Hard times are where strength comes from.
Before, you were scared. Before, you were soft. Before, you were dependent. Before, you were so many things.
But after? After the break-up, after the bankruptcy, after the pandemic, after those rough couple of years? Now you're capable of so much more. You're stronger. You're braver. You're more independent.
Did you pick up a couple of scars along the way? Was it painful and exhausting? Of course, and you never would have chosen to go through it. But you did, and now you're better for it.
Seneca pitied people who had never been through anything hard. It is good, he said, that we have been knocked around, bruised and bloodied in the ring. It has taught us what we're capable of. It has made us capable of more.
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You're not just enduring. You're becoming.
So next time you're going through something hard, next time you feel beaten down, remember: this is where strength comes from. This is how we grow. This is how we become more than we were before.
TRY THIS TODAY
Think of the hardest thing you've been through. Write down one strength you have now that you didn't have before it.
Much of what I've learned about Stoicism comes from Ryan Holiday. Find more of his writing at dailystoic.com and ryanholiday.net.
While I have edited much of this content, there are some cases where I have taken Ryan Holiday's words directly. I've included them because I think they are powerful and will be helpful for you. They are also helpful for me, and I've put them here so I can learn and understand more myself.
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