Who would you rather seek advice from, someone who puts him or herself on a pedestal, claiming to have life thoroughly figured out or a person of humility who can relate to your troubles on a personal level?

Don’t worry, this is not a trick question.

Everyone sees the world through a different lens; our experiences shape the person we become. Yes, Hannah Montana taught us children of the early 2000s plenty of life lessons, including the famous “nobody’s perfect” (...I gotta work it... again and again till’ I get it right), but does knowing this truth actually play out into our daily lives? When experiencing pain and tribulation, it is natural to blame ourselves. We may feel as if we are not equipped to help other people without solving our own problems first, but just the opposite is true.

Wisdom beats knowledge, and wisdom comes from experience. If you had never endured a troubling time, never battled with doubt, never felt that intense urge to give up altogether, then you wouldn’t know how it feels to overcome these things either. In times of trial, we desperately long for a person who understands. Someone who knows how it feels and therefore has advice that’ll maybe go in one ear and stay there, rather than escape out the other.

The wisest people have seen the darkest of days. Many of the world’s most well-known leaders suffered through various hardships: Albert Einstein couldn’t speak until he was four-years-old; Stephen King’s first novel was rejected 30 times; Oprah Winfrey overcame poverty, parental neglect, sexual abuse and racism. Knowing this information gives these heroes more credibility. They are not defined by their setbacks, but rather respected for overcoming these obstacles growing into strong, well-respected leaders.

The lesson to learn here is that we are better people for our pain and weaknesses. Not only are we stronger and wiser, but we now get to relate to others who may be experiencing the same thing. We hold the privilege of standing up and saying, “Look, I know this is really tough, but I got through it so I can assure that you will too.” If you’re doubting this, put yourself in the midst of your difficult time and imagine the person you would want to talk with. This leads me back to my original question: who would you rather seek advice from, someone who puts him or herself on a pedestal, claiming to have life thoroughly figured out or a person of humility who can relate to your troubles on a personal level? The second one, that’s your answer (or at least I hope so). Without pain, we wouldn’t know joy; without drawbacks, we wouldn’t know how to move forward.

Whatever troubling situation you are currently resting in, there’s a purpose for it. Although it may not feel like it, you will come out of this alive and well, and you will be far more equipped to lead others out of their suffering than you can currently imagine.