--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I’ve been so focused on what’s horrible…" description: "\"“I’ve been so focused on what’s horrible and unfair and terrifying about my condition that I hadn’t acknowledged what is positive about my condition, a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/973/lisa-genova-9213_quote_i-ve-been-so-focused-on-what-s-horrible_1320823.jpg" --- # I’ve been so focused on what’s horrible and unfair and… ![“I’ve been so focused on what’s horrible and unfair and terrifying about my condition that I hadn’t acknowledged what is positive about my condition, as if the positive had been sitting quietly by itself on the far edge of the left side of my condition, there but completely ignored. I can’t copy a…” quote by Lisa Genova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/973/lisa-genova-9213_quote_i-ve-been-so-focused-on-what-s-horrible_1320823.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/973/lisa-genova-9213_quote_i-ve-been-so-focused-on-what-s-horrible_1320823.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/973/lisa-genova-9213_quote_i-ve-been-so-focused-on-what-s-horrible_1320823.jpg) > ““I’ve been so focused on what’s horrible and unfair and terrifying about my condition that I hadn’t acknowledged what is positive about my condition, as if the positive had been sitting quietly by itself on the far edge of the left side of my condition, there but completely ignored. I can’t copy a whole cat. But I can recognize it, name it, know what one sounds and feels like, and I can copy most of it, enough for anyone who looks at it to know what I’ve drawn. I am lucky.”” [Lisa Genova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-genova/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Focusing on a condition's negatives can blind us to its positives; recognizing and naming the good helps coping and creativity. **In simple terms:** Seeing the good in a bad situation helps. Key Takeaway Acknowledge positives despite hardship. Themes resilience mental health self‑awareness Mood hopeful thoughtful Type self‑help philosophical When to use this quote - therapy sessions - support groups - personal journaling Key Concepts cognitive reframing gratitude practice Questions to Reflect On - What positive aspects can you identify in your challenges? - How can you balance realism with optimism? A Different Perspective Positive focus may ignore serious issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Sitting quietly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sitting-quietly/) ## Related quotes > [Switch my hair,they gon' copy her.Switch my gear,they gon' copy her,Look at how they stare,just a copier.Roger that.Did you copy that?? COPY CAT!!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicki-minaj/switch-my-hair-they-gon-copy-her-switch-my-gear-they-gon-copy-her/) [Nicki Minaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicki-minaj/) > [“Gradually the idea for a book began to take shape. It was to be a wildly ambitious and intolerant work, a kind of 'Anatomy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-chatwin/gradually-the-idea-for-a-book-began-to-take-shape-it-was-to-be-a/) [Bruce Chatwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-chatwin/) > [My liveliness is based on an incredible fear of death. In order to keep death at bay, I do a lot of "Yah! Yah!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-brooks/my-liveliness-is-based-on-an-incredible-fear-of-death-in-order-to/) [Mel Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-brooks/) > [I hate both of my parents right now: for sitting quietly in our house, while out in the darkness my heart was beating away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/i-hate-both-of-my-parents-right-now-for-sitting-quietly-in-our-house/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [“I want to do it too!” said Gazzy, sitting very, very quietly, completely motionless. “Nope,” said Nudge, shaking her head. “You stand out like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/i-want-to-do-it-too-said-gazzy-sitting-very-very-quietly-completely/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [ “She told me that since they date exclusively \[in Judaism\] with the intent to marry, the conversation is very direct right from the start.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-newman/she-told-me-that-since-they-date-exclusively-in-judaism-with-the/) [Kristin Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-newman/) > [“Maia opened her eyes and saw a canopy of trees and, shining through the topmost leaves, a high, white sun. 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I'm listening to myself. Hold!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-see-me-sitting-quietly-like-a-sack-left-on-the-shelf-don-t/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Never underestimate the power of sitting quietly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-mcdermitt/never-underestimate-the-power-of-sitting-quietly/) [Josh McDermitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-mcdermitt/) > [The test of an adventure is that when you're in the middle of it, you say to yourself "Oh now I've got myself into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/the-test-of-an-adventure-is-that-when-you-re-in-the-middle-of-it-you/) [Thornton Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/) ## More by Lisa Genova > [“I miss myself." "I miss you too, Ali, so much." "I never planned to get like this." "I know.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-genova/i-miss-myself-i-miss-you-too-ali-so-much-i-never-planned-to-get-like/) [Lisa Genova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-genova/) > [“Please don't look at our scarlet A's and write us off. Look us in the eye, talk directly to us. Don't panic or take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-genova/please-don-t-look-at-our-scarlet-a-s-and-write-us-off-look-us-in-the/) [Lisa Genova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-genova/) > [“She's said she doesn't want to. Go ahead and ask her. Just because she has Alzheimer's doesn't mean she doesn't know what she does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-genova/she-s-said-she-doesn-t-want-to-go-ahead-and-ask-her-just-because-she/) [Lisa Genova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-genova/) > [“It's like you don't get that she's not gone yet, like you think her time left isn't meaningful anymore. 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Everything ends eventually.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-genova/everything-begins-and-ends-every-day-and-night-every-concerto-every/) [Lisa Genova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-genova/) > [“I can’t fathom the day when I’ll be able to figure out how to independently maneuver my way into my bra, like I used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-genova/i-can-t-fathom-the-day-when-i-ll-be-able-to-figure-out-how-to/) [Lisa Genova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-genova/) > [“And, like a lightning strike, there is his example. His mother before him. The lesson that she passed down for him to pass on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-genova/and-like-a-lightning-strike-there-is-his-example-his-mother-before/) [Lisa Genova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-genova/) > [“Bob keeps insisting that I can do anything I put my mind to. But he’s referring to my old mind. My new mind is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-genova/bob-keeps-insisting-that-i-can-do-anything-i-put-my-mind-to-but-he-s/) [Lisa Genova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-genova/) > [“She could always walk somewhere without him. Of course this somewhere had to be somewhere "safe." She could walk to her office. But she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-genova/she-could-always-walk-somewhere-without-him-of-course-this-somewhere/) [Lisa Genova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-genova/) > [“Slide, turn, slide. I smile as we’re snowboarding, knowing that Bob and the kids are hanging back to watch me, knowing that Bob is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-genova/slide-turn-slide-i-smile-as-we-re-snowboarding-knowing-that-bob-and/) [Lisa Genova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-genova/) > [“What’s the saying? Not forgiving someone is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-genova/what-s-the-saying-not-forgiving-someone-is-like-drinking-poison-and/) [Lisa Genova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-genova/) > [“The spectrum is long and wide, and we're all on it. Once you believe this, it becomes easy to see how we're all connected.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-genova/the-spectrum-is-long-and-wide-and-we-re-all-on-it-once-you-believe/) [Lisa Genova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-genova/) > [ ... just because \[butterflies'\] lives were short didn't mean they were tragic... See, they have a beautiful life. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-genova/just-because-butterflies-lives-were-short-didn-t-mean-they-were/) [Lisa Genova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-genova/) [Explore all 71 Lisa Genova quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-genova/) ## More Drawn quotes > [The reason I'm drawn to it is - both the off road racing and the motorcycles on the track - it takes a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dax-shepard/the-reason-i-m-drawn-to-it-is-both-the-off-road-racing-and-the/) [Dax Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dax-shepard/) > [But I had never drawn on a tablet before. I've been doing pencil and paper and film for almost 20 years. 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Being of dramatic bent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luanne-rice/i-was-married-to-a-law-student-and-i-used-to-attend-classes-with-him/) [Luanne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luanne-rice/) > [Every job is a blessing. Everyone has to take into account what is available. 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