--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The walk felt long, but I kept telling my…" description: "\"“The walk felt long, but I kept telling my lungs to shut up, that they were strong, that they could do this. I could see him as I approached: His hair ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/841/john-green-12_augustus-waters_the-walk-felt-long-but-i-kept-telling-my_195826.jpg" --- # The walk felt long, but I kept telling my lungs to shut… ![“The walk felt long, but I kept telling my lungs to shut up, that they were strong, that they could do this. I could see him as I approached: His hair was parted neatly on the left side in a way that he would have found absolutely horrifying, and his face was plasticized. But he was still Gus. My…” quote by John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/841/john-green-12_augustus-waters_the-walk-felt-long-but-i-kept-telling-my_195826.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/841/john-green-12_augustus-waters_the-walk-felt-long-but-i-kept-telling-my_195826.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/841/john-green-12_augustus-waters_the-walk-felt-long-but-i-kept-telling-my_195826.jpg) > ““The walk felt long, but I kept telling my lungs to shut up, that they were strong, that they could do this. I could see him as I approached: His hair was parted neatly on the left side in a way that he would have found absolutely horrifying, and his face was plasticized. But he was still Gus. My lanky, beautiful Gus.”” [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator pushes through physical pain by mentally affirming strength, while also noting the unsettling appearance of a familiar figure. **In simple terms:** Mental resilience helps endure physical hardship. Key Takeaway Use positive self‑talk to overcome discomfort. Themes resilience self‑talk appearance Mood determined reflective Type motivational psychological When to use this quote - marathon running - illness recovery - performance anxiety Key Concepts mental fortitude body image Questions to Reflect On - What inner dialogues help you persist? - When should you acknowledge physical signals? A Different Perspective Self‑affirmation may ignore real limits. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Approached Hair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/approached-hair-2059042/) [Augustus waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/augustus-waters/) [Beautiful Gus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful-gus-2059041/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Felt Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/felt-long-334422/) [Hair Parted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hair-parted-272360/) [Hazel grace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hazel-grace/) [Heart breaking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart-breaking/) [Horrifying Face](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horrifying-face-2059043/) ## Related quotes > [“His hair was parted neatly on the left side in a way that he would have found absolutely horrifying.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/his-hair-was-parted-neatly-on-the-left-side-in-a-way-that-he-would/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [For years I had my hair parted down the middle in a ponytail, tucked down around the sides Well, I went and cut the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bettie-page/for-years-i-had-my-hair-parted-down-the-middle-in-a-ponytail-tucked/) [Bettie Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bettie-page/) > [“Norm was lean, his short, straight black hair parted on the side, his mustache trimmed like he’d never heard of Adolf Hitler.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-sunday/norm-was-lean-his-short-straight-black-hair-parted-on-the-side-his/) [Jane Sunday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-sunday/) > [He was pushing fifty, with a face life had chewed on, and long wisps of graying hair parted low on one side and combed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-cornwell/he-was-pushing-fifty-with-a-face-life-had-chewed-on-and-long-wisps-of/) [Patricia Cornwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-cornwell/) > [“Dennis-John had a dark auburn head of hair, parted to the side. This styling was a never-ending crusade. The hair was wilful and wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-hunt/dennis-john-had-a-dark-auburn-head-of-hair-parted-to-the-side-this/) [Rebecca Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-hunt/) > [“Methwold's hair, parted in the middle has a lot to do with my beginnings. It was one of those hairlines along which history and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/methwold-s-hair-parted-in-the-middle-has-a-lot-to-do-with-my/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [“Augustus asked if I wanted to go with him to Support Group, but I was really tired from my busy day of Having Cancer,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/augustus-asked-if-i-wanted-to-go-with-him-to-support-group-but-i-was/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [It's just that most really good-looking people are stupid, so I exceed expectations.' 'Right, it's primarily his hotness,' I said. 'It can be sort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/it-s-just-that-most-really-good-looking-people-are-stupid-so-i-exceed/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“its a metephor, see: you put the killing thing right between your teeth but you dont give it the power to do its killing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/its-a-metephor-see-you-put-the-killing-thing-right-between-your-teeth/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [He wasn't perfect or anything. He wasn;t your fairytale prince charming or whatever. He tried to be like that sometimes,but i liked him best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/he-wasn-t-perfect-or-anything-he-wasn-t-your-fairytale-prince/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“What a slut time is. She screws with everybody.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/what-a-slut-time-is-she-screws-with-everybody/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“You do not know how to shut me up, Hazel Grace.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/you-do-not-know-how-to-shut-me-up-hazel-grace/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Hi, I’m at the Speedway at Eighty-sixth and Ditch, and I need an ambulance. The great love of my life has a malfunctioning G-tube.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/hi-i-m-at-the-speedway-at-eighty-sixth-and-ditch-and-i-need-an/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [As I recall, you promised to CALL when you finished the book, not text.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/as-i-recall-you-promised-to-call-when-you-finished-the-book-not-text/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Oh I would'nt mind Hazel Grace.It would be a privilege to have my heart broken by you”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/oh-i-would-nt-mind-hazel-grace-it-would-be-a-privilege-to-have-my/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) ## More by John Green > [Issac:"I dislike living in a world without Augustus Waters." Computer: "I don't understand-" Issac: "Me neither. Pause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/issac-i-dislike-living-in-a-world-without-augustus-waters-computer-i/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“I just want to stay away from people and read books and think”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-just-want-to-stay-away-from-people-and-read-books-and-think/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [She smiled with all the delight of a kid on Christmas morning and said, "Y'all smoke to enjoy it. I smoke to die." -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/she-smiled-with-all-the-delight-of-a-kid-on-christmas-morning-and/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [A Margo for each of us--and each more mirror than window.