By Samantha McKenzie

Betrayal.

Disappointment.

Heartache.

Death.

Abuse.

Criticism.

Drama.

Lies.

Abandonment.

As unique as we may be, all human beings experience some level of trauma at some point in their lives. No matter how far we may go in life or how much we manage to accumulate, we all, like those before us, will go through many facets of pain. It’s just a part of living.

Pause for a minute today and reflect back on a time when you felt like you were at your worst. Think back to a time when you thought you would never recover from an incident. Can you recall the hurt that gripped your insides? Do you remember who came to your aid? Do you know for sure how you made it through?

I used to think I had bad luck. It seemed like things just always happened to me. I was stuck in the ‘grass is always greener on the other side’ syndrome. I was always looking for the perfect outcome and was obsessed with getting it right, each and every time.

Life on the other hand wasn’t like that at all. I came to realize that it was sometimes messy. That it didn’t always work out for the best. That circumstances didn’t always show up in nice, neatly wrapped packages and that things didn’t always have to go my way.

Instead of getting overwhelmed each time I arrived at a conflict, I tried my hand at being more pliable. I planned for the best but prepared for the worst. I accepted the fact that “what didn’t kill me would surely make me stronger” and that trials were all a necessary part of growing up. Through my journey to maturity, I gave up the notion that it was always going to be easy, or fair, or crystal clear.

I learned too that life could sometimes be tough, but that I had to be tougher. I learned how to get back up after a very bad stumble. I also learned how to laugh at myself. Most of all, I learned more about myself through the most difficult times. I noticed that each time I was broken, I could heal and that healing made me stronger, and wiser, and braver.

These days, I’ve come to accept my broken pieces. I treasure all of my experiences and know that each situation prepared me for the next. I got rid of the guilt and the shame. I gathered all of my pieces and work daily to mend myself back together. I can tell that I look different each day and that my perspectives have evolved.

I’ve taken all of the negatives and turned them into a masterful mosaic. Each angle illuminating another and reflecting on the most beautiful parts of my life.

Spend time using your experiences to reinvent yourself and let your newly formed mosaics shine through.