The strength of a woman is not measured by the impact that all her hardships in life have had on her; but the strength of a woman is measured by the extent of her refusal to allow those hardships to dictate her and who she becomes.
No one is without troubles, without personal hardships and genuine challenges. Â That fact may not be obvious because most people don't advertise their woes and heartaches. Â But nobody, not even the purest heart, escapes life without suffering battle scars.
Joy is not a commodity to be hoarded and protected. It is like a muscle. It must be used daily to keep strong and vigorous. For all my hardships, I have been able to remain quite joyful, for my muscles are strong.
How can love be worthy of its name if one selects solely the pretty things and leaves out the hardships? It is easy to enjoy the good and dislike the bad. Anybody can do that. The real challenge is to love the good and the bad together, not because you need to take the rough with the smooth but because you need to go beyond such descriptions and accept love in its entirety.
Hardships make or break people.