The gifts that come from adversity

The gifts that shape us are often ones we didn't want.

Over the past week, while counting my blessings, I kept coming back to one thought:

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗴𝗶𝗳𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆.

Not the pretty, wrapped-with-a-bow kind. But the gritty, unwanted, "why is this happening to me?" kind.

The kind you recognize years later, after some distance and healing.

Have you ever experienced something like that?

During my decade of struggling with infertility, I felt anything but strong.

Those years were filled with grief, desperation, and isolation that's hard for others to understand if you haven’t gone through it.

I remember the endless cycle of hope and heartbreak.

💔 Baby showers I attended with a smile plastered on my face while my heart was quietly breaking.

💔 Mother’s Day celebrations at church felt like a cruel reminder of what I didn’t have.

💔 Well-meaning comments from friends and family cut like a knife.

But looking back now, I can see something beautiful was happening under the surface.

Psychologists call it 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁-𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵—the transformation that occurs 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 of the struggle, not 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘵.

It's the mysterious paradox of being human:

70% of adults experience a major, life-altering hardship. Of those, 2/3 report growth on the other side—new strength, new priorities, deeper compassion.

No one knows this pain more than women suffering from infertility.

Studies show that 65% of individuals navigating infertility experience measurable post-traumatic growth.

Women emerge with:

• Greater inner strength

• Heightened empathy for others

• A deeper appreciation for the miracle of motherhood.

And from new growth emerges new purpose.

People who face adversity are 2.5x more likely to use their experience to help others.

My pain didn't just shape me. It gave me my purpose.

I sat down with Hussein Al-Baeity to talk about how my struggle became a mission—helping women proactively plan their paths to motherhood.

We explore how adversity becomes advocacy, and how the hardest chapters of life become our greatest contributions.

As I write this, I know many women are in the middle of the infertility struggle.

The holiday season may feel heavy. It’s another year of not being able to hold your dream baby in your arms.

If you're in that place right now, please hold on.

Your story is still unfolding.
Your purpose is still forming.
Your strength is still emerging.

One day, you may look back and say: "That struggle didn't break me. It made me who I am today."

I'd love to hear from you: Have you experienced post-traumatic growth? What unexpected gifts have come from your hardest seasons?

And if you need support, I'm just a DM away.

#posttraumaticgrowth
#infertility