I stumbled upon this post while browsing on Facebook: "Faith is a muscle. You won't know how strong yours is until it is tested." My friend who posted it is one of the most inspiring people I know. The first time I met her, she's having a hard time dealing with her depression. Then she met someone whom she thought would make up for all the losses she had. 

But things went sideways. Their separation added to the scars she already had. I honestly felt bad for her.

But a few years later, I found her conquering not just her fears but her dreams! She is now a sought-after speaker in the areas of freelancing, finance, and start-ups. From a meek, "intimidated" woman to a powerful influencer - how cool is that?

Most people who don't know her see only the victories and the joy, the icing on the cake. No one knows but her the pain and struggles she went through. If you're familiar with the iceberg illustration, that's it! The visible part, the tip of the iceberg, is what the people celebrate. What's beneath are the things that made everything possible. 

We all want to be happy. It's absurd to run after despair and sadness, and I don't know anyone who delights in it. We do our best to win and have a happy life. But happiness comes with a price, and we don't want that. Sometimes it is painful. It entails sacrifice. We want to avoid that as possible as we can. 

But we're shortchanging ourselves if we choose to avoid the pain and all the sad part. Here's why:

We grow through what we go through

There's a saying "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger." I believe it means constant exposure to failures, stresses, and negatives makes you stronger and better. Your whole system adapts to your circumstances. If you faced difficulty once, you will know how to do better the second time. You will not be immune to these unpleasant circumstances but at least your body and mind adapt. 

Like an athlete who develops muscle through constant exposure to training and physical, strenuous activities, going through lows will help you do better the next time it happens. 

Being down doesn't mean you're out

We think that when we're sad, anxious, or depressed, we're sore losers. But that's not the case! We may be down but we're not out. We're still fighting, and we should be. 

We have to remember that the fight is not always for the strongest, or the wisest, or the fastest, but the determined and faithful to the end. Progress is progress. Don't let the pacing of others make you feel sorry for yourself. Think of yourself as recharging, preparing for a massive launch. Focus on your race and don't mind others. Always tell yourself, you're doing great! Be your encouragement!

Sadness makes you grounded

I believe sadness plays a vital part in our well-being. One of my favorite animated movies is Inside Out (huhu, Bingbong). It features Joy and Sadness, and other emotions such as Anger, Disgust, and Fear. What I love about the movie is how it tries to portray a balance between and among the emotions/characters in the life of a person. 

Sadness is vital because it makes us realize that we are not living in an ideal, perfect world. People will tend to disappoint or hurt us. Sadness keeps us grounded because it makes us humanly connected to others. We know who our true friends are not when we are at our best, but when we are at our lowest.

Let's go back to my friend. I admire her successes. I am happy with what she's enjoying now. But that admiration comes from seeing her rise from her lowest. Her tears were worth it, it made her wiser. Her pains made her stronger. Her failures fueled her grit and passion.

Don't fret your lowest points. You're being prepared for something greater.