--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Reclaiming ourselves usually means coming…" description: "\"“Reclaiming ourselves usually means coming to recognize and accept that we have in us both sides of everything. We are capable of fear and courage, gen..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cc/rachel-naomi-remen-3110_courage_reclaiming-ourselves-usually-means-comin_2192521.jpg" --- # Reclaiming ourselves usually means coming to recognize and… ![“Reclaiming ourselves usually means coming to recognize and accept that we have in us both sides of everything. We are capable of fear and courage, generosity and selfishness, vulnerability and strength. These things do not cancel each other out but offer us a full range of power and response to…” quote by Rachel Naomi Remen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cc/rachel-naomi-remen-3110_courage_reclaiming-ourselves-usually-means-comin_2192521.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cc/rachel-naomi-remen-3110_courage_reclaiming-ourselves-usually-means-comin_2192521.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cc/rachel-naomi-remen-3110_courage_reclaiming-ourselves-usually-means-comin_2192521.jpg) > ““Reclaiming ourselves usually means coming to recognize and accept that we have in us both sides of everything. We are capable of fear and courage, generosity and selfishness, vulnerability and strength. These things do not cancel each other out but offer us a full range of power and response to life. Life is as complex as we are. Sometimes our vulnerability is our strength, our fear develops our courage, and our woundedness is the road to our integrity. It is not an either/or world. It is a real world. In calling ourselves "heads" or "tails," we may never own and spend our human currency, the pure gold of which our coin is made. But judgment may heal over time. One of the blessings of growing older is the discovery that many of the things I once believed to be my shortcomings have turned out in the long run to be my strengths, and other things of which I was unduly proud have revealed themselves in the end to be among my shortcomings. Things that I have hidden from others for years turn out to be the anchor and enrichment of my middle age. What a blessing it is to outlive your self-judgments and harvest your failures.”” [Rachel Naomi Remen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-naomi-remen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human nature contains opposing traits that together create a full, resilient self. **In simple terms:** Opposite qualities coexist. Key Takeaway Integrate all parts of yourself. Themes growth complexity self‑acceptance Mood hopeful introspective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - midlife crisis - career change - personal therapy Key Concepts holistic psychology integrative health Questions to Reflect On - How can you honor both fear and courage? - What strengths emerge from your perceived flaws? A Different Perspective Balancing extremes can be emotionally taxing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Fear and courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear-and-courage/) [Growing old](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing-old/) [Growing older](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing-older/) [Middle age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle-age/) [Real world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-world/) [Reclaiming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reclaiming/) ## Related quotes > [Life is as complex as we are. Sometimes our vulnerability is our strength, our fear develops our courage, and our woundedness is the road…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-naomi-remen/life-is-as-complex-as-we-are-sometimes-our-vulnerability-is-our/) [Rachel Naomi Remen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-naomi-remen/) > [“Vulnerability is strength. 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All it may take to restore someone's trust in life may be returning a lost earring or a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-naomi-remen/big-messages-come-in-small-packages-all-it-may-take-to-restore/) [Rachel Naomi Remen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-naomi-remen/) > [The most basic and powerful way to connect to another person is to listen. Just listen. Perhaps the most important thing we ever give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-naomi-remen/the-most-basic-and-powerful-way-to-connect-to-another-person-is-to/) [Rachel Naomi Remen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-naomi-remen/) > [The most basic and powerful way to connect to another person is to listen. Just listen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-naomi-remen/the-most-basic-and-powerful-way-to-connect-to-another-person-is-to-2/) [Rachel Naomi Remen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-naomi-remen/) > [Many people do not know that they can strengthen or diminish the life around them. 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You will have to listen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-naomi-remen/from-a-good-teacher-you-may-learn-the-secret-of-listening-you-will/) [Rachel Naomi Remen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-naomi-remen/) > [To seek approval is to have no resting place, no sanctuary. Like all judgement, approval encourages a constant striving. 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