Heard of the saying “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”?
Before I share my thoughts or inspiration from today about this particular observation, let me bring you to this article at Northwestern University where researchers prove this exact topic – “Science proves that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Researchers find that early-career failure promotes future professional success“.
Now, from my own inspiration today found in my garden from a bunch of perennial plants called geranium. Throughout the years, geranium tends to survive any kind of season, weather, soil condition, drought and is one of the toughest plants, hardest plants to kill. Even when it gets infected or sick, it can be easily transplanted and treated. In one season if the geranium was not well cared for and started shrinking, as long as you don’t give up on them and kept them in the soil, with the supply of sun and water, they will naturally come back the next season stronger and bigger than before. It continues to grow year after year, season after season and get bushier over time as it matures.
As I noticed my geraniums weathered the storms, the rain, the extreme heat and cold and still survived while all the other plants dried, burnt and died in winter, fall and summer, I cannot help but see how resilient this living thing is. As long as it is alive, with continued supply of natural resources like sunlight and water and soil, with little to no maintenance or care, it survives all conditions, flowers and blooms (with no complaints) and shines brightly each and every day.
It teaches me a lesson and that is life goes through seasons, each with different challenges, resilience is needed for all living things (and every human being). As long as we’re breathing, we can survive and make it through any difficulties. With the right mindset and no complaints, we can learn and grow. Through many failures and sometimes big or small triumphs, we will become stronger. Failures are necessary ingredients for achieving success and growth; without failures we will not learn.
If you just happened to stumble upon this blog or post and are going through difficult time right now, know that good times don’t last, bad times are also just temporary. Keep taking baby steps, you too like the geraniums, will survive, bloom and be stronger in life or pursuit of success.