The Book in Three Sentences
- Forgive people who have hurt or upset you.
- Acceptance leads to contentment.
- Admit when you’re wrong.
The Five Big Ideas
- “If you hate somebody you’re not hurting the person you hate, you’re hurting yourself. Forgiveness is healing”.
- “We all need a code of ethics to guide us, especially in tough times when everyone has to do their part for the greater good, for the family or the group to survive”.
- “Rather than try to take on the whole predicament at once, I broke it down to smaller tasks that used the various survival skills I’d already learned: first aid, obtaining food, knowing not to drink salt water, maintaining a positive attitude, and keeping my mind active. I followed my training, a step at a time. I didn’t freak out”.
- “You must have hope. It rejuvenates your whole being. You can’t allow negative thinking – even if you know your chances are slim. I’m not saying that it’s easy to do, but the ability to envision the road to successful completion is what keeps you alive”.
- “Acceptance creates cheerfulness, which in turn creates contentment”.
Don’t Give Up, Don’t Give In Summary
- “The hardest thing in life is to forgive. But hate is self-destructive. If you hate somebody you’re not hurting the person you hate, you’re hurting yourself. Forgiveness is healing”.
- “We all need a code of ethics to guide us, especially in tough times when everyone has to do their part for the greater good, for the family or the group to survive”.
- “I didn’t know it then, but my persistence, perseverance, and unwillingness to accept defeat when things looked all but hopeless were part of the very character traits I would need to make it through World War II alive”.
- “Rather than try to take on the whole predicament at once, I broke it down to smaller tasks that used the various survival skills I’d already learned: first aid, obtaining food, knowing not to drink salt water, maintaining a positive attitude, and keeping my mind active. I followed my training, a step at a time. I didn’t freak out”.
- “During the two-plus years I lived in Japanese prisoner-of-war camps, I noticed that the soldiers who suffered the most were the ones who wouldn’t accept their situations”.
- “I decided to consider my incarceration as a challenge – like winning a race”.
- “If you cling to the axe you’re grinding, eventually you’ll only hurt yourself”.
- “You must have hope. It rejuvenates your whole being. You can’t allow negative thinking – even if you know your chances are slim. I’m not saying that it’s easy to do, but the ability to envision the road to successful completion is what keeps you alive”.
- “When the Apostle Paul was imprisoned, he said, ‘Whatever situation I find myself in, I have learned thereby to be content’.”
- “Acceptance creates cheerfulness, which in turn creates contentment”.
- “Don’t leave the crucial details to someone you don’t know – especially when your life may depend on it”.
- “Sometimes what we see as a loss turns out in the end to be a gain, and sometimes a gain is a loss. I try not to be too swift to pass judgment on any situation, preferring instead to be patient and take the long view because I believe that in the end all things work together for good”.
- “It will be tough to amount to anything unless you commit to your goal and stay the course. You can’t give in to doubt. You can’t give in to pain”.
- “Never give up. If you want to be a champion you have to go after what you want tooth and nail”.
- “It’s a great responsibility, and a rough game. When times are tough you have to keep the parties from jumping on each other”.
- “When you’re wrong, admit it. When you’re right, keep your mouth shut”.