I haven't had an easy life, but at some point, you have to take

In the stirring words of Aimee Mullins, athlete, model, and speaker of indomitable spirit, we hear the ancient call of courage reborn in modern form: “I haven't had an easy life, but at some point, you have to take responsibility for yourself and shape who it is that you want to be. I have no time for moaners. I like to chase my dreams and surround myself with other people who are chasing their dreams, too.” Her words carry the tone of one who has walked through trial and fire and emerged forged, not broken. They speak not from ease or privilege, but from the crucible of struggle — from a life that demanded both resilience and responsibility, both vision and will.

The origin of her strength is found in her story. Born without fibula bones, Aimee Mullins had both legs amputated below the knee before her first birthday. Yet rather than accept limitation, she turned it into liberation. With prosthetic limbs, she learned to run, and later broke records as a sprinter. She modeled for designers, acted in films, and spoke across the world about the power of redefining beauty and ability. Thus, when she declares, “You have to take responsibility for yourself,” it is not as a slogan but as a law of life — one written in sweat, perseverance, and the triumph of will over circumstance.

In her rejection of self-pity, Mullins stands among the great exemplars of human determination. For as the ancients taught, misfortune is not a curse but a teacher — a stern yet sacred one. The philosopher Epictetus, born a slave and crippled by his master, once said, “It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.” This is the same wisdom that breathes through Mullins’ words. To moan, to lament endlessly one’s hardships, is to surrender one’s power. But to stand up — even with the weight of pain and loss — and declare, “I will shape myself,” is the act of a hero. For no destiny is fixed that dares to be redefined by courage.

The phrase “shape who it is that you want to be” calls us to action. It reminds us that identity is not given, but crafted — like a statue hewn from rough stone. Life offers us the marble of experience, but it is our hands, through effort and intention, that sculpt meaning from it. The dreamer who sits idle will see only dust; the dreamer who carves, however, will see form and purpose arise. In this, Mullins teaches the eternal principle of self-mastery — that to live fully is to be both artist and artwork, both the one who envisions and the one who endures.

Her insistence on chasing dreams and surrounding herself with others who do the same is no selfish ambition — it is the recognition that energy is contagious, that greatness thrives in the company of the brave. Just as the heroes of old gathered companions for their quests — Odysseus for his voyage, or the Argonauts for their journey — so too does the modern seeker need allies who carry light in their hearts. To dwell among moaners is to be drowned in the noise of fear; to dwell among dreamers is to be lifted by the music of purpose.

The lesson is clear and unflinching: life will not spare you its trials, but you must not surrender your authorship of the story. When hardship comes, do not ask, “Why me?” but “What can I become through this?” When dreams seem distant, take one step closer, even if it trembles. Surround yourself not with those who complain, but with those who create, who persist, who believe. For the company you keep shapes the spirit you carry.

So, my child of tomorrow, remember Aimee Mullins’ words when your path grows dark. Do not curse the stones in your way — build upon them. Do not envy those whose lives appear easy — for ease seldom breeds greatness. Instead, look within and ask what shape you wish to carve from the raw material of your being. Take responsibility, chase the vision that stirs your heart, and walk beside those whose fire matches your own. For in doing so, you will not only find strength — you will become strength itself, a living testament that even from the hardest beginnings, a radiant destiny can be forged.