We often hear that adversity builds character.
Why is that? Why must we endure pain, loss, and struggle to truly develop?
Growth rarely comes from comfort. Our brain does not want to remember the comfortable because that is safe; it wants to remember the uncomfortable to keep us safe from harm.
Growth comes from being stretched, challenged, and sometimes broken.
I’ve seen it in crisis negotiations, in trauma recovery and in my own life working through depression.
The most profound transformation often commences in the darkest of places.
When everything familiar falls away, we’re forced to confront who we really are. And that hurts!
Pain teaches empathy. Loss teaches gratitude. Struggle teaches resilience - how to cope with adversity.
However, I don’t believe tough times are meant to be. I don’t believe suffering is necessary; I believe it’s simply part of being human.
Yet when we do go through adversity, we tend to come out knowing.
Knowing what it was like, the effort it took to get us through, and that we're stronger than we thought we were.
Importantly, we now know how to avoid those situations again or manage them differently should we face them.
We can choose to let adversity harden us, or let it shape us into something stronger, wiser, and more empathetic.
If you’re going through a tough time right now, know that you’re not alone, and you’re not broken.
Let’s talk!
You Are Not Alone!