How many times have you felt the world closing in on you? How many times have you thought there was no way out? How many times have you felt you were drowning in a sea of tears? Many? A few? But you are still here, right? That means you survived, that you overcame whatever difficult situation you were going through. It means that even when we are going through hard times and cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel from where we stand, everything passes.
Yes, everything passes. In the past, there were situations you thought you could not overcome, and you did. Remember, search your memory, and feel proud of everything you have overcome. There is a popular saying: “What does not kill you makes you stronger.” And you are still here. That means today you are stronger than yesterday, even if you do not know it; today you are wiser than a year ago, even if you do not believe it. Yes, you are. Believe it. Overcoming adversity and growing are in your DNA.
One of the first books I read was Gone with the Wind. From it, I learned that, like Scarlett, the main character, we all have the ability to overcome any kind of difficult situation by maintaining the right attitude. The novel’s heroine lived through a series of unfortunate events: wars, loss of property, loss of family members, and heartbreak. For her, pain was inevitable, but suffering was optional. Every time one of those unfortunate events occurred and suffering tried to settle in her heart, she would tell herself, “I don’t have time to think about it today,” and keep her mind busy with something more productive that would help her avoid clinging to the suffering trying to take over her heart. She repeated this process countless times, until the moment came when she could remember without suffering, without pain.
Scarlett chose to take charge of her life and did not let circumstances cow her. She took the helm of her life and refused to let suffering take over. Scarlett empowered herself. What if we used this philosophy whenever something happens to us that we know is painful?
Although Scarlett is the main character in a work of fiction, you are the main character in your own book, and every day you write a new page. You, and you alone, choose the plot. You are free to decide whether you want the book of your life to be one of drama and suffering or of overcoming challenges and growing. Writing the right plot is in your hands. And remember: even if you cannot see it today, everything passes.
“Trust in time; it often brings sweet ways out of many bitter difficulties.”
Miguel de Cervantes