So, for the purpose of this post, I am replacing the word "pain" in Glennon's quote with the word "struggle". I know that struggle is a traveling professor. I know that through struggle there is learning. I just didn't know that others would share that. I am so glad that they did. This should be what we talk about. This is life, this is happening and this should be celebrated. We all have stories to tell, important stories. Let's share the wisdom we have gained, let's share our stories, they have power!
Looking back, my life has been pretty great. I have not had to deal with many devastating struggles, but I have struggled. And as you know, when you are in the midst of the storm, it is hard to look for that rainbow. So no matter the magnitude of the struggle, for each person, that struggle is real, and that struggle is big and the struggle is necessary. What I observed from the chat responses was that people shared the learning from their struggles. How they used what they went through to grow, improve and help others. That is the magic! People have had to suffer undue stress, pain, struggle, but what many have realized is that they do eventually come out the other end and often times they come out with learning. I heard stories of near death experiences, loss of jobs, dealing with tough behaviors, awful school experiences. But what I also witnessed was how people used these to change their stories and others. I do not need to share my personal struggles here, this is not the point of this post. But I will share the learning I gained along the way: 1) Lead with empathy- See and understand things through other people's eyes. 2) Look for the bright spots- We have to, they are there...we just need to make the effort to find them. 3) Lift up others- When we lift up others, we also lift up ourselves. 4)Find the learning- There is a reason for the struggle, search for it. 5)We can do hard things- Muster up that resilience and strength because struggle is necessary, there is a reason. 6) Grow others- Help others to learn from your struggles, propel them forward. 7) Fail Forward- Failure will happen, take the learning, move on and grow. 8) Just keep swimming- Don't get stuck in the rabbit hole, you just have to keep going. I wish I could go back and share these things with my former self, as I was in the midst of struggle, but I can't. All I can do is try to instill these things in my own children and those I come in contact with. I am very proud of the #SVTChat crew and the deep reflection that they share with each other. I am lucky and thankful to be part of such a team.
1 Comment
Stacy
11/21/2016 11:56:36 am
Great post! Very powerful.
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