Someone once said that the trouble with using experience as a guide is that the final exam often comes first and then the lesson. Oscar Wilde wrote: “Experience is the name everyone gives to his mistakes.” Aldous Huxley wrote: “Experience is not what happens to a man. It is what a man does with what happens to him.”
Adversity introduces us to our strengths—including those that we may not even know we had. Although everyone would like a warranty that gets us through life without any accidents, damage or adversity — this is just not how the game of life gets played.
At this stage in our lives, we’ve all had plenty of tests that have challenged our strength and fortitude. Certainly, there were times we questioned whether we could handle the load. Some situations and people may have even made us question whether we could trust ourselves.
Our years add experiences: good, bad and ugly. It’s all a numbers game as we grow and learn, becoming different people than we were yesterday. Everyday we’re absorbing new information, forming different ideas and expanding our possibilities. Congratulate yourself. You’re reading this today so you still have a working mind. Things are looking up!
© 2025 Dian Griesel
