“That which does not kill us makes us stronger.”
~ Friedrich Nietzsche
Oh boy, our weather is outright angry this morning! Praying for my boyfriend, who has a full day charter today, that this passes on out of here!!
Sort of like those times in life, when things aren’t going so well. You hope the clouds will pass quickly!!
I’ve always wondered where this quote came from. As an optimist, I’ve said it plenty of times …
According to TheBestBrainPossible.com, studies have shown that after hardship, people generally experienced positive change in five areas:
- They have a renewed appreciation for life;
- They adopted a new world view, with new possibilities for themselves;
- They felt more personal strength;
- Their relationships improved;
- They felt spiritually more satisfied.
This phenomenon has been coined “Post Traumatic Growth” (PTG).
There is no standard to determine what constitutes trauma or healthy growth. However, the study did determine why some people experience PTG and some do not.
As expected, it was found that people with a moderate aptitude for psychological adjustment were the most likely to show signs of PTG.
Those with difficulty adapting exhibited less growth.
However, surprisingly, those who exhibited a high aptitude for psychological adjustment demonstrated the least signs of positive change … Perhaps because they already understand that hardship is a part of life and, were already fairly adaptable and, therefore, not that changed by the experience.
Victor Frankl, a neurologist, psychiatrist, holocaust survivor and author, said, “The way in which a man accepts his fate and all the suffering it entails, the way in which he takes up his cross, gives him ample opportunity – even under the most difficult circumstances – to add a deeper meaning to his life.”
Byron Katie writes in “Loving What Is”: The only time we suffer is when we believe a thought that argues with what is. When the mind is perfectly clear, what IS is what we want. If you want reality to be different than it is, you might as well try to teach a cat to bark. You can try and try, and in the end the cat will look up at you and say, “Meow.” Wanting reality to be different than it is is hopeless.
So what caused me to reflect on all of this today? I ran into a very old friend at the grocery yesterday. She’s been off island for ten years. Her boyfriend was an employee of mine, and she used to help out at the store. While it was wonderful to see her, it brought back not so happy memories. Those times sucked. I’d had string after string of thieves in my business, during already challenging financial times, following multiple hurricanes. Her boyfriend was one of the honest souls, and tried to warn me. I believed the thief. And her boyfriend quit. And in each occasion, the local police let the bad guys get away. There were times that I literally thought I wouldn’t make it through.
But …. I’m not dead. And I am a hell of a lot wiser for it.
So if you happen to be going through tough times …. This quote – and my heart – are for you. This too shall pass. Happy Hump Day ❤
Source: http://www.thebestbrainpossible.com/what-doesnt-kill-you-makes-you-stronger