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/a-margo-for-each-of-us-and-each-more-mirror-than-window/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“No one ever says good-bye unless they want to see you again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/no-one-ever-says-good-bye-unless-they-want-to-see-you-again/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Neither novels or their readers benefit from any attempts to divine whether any facts hide inside a story. Such efforts attack the very idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/neither-novels-or-their-readers-benefit-from-any-attempts-to-divine/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Traffic's not too bad on Sheridan, and I'm cornering the car like it's the Indy 500, and we're listening to my favorite NMH song,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/traffic-s-not-too-bad-on-sheridan-and-i-m-cornering-the-car-like-it-s/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Praise God for good nurses.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/praise-god-for-good-nurses/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [So I was ugly. I was never fat, really, and I never wore headgear or had zits or anything. But I was ugly. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/so-i-was-ugly-i-was-never-fat-really-and-i-never-wore-headgear-or-had/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Nothing has ever looked like that ever in all of human history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/nothing-has-ever-looked-like-that-ever-in-all-of-human-history/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“said to him quietly, as if I couldn’t hear or something. Dad was about to respond but I interrupted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/said-to-him-quietly-as-if-i-couldn-t-hear-or-something-dad-was-about/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I believe humans have souls, and I believe in the conservation of souls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-believe-humans-have-souls-and-i-believe-in-the-conservation-of-souls/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“He was hot. A nonhotboy stares at you relentlessly and it is, at best, awkward and, at worst, a form of assault. But a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/he-was-hot-a-nonhotboy-stares-at-you-relentlessly-and-it-is-at-best/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I think if you keep the box closed long enough you do kill the cat, actually.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-think-if-you-keep-the-box-closed-long-enough-you-do-kill-the-cat/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Imagining the future is a kind of nostalgia. (...) You spend your whole life stuck in the labyrinth, thinking about how you'll escape it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/imagining-the-future-is-a-kind-of-nostalgia-you-spend-your-whole-life/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) [Explore all 3,614 John Green quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) ## More Augustus waters quotes > [Issac:"I dislike living in a world without Augustus Waters." Computer: "I don't understand-" Issac: "Me neither. Pause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/issac-i-dislike-living-in-a-world-without-augustus-waters-computer-i/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I believe humans have souls, and I believe in the conservation of souls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-believe-humans-have-souls-and-i-believe-in-the-conservation-of-souls/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Maybe 'okay' will be our 'always](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/maybe-okay-will-be-our-always/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“he got eighteen years when he should have gotten more.” “Seventeen,” Gus corrected. “I’m assuming you’ve got some time, you interrupting bastard. “I’m telling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/he-got-eighteen-years-when-he-should-have-gotten-more-seventeen-gus/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Augustus Waters was a self-aggrandizing bastard. But we forgive him. We forgive him not because he had a heart as figuratively good as his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/augustus-waters-was-a-self-aggrandizing-bastard-but-we-forgive-him-we/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [According to the conventions of the genre, Augustus Waters kept his sense of humor till the end, did not for a moment waiver in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/according-to-the-conventions-of-the-genre-augustus-waters-kept-his/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“I cannot tell you how thankful I am for our little infinity”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-cannot-tell-you-how-thankful-i-am-for-our-little-infinity/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“What a slut time is. She screws with everybody.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/what-a-slut-time-is-she-screws-with-everybody/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“I called Isaac, who cursed life and the universe and God Himself and who said where are the goddamned trophies to break when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-called-isaac-who-cursed-life-and-the-universe-and-god-himself-and/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“its a metephor, see: you put the killing thing right between your teeth but you dont give it the power to do its killing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/its-a-metephor-see-you-put-the-killing-thing-right-between-your-teeth/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“I imagined the Augustus Waters analysis of that comment: If I am playing basketball in heaven, does that imply a physical location of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-imagined-the-augustus-waters-analysis-of-that-comment-if-i-am/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [All at once, I couldn’t figure out why I was methodically tossing a spherical object through a toroidal object. It seemed like the stupidest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/all-at-once-i-couldn-t-figure-out-why-i-was-methodically-tossing-a/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“You don't get to chose if you get hurt in this world, old man, but you do have some say in who hurts you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/you-don-t-get-to-chose-if-you-get-hurt-in-this-world-old-man-but-you/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Augustus Waters was a self-aggrandizing bastard. But we forgive him. We forgive him not because he had a heart as figuratively good as his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/augustus-waters-was-a-self-aggrandizing-bastard-but-we-forgive-him-we-2/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“I have a boy problem,” I said. “DELICIOUS,” Kaitlyn responded. I told her all about it, complete with the awkward face touching, leaving out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-have-a-boy-problem-i-said-delicious-kaitlyn-responded-i-told-her/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) [Browse all 122 Augustus waters quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/augustus-waters/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The walk felt long, but I kept telling my lungs to shut up, that they were strong, that they could do this. I could see him as I approached: His hair was parted neatly on the left side in a way that he would have found absolutely horrifying, and his face was plasticized. But he was still Gus. 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