helen-keller-429_adversity_we-can-decide-to-let-our-trials-crush-us_743334.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffe/helen-keller-429_adversity_we-can-decide-to-let-our-trials-crush-us_743334.png) > “We can decide to let our trials crush us, or we can convert them to new forces of good.” [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Choosing how to respond to adversity determines whether it weakens or strengthens us. **In simple terms:** Decide if trials crush or empower you. Key Takeaway Turn hardship into strength. Themes resilience choice growth Mood determined hopeful Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - personal setbacks - health challenges - career obstacles - relationship conflicts Key Concepts psychology agency adversity Questions to Reflect On - How do you decide to reframe a setback? - What resources help you convert pain into purpose? A Different Perspective Not all trials can be fully transformed; some may require external support. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adversity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adversity/) [Crush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crush/) [Decide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decide/) [Decide Let](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decide-let-3199718/) [Force](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/force/) [Forces Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forces-good-2348393/) [Let Trials](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/let-trials-944552/) [Trials](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trials/) ## Related quotes > [Fate controls who walks into your life, but you decide who you let walk out, who you let stay, and who you refuse to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/fate-controls-who-walks-into-your-life-but-you-decide-who-you-let/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Let your failure be a message to learn. Don't let your trials get you down, let them become an inspiration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anil-sinha/let-your-failure-be-a-message-to-learn-don-t-let-your-trials-get-you/) [Anil Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anil-sinha/) > [“Let the trials in your life guide you not define you”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-cormack/let-the-trials-in-your-life-guide-you-not-define-you/) [Kim Cormack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-cormack/) > [“Just because someone has been in your life for many years, doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be a point at which you finally decide to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilfred-james-dolor/just-because-someone-has-been-in-your-life-for-many-years-doesn-t/) [Wilfred James Dolor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilfred-james-dolor/) > [“How do you always manage to decide?" "How can you let others decide for you?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/how-do-you-always-manage-to-decide-how-can-you-let-others-decide-for/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [Who is to decide between 'Let it be' and 'Force it'?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-mansfield/who-is-to-decide-between-let-it-be-and-force-it/) [Katherine Mansfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-mansfield/) > [“It made me understand that we don't always get to decide what we let in and what we keep out. A door is just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nanci-kincaid/it-made-me-understand-that-we-don-t-always-get-to-decide-what-we-let/) [Nanci Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nanci-kincaid/) > [God determines who walks into your life.Its up to you to decide who you let walk away, who you let stay,who you refuse to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fanyy/god-determines-who-walks-into-your-life-its-up-to-you-to-decide-who/) [Fanyy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fanyy/) > [Fate controlls who walks into your life, but you decide who you let walk out, who you let stay, and who you refuse to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/fate-controlls-who-walks-into-your-life-but-you-decide-who-you-let/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The British people know that, given strong leadership, time, and a little bit of hope, the forces of good ultimately rally and triumph over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-british-people-know-that-given-strong-leadership-time-and-a/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [I believe you can make forces of good and evil work for you, to get what you want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gg-allin/i-believe-you-can-make-forces-of-good-and-evil-work-for-you-to-get/) [GG Allin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gg-allin/) > [Today, America has become one of the most powerful forces for good on earth. We must keep it so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/today-america-has-become-one-of-the-most-powerful-forces-for-good-on/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [“...or perhaps about acknowledging that life is a delicate balance of great forces, and that good would lose its potency if there was no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-fortier/or-perhaps-about-acknowledging-that-life-is-a-delicate-balance-of/) [Anne Fortier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-fortier/) > [Forces of good and evil are massed and armed and opposed as rarely before in history. Freedom is pitted against slavery; lightness against the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/forces-of-good-and-evil-are-massed-and-armed-and-opposed-as-rarely/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [It's not enough for an official to be good. There has to be a system that forces them to be good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-robredo/it-s-not-enough-for-an-official-to-be-good-there-has-to-be-a-system/) [Jesse Robredo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-robredo/) ## More by Helen Keller > [He who is content with what has been done is an obstacle in the path of progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/he-who-is-content-with-what-has-been-done-is-an-obstacle-in-the-path/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [I rejoice to live in such a splendidly disturbing time!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/i-rejoice-to-live-in-such-a-splendidly-disturbing-time/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [The clatter of a changing world is not pleasant, and those who have enjoyed the comforts and protection of the old order may be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/the-clatter-of-a-changing-world-is-not-pleasant-and-those-who-have/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [Be of good cheer. Do not think of today's failures, but of the success that may come tomorrow. You have set yourselves a difficult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/be-of-good-cheer-do-not-think-of-today-s-failures-but-of-the-success/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [When indeed shall we learn that we are all related one to the other, that we are all members of one body? Until the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/when-indeed-shall-we-learn-that-we-are-all-related-one-to-the-other/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [I have visited sweatshops, factories, and crowded slums. If I could not see it, I could smell it. The foundation of society is laid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/i-have-visited-sweatshops-factories-and-crowded-slums-if-i-could-not/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [If we do not like our work, and do not try to get happiness out of it, we are a menace to our profession…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/if-we-do-not-like-our-work-and-do-not-try-to-get-happiness-out-of-it/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/alone-we-can-do-so-little-together-we-can-do-so-much/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [I do not want the peace which passeth understanding, I want the understanding which bringeth peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/i-do-not-want-the-peace-which-passeth-understanding-i-want-the/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/although-the-world-is-full-of-suffering-it-is-also-full-of-the/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [Love? Why ... it is what everybody feels for everybody else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/love-why-it-is-what-everybody-feels-for-everybody-else/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [Blindness separates us from things but deafness separates us from people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/blindness-separates-us-from-things-but-deafness-separates-us-from/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [A simple, childlike faith in a Divine Friend solves all the problems that come to us by land or sea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/a-simple-childlike-faith-in-a-divine-friend-solves-all-the-problems/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [“A beam from the everlasting sun of God. Rude and unresponsive are the stones; Yet in them divine things lie concealed; I hear their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/a-beam-from-the-everlasting-sun-of-god-rude-and-unresponsive-are-the/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [I can see in what you call the dark, but which to me is golden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/i-can-see-in-what-you-call-the-dark-but-which-to-me-is-golden/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) [Explore all 568 Helen Keller quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) ## More Adversity quotes > [We love playing together and we love adversity. You know, back-to-back, the two best teams in the East.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-nash/we-love-playing-together-and-we-love-adversity-you-know-back-to-back/) [Steve Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-nash/) > [When we have public success we also have private struggles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deion-sanders/when-we-have-public-success-we-also-have-private-struggles/) [Deion Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deion-sanders/) > [“The threats that resurfaced in the past 10 years were not an aberration. Al Qaeda and terrorism or one such threat, but it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/the-threats-that-resurfaced-in-the-past-10-years-were-not-an/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [He who is content with what has been done is an obstacle in the path of progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/he-who-is-content-with-what-has-been-done-is-an-obstacle-in-the-path/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [“Friction is necessary. Ease of life leads to complacency and the atrophy of the human will and spirit. Within our struggles lives our strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-versey/friction-is-necessary-ease-of-life-leads-to-complacency-and-the/) [Jason Versey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-versey/) > [“Every adversity is just another opportunity to excel a little more.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/every-adversity-is-just-another-opportunity-to-excel-a-little-more/) [Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/) > [“Just because she doesn't talk about it, doesn't mean she isn't feeling it. She hurts, but she won't wear it on her sleeve. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfa-h/just-because-she-doesn-t-talk-about-it-doesn-t-mean-she-isn-t-feeling/) [Alfa H](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfa-h/) > [Every trial endured and weathered in the right spirit makes a soul nobler and stronger than it was before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-buckham-kennedy/every-trial-endured-and-weathered-in-the-right-spirit-makes-a-soul/) [James Buckham Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-buckham-kennedy/) > [Honesty, by evil fortune tried, Finds in adversity the seed of praise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/honesty-by-evil-fortune-tried-finds-in-adversity-the-seed-of-praise/) [Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/) > [“Struggles are not associated to a particular people or creed, everyone struggles, not for the same reasons, but each has a personal struggle at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-chirisa/struggles-are-not-associated-to-a-particular-people-or-creed-everyone/) [Wayne Chirisa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-chirisa/) > [“Watch a man in times of adversity to discover what kind of man he is; for then at last words of truth are drawn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucretius/watch-a-man-in-times-of-adversity-to-discover-what-kind-of-man-he-is/) [Lucretius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucretius/) > [God often hides His blessing in trouble or trial, which makes it all the sweeter when it comes our way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/god-often-hides-his-blessing-in-trouble-or-trial-which-makes-it-all/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [“Life is not about less mistakes but about more trials”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-e-sever/life-is-not-about-less-mistakes-but-about-more-trials/) [S.E. SEVER](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-e-sever/) > [Show your contempt for the problem and your concern for the person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/show-your-contempt-for-the-problem-and-your-concern-for-the-person/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [When everything feels like an uphill struggle, just think of the view from the top.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-everything-feels-like-an-uphill-struggle-just-think-of-the-view/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 5,001 Adversity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adversity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We can decide to let our trials crush us, or we can convert them to new forces of good.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Helen Keller" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/we-can-decide-to-let-our-trials-crush-us-or-we-can-convert-them-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Adversity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/we-can-decide-to-let-our-trials-crush-us-or-we-can-convert-them-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffe/helen-keller-429_adversity_we-can-decide-to-let-our-trials-crush-us_743334.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffe/helen-keller-429_adversity_we-can-decide-to-let-our-trials-crush-us_743334.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffe/helen-keller-429_adversity_we-can-decide-to-let-our-trials-crush-us_743334.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We can decide to let our trials crush us, or we can convert them to new forces of good.” — Helen Keller", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Helen Keller", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We can decide to let our...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/we-can-decide-to-let-our-trials-crush-us-or-we-can-convert-them-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/we-can-decide-to-let-our-trials-crush-us-or-we-can-convert-them-to/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```