Do your struggles define you?

All of us struggle in life. Sometimes the struggles are fairly insignificant. Other times the struggles are completely overwhelming.

Many of us tend to focus on what isn’t working or what’s gone wrong in our past. Depression and anxiety seem to exacerbate the fight tenfold.

People mistakenly identify themselves by what they’ve done, what they do, or what has been done to them. Labels such as victim, addict, bipolar, failure, lazy, dumb, divorced, etc., can easily become defining features. The struggle becomes the identity. The struggle dictates who you are. It defines how you see yourself, what you believe other people see, and shapes what you will do tomorrow.

While the past has greatly influenced who you are, it does not define who you are. Your past does not define, limit, or restrict you and whom you choose to be. Your past only has as much power as you give it. Holding on to past failures and letting your struggles get the best of you will hold you back from reaching your full potential.

Let the past serve as your lessons and reminders. Your past failures hold tremendous value if you learn from them and improve yourself as a result. It is what you do with your struggles that make you who you are.

Your goals are ahead of you, not behind you. What you allow yourself to do today, and what you do on behalf of a better tomorrow is in your control. Consciously focus on the parts of your struggle that remind you of how resilient you are. From this perspective, you’ll start to see life as a remarkable and rich experience. The key to healing is finding purpose in your pain.

Tell me your story.

Carrie