Hello folks :) We’ve heard it a million times before that what doesn't kill us makes us stronger... cliche right? We've heard songs about it bla bla bla, but we still go on grumbling and whining when something doesn’t go according to our exact plan. Truth is, we all want the path of least resistance… We all want and sometimes even ‘expect’ people, situations and life to go according to what we want or what we think/feel/choose. And we get upset, angry, hurt, resentful, jealous, sad, revengeful, depressed, miserable etc when misfortunes happen to us… BUT…
Life Lesson 12- What doesn't kill you makes you stronger
Let’s look back upon our life… as toddlers (when our minds were still ‘clean’ and not filled with any thoughts other than the will to survive, thrive, learn, explore and discover) we fell countless times before we learned how to walk… we bumped our heads, burned our hands, babbled incorrectly, ate some hideous things from the floor AND never gave up. After each time things didn’t go ‘our way’ and we ‘failed’ we would cry for a moment and GET BACK UP and try again… with a smile on our face even!
So what happened to us? How did we go from “strong, cheerful survivor-fighter toddlers” to “pathetic expectation-filled grumpy adults”? :P I would say, it’s because we modeled the behaviour of the “pathetic expectation-filled grumpy adults” we saw and thus became much like them (apologies to grumpy adults xx) :) BUT…
We all know people who have ‘defied’ this. Think of someone right now, someone who has met with suffering, illness, defeat, death, poverty, abuse, disappointment, tragedy, any sort of adversity… and is still an awesome, optimistic, cheerful, loving person! I am blessed to know many and I thank them for teaching me infinite wisdom about resilience. Here are some of their secrets :)
Firstly, they all believe that ‘what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger’ and LIVE by it. Basically meaning that whenever something 'bad' happens, they don’t waste time grumbling and pitying themselves. They wipe the sweat off their face and say ‘okay this is how it is, what can I do NOW, what can I LEARN, how can I come out of this STRONGER?’ It’s kind of like the principle of muscle-building really, gym fans all know – if you want to build muscle, you have to strain it till it tears and builds up bigger and STRONGER… the same goes with us :)
Secondly, they are happy, cheerful and forever hopeful – much like children – they know how to laugh and enjoy every moment in their life. They make ordinary moments ‘extraordinary’ just by being joyful. They don’t take life too seriously. One such friend had had a major risky operation… and while she was in hospital told me cheerfully ‘at least I finally have the chance to read a couple of books while I’m here!’
Thirdly, these sunshine people are always THANKFUL. No matter what happens, they always find something to be thankful for. For example, instead of stressing about the traffic, just be thankful that you have a car (stick a smiley face on your dashboard to remind you!)
Finally and most importantly I believe, is that these people’s hearts are full of LOVE. They exude love from every pore of their body, you can sense it when you see them and feel it when you talk to them. They don’t say nasty things about others, love and accept others as they are, have a heart full of compassion and understanding… and they know how to forgive because they acknowledge the imperfections within themselves and others as a fact of life.
So if today you face adversity, embrace it, learn from it and remember, this isn't going to break you, it's going to make you stronger.
Blessings from Ella