If you want a place in the sun, you've got to expect a few blisters.

The line is attributed to Abigail Van Buren, the pen name of Pauline Phillips, in the context of her long-running advice column “Dear Abby.” It reflects the column’s characteristic blend of plainspoken humor and pragmatic counsel: readers often wrote seeking reassurance about ambition, recognition, or success, and “Abby” frequently answered by stressing personal responsibility and the inevitability of discomfort when pursuing worthwhile goals. While the quote is widely circulated under her name, I cannot confidently identify the specific letter-and-response, publication date, or newspaper appearance in which it first ran.

The aphorism frames success and recognition (“a place in the sun”) as inseparable from discomfort and risk (“a few blisters”). It uses a simple bodily image to normalize the costs of striving: effort can be painful, and exposure—whether to criticism, failure, or hard work—often accompanies ambition. The line also implies a choice: if one desires prominence or advantage, one must accept the inevitable downsides rather than resent them. In the advice-column spirit associated with Abigail Van Buren (“Dear Abby”), the saying functions as brisk encouragement, urging resilience and realistic expectations about the price of achievement.