I am a firm believer that God puts certain instances in our lives in order to test us, and how we react to these scenarios ultimately builds our character. It is very easy to take either the positive/negative or good/bad side to a situation, but being able to accept this “struggle” and ask yourself how you can benefit or build yourself from the situation defines maturity and good character (in my opinion). Although this is very easy for me to say now, a few years ago I had a hard time understanding this concept. So, my readers, If you would like to learn about how I found my strength, continue reading. :)
In 2008, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. This was a very hard time for me because prior to my diagnosis, I had never been severely sick before. With that being said, I did not handle this “struggle” well; I was very miserable and constantly asked myself why I had to be the one diagnosed with this illness. I spent so much time being doubtful and pessimistic and did not consider the hidden opportunities this diagnosis had the possibility of providing me with. Although, when I became a patient at a children’s hospital, my perspective completely changed. When I became aware that there are other, more sick children in the world, I felt completely selfish. In addition, when I noticed these children, I was shocked to see that they all had beaming smiles on their faces despite the struggles they were dealing with. For me, this scenario was an eye opener and ever since that day, I decided that I wanted to give back to my community and help others, especially young children, in an inspiring way. This is where I found my strength.
As I got older, I began handling my diagnosis very well; it taught me maturity and responsibility. But, more importantly, it gave me a sense of empathy, which I consider to be my strength. Like mentioned, the young children that I encountered inspired me to help my community in a positive way and this is why I a am so adamant in becoming a teacher. In regards to the reasons why I want to be a teacher, that is a whole other tangent. But, the bottom line is that I feel educators hold the great responsibility in being either a positive or negative role model in children’s lives. Like the children at the hospital gave me, I hope one day I can reciprocate this positivity onto other young children.
The reason why I shared my personal story is because I hope that it is somewhat inspiring to you. From my struggle, I found my strength and realized that there is positivity in every situation, you just have to look for it. Like myself, I hope that you find your strength through your struggle and I advise you to search for that mere sign of positively in a place where you are doubtful, and turn it into something great like I did.