By Samantha Silbernagel | #9
We have all come face to face with those dark, gloomy clouds. Then, out of nowhere, the wind picks up, and knocks us flat on the ground. We sit there and stare at those clouds and wonder how we will stand up. Nervousness overwhelms us as we believe the wind will just knock us over again. Yet somehow, we stand a little stronger. Then all of the sudden, it all happens again. The most important piece of the cycle is that we get back up, learning a little more and standing a little stronger each time.
The wind is adversity. It comes on fast without much anticipation. It can be cold and hard to breathe. But eventually, the wind calms down and ceases. I think that it is often overlooked that adversity builds character through struggle. I guarantee that you, the person reading this, would not be who you are today without overcoming adversity. Somehow, through the process, we come to believe that the adversity defines us. However, we are not defined by the adversity we have encountered, and it has taken me a long time to realize that.
I faced a piece of adversity that seems to define me. I responded to the situations and built who I am today, but it continues to impact my life. The huge winds have become a breeze. I have allowed myself to believe the only admiring qualities I have are seeded in that piece of adversity. In reality, I am more than what has happened to me. I can be proud of what I have been through, but the important thing is that I continue to take on the wind and grow stronger. I now realize that I have the power to stop the wind, and that in itself is empowering.
Originally, I was going to write about my journey through a piece of adversity. For a little context though, I have had five knee surgeries which included multiple complications. For years now, I have placed my self worth in overcoming a set of events. Ultimately, I am more than that…and so are you.
The clouds are those emotions that hang over our heads and those negative thoughts between our ears. We wake up and immediately see them outside our window. We are quick to assume it will be another gloomy day. Once in a while however, we see a sliver of sunshine break through. Quickly after, it fades and we are left with those clouds. Fighting those thoughts seem to make it worse, creating more clouds. Frustration builds up and we want to give up.
It is in those moments that we become better.
It is when we are at rock bottom that we discover our true strength and reason. We then see another sliver of sunshine which feeds us hope. This is a vicious cycle and each time we learn a little more. I have realized that at the end of the day, we cannot rely on the chance of a sliver of sunshine. Instead, we have to make our own sunshine. This sunshine feeds us to break through the clouds and see clearly again.
All of us have felt the wind and seen the clouds due to these uncertain times. At the end of the day, we are all in this together. We can strive to be the best possible versions of ourselves for our friends, families, and neighbors. Let’s all stop the wind and make our own sunshine.
As always, HAIL TITANS!
