person? Have you ever contemplated what person you would be if you had not had to endure those sufferings?
5You’ ve hit rock bottom.
Have you ever fought the battle of alcohol and drug addiction? Substance abuse can enslave a person and not only ruin the addict’ s life but can also destroy the lives of those who are a part of their life. Recovery from substance abuse makes you aware that you have been relying on external things to make you happy. Standing up again after hitting rock bottom teaches you to trust yourself and pursue you own sense of validation. Have you struggled through this battle and regained your life? What have you learned about yourself and how much greater is your appreciation for the life that you have?
“ It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.” ~ Aristotle
6You’ ve lived through trauma. Trauma comes in all kinds of formats. This could have been as a result of your military enlistment, your work as a first responder, or you were where you were supposed to be but at the wrong time. Traumatic events can leave deep scars. If you have lived through trauma, you have demonstrated a tremendous amount of courage. You have faced some of life’ s darkest moments and still found the strength to keep moving on with your life. Strive to hold a mindset that you will use this challenge to make you better, not bitter.
“ Nothing can dim the light which shines from within.” ~ Maya Angelou
7You know what it’ s like to be alone. Loneliness is a commonly overlooked life experience that can come as a result of divorce, depression, and poor life choices to name a few. How has your bouts of loneliness changed you for the better? What sources of inspiration did you look toward to pull you out of the darkness of loneliness?
8You have felt the sting of failure and defeat. Have you ever given something your very all and still failed? What did you learn from this? Did you stop setting goals for yourself? Or did you get up and stay focused on the goal until you achieved it? Everyone has faced failure but it is how you respond to it that truly defines you. Use it as a stepping stone to learn from so you make better decisions in the future.
9You’ ve achieved a seemingly impossible goal. Impossible goals are the kinds where you tend to get knocked down over and over again. But every time you get knocked down, you get back up. The decision to get back up is eventually established because at some point you decide that you will never give up. How has this kind of challenge changed you and how you look at obstacles? How deep are you reaching to get to the determination to keep on going?
You have had to start
10 over. Have you ever basically lost everything you had? Life can not only be hard, it can be harsh as well as cruel. How has this life experience taught you to be more resourceful? How has it taught you to be more appreciative and more generous to others?
“ Do not pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure a difficult one.” ~ Bruce Lee
People are a lot tougher than we give them credit for. Strength is not about being unshakable; it is about facing your challenges even when it feels like everything is falling apart. How have your life challenges made you a better person and a more positively impacting person for the world around you?
38 Valdosta Scene | June 2025