Are you a survivor?

What does that mean? I heard this question, in passing, the other day and I began to think about it.

I thought about the types of things I’ve overcome in my personal life. I made a list in my mind; childhood abuse, isolation, poverty, date-rape, marital abuse, homelessness, physical incapacitation, divorce (twice)-to name a few. I suppose most would look at my life and say, yes, I am a Survivor.

But what is a survivor? Someone who doesn’t give up? Someone who prospers in spite of?

I started to define the answer in my mind- A survivor is one who looks at life’s challenges as a learning opportunity. I believe most people (with enough time) can look back and say “wow, what I learned from that one!”, but a survivor goes into and through the challenges with the mindset, “what am I to learn from this one?” A survivor doesn’t get caught up in the drama and emotion of the moment; they can step back and see the bigger picture. And most importantly, a survivor uses the lessons learned to increase and improve themselves and the world around them.

I can honestly say, I have handled the situations in my life with a measure of grace, but I was not a survivor until I became aware of the reasons for the challenge. I cannot fathom the kind of person I would be if I had not experienced the things I did. I would not have the compassion for the abused and forgotten. I would not have the respect for what the human body is capable of. I would not have the knowledge of how wonderful and treasured friendship really is. And I certainly would not look forward to the joy of an ever-lasting marital relationship. But it is over the last decade, that I have truly understood that my responsibility goes far beyond the experience. It is to build up, to succor, to assist the others in this world to see the greatness they have within themselves, to use my experiences to encourage others to… be survivors.

So by that definition are you a survivor? At this point in my life, I am.