Strength Through Storms
No one looks forward to things like the Coronavirus, or to a loss of family or friends and numerous other hardships life deals us. No one wants to fail a class in school, lose their job, battle anxiety, or realize they aren’t as skilled at something as they hoped to be.
Despite life’s many, sometimes seemingly unbearable storms, we have the potential to grow through each of hardship we encounter. Through them, we learn to feel deeper, and to cherish life more. Each difficulty prepares us to face the next trial more confidently and competently. We can take the wisdom won from the battle and share it with our spouses, our kids, our friends, and the community around us. We can use our newfound insight to help others through similar situations. We can also simply sit quietly beside a hurting friend and empathize and be there for them because we’ve been there, too.
Bringing this all down to a workout analogy, remember the first time you completed Fran or ran your first mile/5k for time? You can clearly remember each turning point and sensation of those workouts. Where it burned.. Where you almost lost it mentally… Where you told yourself to keep going and get it done. You remember where you pushed through the pain and convinced yourself you would finish it; the point there was no stopping, where you were going to finish it one way or another. You remember that feeling of quiet determination.
You also remember the feeling directly after; the pain in your lungs and really, most of your body. But, you also remember that you did recover and the feeling of being proud of and thankful for what you accomplished. You remember the endorphins and the high fives and knowing you were now stronger because you fought through it.
Now, think back to the time when you watched or helped someone else prepare or get through their first Fran or mile/5k. You were able to use your experience to walk with them, to give them encouragement, to lift them up and be there for them before, during and after. You only had this ability because you had fought the same battle. You could relate. You’d been there and you’d learned. You’d felt it, beat it and been made stronger because of the experience.
Going back to the present, to all of these difficult decisions and situations we’re dealing with, think of the strength, experience, and wisdom you will gain through fighting, struggling, losing some battles, winning others, and coming out the other side.
No matter what happens, you will grow. You will learn. You will have experience you can use to better help and understand others. Eventually, you will come out stronger.
Here are a few encouraging words to help you focus on the positive in difficult situations and realize you can and will get through them: