What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger
Ali Kloska
WRD 110
“Sometimes bad things have to happen before good things can.”
—Becca Fitzpatrick
Why Do Bad Things Have to Happen? I went through a really
long stage of low self-esteem and just overall awkwardness
Switching high schools from a school I knew everyone to one I knew no one.
Lost a lot of people in a 4 year period (friend’s dad, my cousin, my grandpa, and a school-mate)
… They Make Us Who We Are Senior Christian Awakening
Retreat◦ Listened to a witness talk
about how the lows in our lives help to make who we are today.
I would be nowhere near who I am today without everything I went through◦ Being positive about as
much as I can (you never know when it could all end)
◦ Don’t sweat the small stuff! It isn’t worth the time.
◦ My high school gave me the ability to be who I wanted to be, and improved my confidence incredibly
The First Time I Discussed My ShiftAt my AMAZING Christian Awakening
Retreat with my small group◦ Discussed it at the end of the weekend
after hearing everyone’s life-changing stories
• Small group was very encouraging and agreed with my opinion that bad things happen to make us stronger people They realized it in their own lives as
well Became a long discussion topic
Spreading What I Had Learned: Retreat LettersRetreat letters to people I hadn’t talked
to in a while◦ I tried to compare what I had been through
to some of the things they had been through, and used examples from my retreat
A few people were receptive and came back from retreat and wanted to talk to me more about what I had written
Some still haven’t said anything, I like to think I helped them get through something they were going through (maybe?)
Peer’s Response: Retreat LettersA few people were receptive and
came back from retreat and wanted to talk to me more about what I had written
Some still haven’t said anything, I like to think I helped them get through something they were going through (maybe?)
Spreading What I Had Learned: When someone is going through a hard time
Telling people everything is going to work out in the end◦Most of my peers I say this to do not
want to hear it while they are going through whatever their problem is
◦They occasionally come to the realization this is true …and they occasionally do not
Peer’s Response: When someone is going through a hard time
Most of the people I try to express this to do not want to hear it while they are going through whatever their problem is◦They occasionally come to the
realization this is true …and they occasionally do not
Spreading What I Had Learned: Through my actionsI really do try to take everyday as
if it were my last, no regrets. When I get stressed about
something, I usually have an easy time realizing that it isn’t as big of a deal as I originally thought.
HAKUNA MATATA
Peer’s Response: My actionsSeveral friends have told me to
tell my experiences to other people, and have suggested I speak at retreats
I’ve been told multiple times that I am too positive◦I take this as a compliment…
obviously
My Response To My Position ShiftI believe that with some practice, I can
help other people realize that although life seems really bad, they are going to get through it and become a stronger, better person because of what they have gone through
I think my techniques could use a little work◦ I need to be more understanding that
people are not going to agree with me the majority of the time
In Closing…Everything really is going to work
out in the end. Period. ◦No matter how long it seems to be
taking, or how bad the situation is. YOU WILL GET THROUGH IT!
WHAT DOESN’T KILL YOU MAKES YOU
STRONGER
Works CitedFitzpatrick, Becca. "Quotes About
Bad Things Happen." (5 Quotes). N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2012. http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/bad-things-happen