One has to shut off that nagging part of the mind and go on without it with bravo and philosophy.

Sylvia Plath

Renowned poet Sylvia Plath notably struggled with her mental health for most of her life. Her only novel, 1963’s “The Bell Jar,” follows a young woman’s breakdown that parallels Plath’s own experiences. Yet the poet often wrote eloquently on the joys of life and the need to push on, and achieved significant recognition during her short life (including a Fulbright fellowship). Her words here serve as encouragement to bravely step past our own self-doubt, and see what we might then achieve.