In her book, You’re Going to Be Okay (read my review here), Holley Gerth talks about our “core strengths” and “circumstantial strengths.”
Core strengths are strengths that have always been a part of us and consistently show up in our lives. Perhaps one of your core strengths is patience. You’ve never been one to get frustrated or impatient easily.
Circumstantial strengths are “certain parts of us [that] show up when the going gets tough [and] we didn’t know [those strengths] existed. They’re often as much of a surprise to us as they are to those around us.” Whether you view these sudden strengths as gifts from God or a manifestation of your better self, they are tremendously helpful in sustaining us as we walk through
I started to reflect on the circumstantial strengths that have come into my life through infertility. Here are some I came up with:
- Bravery- When we first visited the RE and had our initial testing and diagnosis, I was so fearful of having to do IVF. Well, here we are two cycles in and we’re okay! It’s been scary at certain points, but we jumped into it headfirst and we’ve survived!
- Creativity- I’ve never considered myself a writer or an artist. But through this blog, I’ve discovered that I’m a decent writer and I really enjoy designing the layout of this blog and creating graphics for Pinterest.
- Resiliency- Let’s face it: infertility sucks. I’ve experienced some of my lowest lows during the past two years. But each time we had a failed cycle, I’ve gotten back up and tried again. I may be bruised (literally!) and tired, but I am not defeated or destroyed.
What are some circumstantial strengths you’ve developed during infertility? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.
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