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