What Does Not Kill Us

It is a sad reality that no one goes through life without being wounded in some way by one’s experiences. Sometimes our sufferings reach a point where we ask the question, ‘why me?’ We see those around us who are untouched and unscathed, and we feel angry that we have been singled out for this hardship.

We all desire meaning in the sufferings we endure. We want to make sense of our hardships. We need to believe that there is a higher purpose for the miseries that we experience. We all seek a deeper reason for the agony that we bear. We tell ourselves that this is probably a test. And perhaps this trial will play a part in some cosmic pattern - that its purpose is hidden deep within the grand scheme of things.

But what if we can find no meaning? What if no matter how hard we try, we fail to see the reason for our sufferings?

Whether or not our trials have a reason, there is no denying the truth that what does not kill us makes us stronger. This is what bestows meaning to our suffering. This fact is what gives it purpose. We draw strength from a history of difficulties that we have already overcome. And our triumphs in life are a testament that we did not give up, that we refused to surrender.

Our trials may make us sad for a while. They may make us lose faith. And we may feel that our burdens are overwhelming. But it is only our fear that sometimes blinds us to another truth - that this suffering is only temporary and that this too shall pass.

We have all been wounded in one way or another. But it is up to us to choose to learn from the scars we bear. For what does not kill us, makes us wiser as well.