Life is Tough; There’s Hope

Time for a favourite quote!

I often have trouble remembering even a favourite, maybe because my favourites keep changing. Sometimes, I will read something that resonates deeply and I jot the sentence down. I might look up quotes on specific subjects as I prepare a speech, presentation, or workshop. Google offers such a variety of timely quotes on many subjects. Narrowing down the scope of this piece of writing to only one quote is the challenge.

The quote I chose to write about might not be my most favourite of all-time, but it resonated with me when I heard it spoken in a speech done by a fellow Toastmaster several years ago. It is not something published and he may not remember saying it, but I jotted it down as he spoke and decided to share it with you today.

Nyasha Makura said,

“Battle scars and bruises are testimony to our journey and learning.”

I know that I am not alone in having battle scars and bruises on my body, and the emotional ones as well. Yet, too often I focus on those tough times, the hurts and their aftermaths, and I forget about the learning that they helped me accomplish on this journey called life.

One of the topics I often speak on is Life’s Tough, but There’s Hope, so this quote resonates with my topics. Hope can seem dim and almost non-existent. The tough stuff of life keeps piling up, leaving the battle scars and bruises, and yet, these become part of our story, part of the journey, and only through looking back can we discover the lessons we have learned.

Comfort and compassion increase as we survive life’s tough moments, days, weeks or years. I firmly believe that we can then walk beside another hurting individual, and let them know they are not alone.

This quote offers a poignant word picture which helps remind me, not only of the pain, but also of the triumphs, the lessons learned and the forward momentum of my journey and the journeys of others. Those lessons enable me to share with others, both in writing and when I speak to encourage them, to look for hope in the middle of the darkness as they process the lessons of the past to see what can apply to the present.

May each reader be able to take a look at their “battle scars and bruises” as a testimony to their own journey and learning.

Written by: Carol Harrison