Quotation Two

"Strength is a matter of a made up mind." John Beecher

       ...An athlete needs to be strong, however he/she also has to be mentally prepared for the competition.This is where inner strength is necessary. This quote states that to be strong is to have a goal that you will fight for. If your mind is made up, you will stand up for your beliefs and not let anyone or anything get in the way. Inner strength is also represented in some of the pieces I have read in class such as The Hunger Games, Dancer and  Just Lather, That's All ; all the characters in these stories face something that requires them to face their fears and hold on to something emotionally in order to survive. They have something they are willing to fight for no matter what comes their way, and that is what inner strength is all about. I have found this very inspiring because even though I am determined, I sometimes feel like I can't go on and I have to give up. This has also made me want to learn more about  "real people's" stories involving inner strength and explore what strength can do.

       John Beecher was a poet, writer and journalist who wrote about the United States during the Great Depression. He was very involved in the community and was especially active in labor movement issues. He has made changes around the United States, never giving up on what he has believed in and fighting 
until the very end.

       Inner strength is the mental and emotional state that could not exist without a made up mind. This quote is significant because it defines what being strong on the inside means and helps us understand where it begins. Our mind controls everything we do, what we do, and how we do it. It also helps us develop our feelings and the way we deal with things that come our way - and this soon becomes our inner strength...