You Are Strong Because You Have No Other Choice
Some people are strong because they don’t know any other way to be~Author
A story about all the things you didn’t know you could survive
I want to settle a few things for those passing through reading this story.
No one will ever know how hard it is to be you.
No one can totally relate to how or what you feel.
There is no magic pill for life.
You might get through life with no mental health medication, no alcohol,
no substance use, domestic violence, workplace violence, or childhood
bullies, and those are just a few life challenges that come to mind.
You will never know how strong you are until you have no other choice.
Going to Iraq in my twenties and living outside in the desert for 7 months —
no one could have told me I would have to be in a war.
I survived because I had to.
The path that we take in life is individual and carved uniquely for us.
I’m one of the older first cousins, and I found out that some of my younger
first cousins thought my life was so easy.
How do you describe your life to others when they view it from their
perspective?
I stop trying to convince family, friends, or foes who I am or who I hope to
become.
People will exhaust you if you allow them.
You can have well-meaning parents and others in your life, but their
opinion about what they think you should be doing will make you run away
and hide.
Yes, family and friends will exhaust you.
When I was growing up, women were not associated with strength.
I did not give much thought to how strong a woman was or what it really
meant to be strong.
I got a little life under my belt, and I began to see how life can bend you
and make you think you will break.
Strength. It’s a word often associated with physical prowess, the ability to
lift heavy objects or withstand immense pressure.
But the true essence of strength lies far deeper.
It’s the unwavering spirit that rises in the face of adversity, the quiet
determination that keeps us moving when the world seems determined to
knock us down.
My strength wasn’t a choice; it was forged in the crucible of trials, a
necessity for survival, not a badge of honor.
There was a time when the world felt like a constantly shifting landscape
beneath my feet.
Loss, in its many forms, became a relentless visitor.
The sudden illness that stole a loved one, the unexpected betrayal that
shattered trust — each blow chipped away at the foundation
I thought was so secure.
It was in those moments of raw vulnerability that the fight began.
A primal instinct to keep going, to hold onto the remnants of a life that felt
like it was falling apart.
There were days when the strength felt like a flickering flame, easily
extinguished by the wind of despair.
Yet, a deeper wellspring of resilience would somehow replenish it.
It wasn’t always a heroic battle cry; sometimes, it was the quiet act of
getting out of bed, of putting one foot in front of the other despite the
leaden weight in my heart.
It was in the mundane routines, in the solace of small victories, that the
embers of strength were rekindled.
The journey wasn’t a solitary one.
There were moments when the kindness of strangers, the unwavering
support of loved ones, became the very air that I breathed.
Their belief in me, even when I doubted myself, served as a lifeline, a
reminder that I wasn’t completely adrift.
This fabric of human connection became a source of strength, a testament
to the power of shared vulnerability and empathy.
However, the greatest test of strength wasn’t external.
It was the internal battle against the crippling voice of self-doubt.
The constant questioning, the fear of failure, the crippling weight of “what
ifs” — these were the demons that threatened to consume me.
But with each internal conflict, a new layer of resilience was formed.
Learning to silence the negativity, to embrace imperfection, and to find
courage in vulnerability — these became the tools I wielded against the
darkness within.
The journey has been arduous, a continuous process of learning and re-
learning.
But from the ashes of hardship, a new kind of strength has emerged.
It’s not the boastful strength of invincibility; it’s the quiet strength of
resilience, the unwavering spirit that knows it can weather the storm.
It’s the strength that whispers, “You’ve been through worse.
You can get through this too.”
This strength, forged in the fires of adversity, is not mine alone.
It’s a testament to the human spirit’s ability to adapt and overcome.
It’s a reminder that within each of us lies a wellspring of resilience waiting
to be tapped.
And while strength may not always be a choice, it can be a powerful tool for
navigating life’s inevitable challenges.
Some of us are strong because we had no other choice.
This story was birthed out of a story I wrote here.
Thank you for reading.
Be Well!
