M

September   4th

HOW CAN YOU KNOW    WHETHER YOU’VE  NEVER   BEEN    TESTED?

“I  judge   you unfortunate because you have    never   lived   through misfortune. You have    passed

through life    without an  opponent—no one can ever    know    what    you are capable of, not even

you.”

—SENECA,    ON  PROVIDENCE, 4.3

ost people who have gone through difficult periods in their life come to later wear those
experiences as badges of honor. “Those were the days,” they might say, even though now they live
in much better circumstances. “To be young and hungry again,” another might say wistfully. “It was the
best thing that ever happened to me,” or “I wouldn’t change a thing about it.” As tough as those periods
were, they were ultimately formative experiences. They made those people who they are.
There’s another benefit of so-called misfortune. Having experienced and survived it, we walk away
with a better understanding of our own capacity and inner strength. Passing a trial by fire is empowering
because you know that in the future you can survive similar adversity. “What does not kill me makes me
stronger,” Nietzsche said.
So today if things look like they might take a bad turn or your luck might change, why worry? This
might be one of those formative experiences you will be grateful for later.