Take a minute and think about all of the things that have happened to you in your life thus far -- the good, the bad, and everything in between. Think about all the milestones, awkward moments, and heartaches.
Now think about all of the times you struggled to accept the occurrences in your life that you could not change -- no matter how badly you wanted to. When these things occur it's difficult and frustrating to accept the fact that there is just nothing we can do about it.
And no matter how hard we try to assert our control, it goes without effect. Plainly and simply, there are some things in life that we just cannot control. And that is one of the hardest concepts to accept.
Learning this lesson has been one of the most difficult of all for me. And by no means have I, myself, mastered it.
But it is something that I have been made more aware of just recently. Inevitably, life throws us tons of curveballs. No matter what we may have planned or which direction we pictured our path would wind, sometimes life itself has a different plan for us.
It's challenging to accept this notion as it is unsettling to feel helpless when it comes to the matters of our lives. Many, if not all of us, want to have control over things that happen. This is a natural desire. We just want to be able to control the aspects of our lives.
However, it is just not feasible. Allow yourself room to adhere to this reminder: You can't control everything.
And that is OK.
Look back again at the things that have happened to you. The good, the bad, and everything in between.
Think again of the milestones, awkward moments, and the heartaches. Now think of the specific incidences that you wished you could have been in control of or changed.
Maybe it was a loss, a failure, a breakup, or just something in general that did not go your way. Maybe you've experienced all four. I'm sure at the time all you wanted was to change the outcome, to go back in time and do something differently to change how things end up turning out.
But I can assure you of this -- (as clichéd as it may sound) everything happens for a reason. The things that we go through, the occurrences that seemingly kick us while we're down, and the hardships we face, make us who we are today.
Without these things, we would have nothing to live for. We would have nothing to push us to make ourselves better. We would not know true strength.
Believe me, you are a lot stronger than you think.
Someone recently told me that and it has stuck with me every day. We often underestimate the strength we have deep within us.
When things go wrong we tend to believe everything is over; that it's the end of the world. And you know, maybe in a sense it is. It may be the end of the current "world" that we've known for so long, but also the beginning of a new one.
One where we are stronger as a result of our experiences. One that has so much more in store for us. One that we are ready to embrace with open arms.
I have come to learn that we are not defined by our setbacks or by the things that temporarily break us. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
What defines us is how we bounce back from these occurrences; we are defined by our resilience. We are defined by our willingness to push forward despite what we are dealt. We are defined by our strength.
You can get through anything life throws your way, no matter how long it takes. Whether it be a week, a month, or a year, you will bounce back from the adversity, and you will come back stronger.
Accept the things you can't change. They may just come to be the things you thank when you finally get to where you're intended to be.
