My heart feels a bit heavy today.

I’ve been reading some posts on LinkedIn from people who have recently been let go from their workplaces. It’s a loss of a job for them, yes, but it also seems like a loss of so much more: a community, an identity, a way of contributing.

I also learned about the sudden demise of a friend’s father today. He was hail and hearty until he wasn’t and then he was gone.

As I sit here trying to process all this, I am reminded of an activity I learned while studying positive psychology.

If you are going through a tough time at the moment, try answering the following questions:

1. Have you ever had a time in your life when you experienced tremendous growth as a person?

For most people, the answer is yes. We all learn and grow regularly and some experiences have a huge impact on our growth.

2. Did the time you just thought about involve adversity of any kind?

For most people, the answer to this question is also yes.

While adversity isn’t a prerequisite for growth, tough times often teach us important life lessons and make us stronger. 

I don’t know who needs to hear this today, but I do feel called to say it: If you’re going through something challenging in your life right now, know that you are resilient. You can come out stronger from this experience. Even if it doesn’t feel like that right now, one day, you might look back and marvel at all the valuable lessons the experience taught you.

You’ve done it before in your life. You can do it again.