Quotes About Adversity

I was born in Berlin, and when I was 6, my mom passed. When I was 9, I moved to near Washington, D.C., where I lived with my aunt and uncle. And then at 11, I moved back to Berlin. And then at 16, I got in trouble in school and moved back to the Washington area.

I have seen poverty first hand. My parents were not well-off. They were in Ban'gladesh and I - just a child then - was sent off to live in my uncle's house in Calcutta.

My mother died when I was 12, and right after, my dad died in a car crash. I was 15 and had no family. The court sent me to live with my uncle and aunt in Missouri.

My parents separated before I was 1 year old. I moved in with my aunt and uncle when I was in fourth grade. I was, like, 8 or 9 years old. I was getting in a lot of trouble when I was in Southern California. My older sisters were in gangs. My older brother was in gangs.

I was not very strong growing up, and my uncle used to look at me, like, 'This kid is not growing up, he is growing tall but he can be broken like a banana.' The banana in Congo is called 'Dikembe.' So my uncle start calling me, 'Dikembe, Dikembe, look at you Dikembe, you cannot even stand up.' It took a long time for me to walk.

When I hung out with my Uncle Chris, things got real. He was fun, talkative, and loud. He was the life of the party and a magnet for mischief. Since he saw the world through a gangsta's lens, he wanted me to become tough and aggressive.

When I was in senior year of high school, my mom lost her job, we lost our house, and we had to move in with my uncle and my aunt.

There were uncles in my life that definitely knew the street life.

My parents had become adults during the Great Depression, as had many of my aunts and uncles, so I got stories from all of them. They are fastened up inside me, and now and again, they have to come out.

My mum was a bookies' runner at nine years old and my dad's uncles were Peaky Blinders and gangsters.

Enjoy the pressure. Enjoy the stress. Enjoy being uncomfortable. And don't shy away from it, embrace it.

I really try to put myself in uncomfortable situations. Complacency is my enemy.

Self-pity in its early stage is as snug as a feather mattress. Only when it hardens does it become uncomfortable.

Quitting because you don't want to be uncomfortable will prevent you from growing.

Life is not always going to be roses and rainbows. You are going to have uncomfortable moments. It's what we do with those moments that is going to count and determine our destiny.

I don't know how to be comfortable. Comfort is uncomfortable to me so I push myself to new places.

If you are uncomfortable you are always adjusting.

I'm an impatient person in many respects. I like to put myself in uncomfortable situations. It forces me to deliver.

I like making myself uncomfortable and throwing different stuff my way and trying to find a solution for it. I think that's how you improve. Find a way to make yourself uncomfortable, get comfortable with it, and do it again.

In camp, you're supposed to get comfortable at being uncomfortable; you have to be ready for when you are being punched in the mouth.

I was asked to go in to the ring and perform things I was very uncomfortable with - doing jumps from high ropes in five inch heels.

I want everyone to know what it's like to be very, very uncomfortable and to push themselves anyway. It helps build confidence when other challenges come up.

I don't dream - only if I'm uncomfortable or I'm going through something.

I like a role that is challenging. That's what I look for and I'm certainly always looking to move further and maybe push myself into a place that might be temporarily uncomfortable so that I might learn something.