[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$fPR66ffmmJ07OFzXZVak8MxOCjCLStrtP5awGn3zRjZc":3,"$f-Hx8nd-LMqgMz5HdN0r4XnxjtS3K3aIU6bYYa6OmXjM":12},{"author":4,"tags":11},{"author_id":5,"author_name":6,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"bio":9,"short_bio":9,"slug":10,"image_url":9},142753,"Steve Gleason","S",42,null,"steve-gleason",[],{"quotes":13,"pagination":88},[14,22,28,34,40,46,53,59,71,82],{"id":15,"quote_text":16,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":19,"source":20,"quote_tag":21,"commentary":9},3446263,"ALS does not affect cognitive process. Stephen Hawking, one of smartest people on the planet, has ALS. It rarely affects the eyes. It doesn’t affect senses like hearing, taste and touch.",6,false,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":23,"quote_text":24,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":25,"source":26,"quote_tag":27,"commentary":9},3446258,"Life is difficult. Not just for me or other ALS patients. Life is difficult for everyone. Finding ways to make life meaningful and purposeful and rewarding, doing the activities that you love and spending time with the people that you love – I think that’s the meaning of this human experience.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":29,"quote_text":30,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":31,"source":32,"quote_tag":33,"commentary":9},3446234,"If we have a purpose in life beyond being a cog in the human machine, mine is to help inspire people and that’s pretty cool. I would like to motivate the world.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":35,"quote_text":36,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":37,"source":38,"quote_tag":39,"commentary":9},3446203,"To cure ALS medically is not economical. The realities are that it’s difficult to find funding for research for a medical cure. I believe in developing technology as opposed to medical research. Technology can be economical.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":41,"quote_text":42,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":43,"source":44,"quote_tag":45,"commentary":9},3446182,"We all have a timeline. Most of us don’t live like we have a timeline.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":47,"quote_text":48,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":49,"source":50,"quote_tag":51,"commentary":52},3446152,"It’s not going to be easy, but it’s going to be awesome. Awesome Ain’t Easy.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],"**The Backstory**\n\nThe quote \"It's not going to be easy, but it's going to be awesome. Awesome Ain't Easy\" is often attributed to Steve Gleason, a former NFL player and ALS advocate. This phrase reflects his personal philosophy, forged through his experiences with a debilitating illness that forced him to reevaluate what it means to live life on one's own terms.\n\nAs a historian studying Gleason's biography, I note that this sentiment emerged during a period of immense physical and emotional challenge for the individual. Diagnosed with ALS in 2011 at the age of 34, Gleason was faced with an uncertain future and a rapidly changing body. Yet, it is precisely within this context of hardship that he finds the strength to redefine what 'awesome' means.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\n\nWhat lies beneath the surface of this quote is not merely a motivational slogan but rather a profound acknowledgment of the dialectical relationship between difficulty and reward. \"Awesome Ain't Easy\" subverts our typical expectations by suggesting that true fulfillment does not arise from the absence of challenges, but rather from embracing them as an integral part of growth.\n\nIn other words, Gleason's mantra speaks to the idea that ease and success are not mutually exclusive with hard work or adversity; instead, they often require a willingness to engage with and learn from these very same obstacles. This understanding dissolves the binary opposition between struggle and triumph, revealing a more nuanced landscape where each informs and enriches the other.\n\n**How to Use This**\n\nTo apply this mindset today, consider that your next 'awesome' moment may not arise from avoiding challenges but rather from confronting them head-on with courage and resilience. In the face of uncertainty or adversity, remember that it's not about eliminating obstacles, but about recalibrating your perspective to see them as opportunities for growth and transformation.",{"id":54,"quote_text":55,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":56,"source":57,"quote_tag":58,"commentary":9},3446141,"My life is not easy, but it’s awesome.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":60,"quote_text":61,"author_id":5,"source_id":62,"has_image":18,"author":63,"source":64,"quote_tag":65,"commentary":9},1576913,"It's not going to be easy, but it's going to be awesome. Awesome Ain't Easy.",4,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[66],{"id":67,"tag":68},4570892,{"id":69,"tag_name":70},2357,"easy",{"id":72,"quote_text":73,"author_id":5,"source_id":62,"has_image":18,"author":74,"source":75,"quote_tag":76,"commentary":9},1576912,"I'm afraid to walk in public, because people look at me. But I'm not going to stop. I'm afraid because if I want to commune with my friend Shad (Meier), I have to ask him to cut my chicken for me. But I did it. And I'm afraid to go back and see my teammates and coaches because I know that I'll feel envy. But I'm going to do it anyway. Because fear is just a feeling, and if you can acknowledge that fear, digest that fear and overcome it, the rewards are incredible.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[77],{"id":78,"tag":79},4570891,{"id":80,"tag_name":81},7564,"cutting",{"id":83,"quote_text":84,"author_id":5,"source_id":62,"has_image":18,"author":85,"source":86,"quote_tag":87,"commentary":9},1576911,"We all have a timeline. Most of us don't live like we have a timeline.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"currentPage":89,"totalPages":90,"totalItems":8,"itemsPerPage":91},1,5,10]