When tragedy comes knocking at your door one of the most common things you will hear is, "I don't know how you do it, I could never get through what you have been through". I know this because I have heard this countless times. First, when my father died when I was 12 years old and again the past two years as I have undergone the treatment for my Acute Leukemia.
A common response to this statement is, "You are never given more than you can handle", if fact I wrote a short post about this very response just over a year ago here.
The core of this belief can be summed up in this quote by Lisa Wroble:
You are stronger than you think,
remember to stand tall.
Every challenge in your life
helps you to grow.
Every problem you encounter
strengthens your mind and your soul.
Every trouble you overcome
increases your understanding of life.
When all your troubles weigh
heavily on your shoulders,
remember that beneath the burden
you can stand tall,
because you are never given
more than you can handle...
and you are stronger than you think.
When I originally came across this quote I was of the mindframe that I was given my cancer for a reason. I knew I was extremely strong enough to beat my cancer but that every ounce of that strength would be tested to achieve this. Not only that but I knew I would be able to learn something from this experience.
It wasn't just this circumstance though, I believed my father died for a reason. Without that tragedy I wouldn't have grown up into the person I am today. In fact, I believe all the tragedies that happen in our lives happen for a reason. I won't get too deep into this concept as it is a topic that I will discuss on its own another day. But it is true from the smallest to the most devastating challenges, they have all happened for a reason.
Unfortunately, tragedies present themselves regularily in our lifetimes. In fact, it is more likely that you will have to face a tragedy or two, than not have to face one. So is that people see someone else going through a difficult time, do they believe that they can't do it themselves?
I have been contemplating this thought for that last little while in conjunction with Lisa Wroble's quote and came to this conclusion;
We are capable of getting through anything life throws at us
It is in our nature to do so. We as human beings instinctively are survivors, that is the reason our race survived the threats of natural selection and fluorished. Not only are we capable of surviving tragedies, we are wired to learn from them. Remember,
Every challenge in your life
helps you to grow.
Every problem you encounter
strengthens your mind and your soul.
Sometimes when I look back on the past two years at all the things I have had to endure to get through this nasty cancer, I myself am a bit in awe. I wonder how I got through everything, and even catch myself wondering if would be able to get through it again. But I know deep down that if I was ever presented with the situation again I would find a way. That is what we do when we are presented with seemingly unsurmountable tragedies, adapt and survive.
So if you are ever presented with one of life's tragedies remember the Unknown Truth; you are stronger than you think.
