Empowerment Through Thought

Something I’ve noticed in the survivor community is this guilt we carry because we feel we are broken.

And that makes a lot of sense. We see folks around us who didn’t have to endure years of abuse and we get into the mode of comparison. We start to feel like we’re at a serious disadvantage because we are “broken” compared to them.

But what if being broken wasn’t actually a disadvantage? What if this brokenness was an important part of the human experience, an important part of our experience?

Aaron Simmons thinks being broken and the possibility of being broken again is critical in our understanding of ourselves:

“It matters that we can be broken. Facing this reality makes it possible to celebrate those who keep walking despite the pain, who hop climbing no matter how slowly, and who encourage others along the way.” – Aaron Simmons in Camping with Kierkegaard.

Being broken certainly sucks. I wouldn’t wish it upon anyone. And at the very same time this brokenness adds meaning to our lives.

It helps us appreciate the impressive ways that we still manage to do hard things despite the brokeness. It helps us appreciate the beauty of others when they manage to do hard things despite the brokeness. It helps us remember that we don’t know everyone’s story and be humble when it comes to chastizing others.

I see this everyday in the survivor community. On the whole we are a wonderfully supportive group of human beings. We encourage each other even when our struggles seem small from the outside. We celebrate each other’s wins- whether they are publishing our first novel or just getting out of bed for the day.

While being broken sucks, it truly does add meaning to our lives. Both things can be true at the same time: brokeness made us wise and we would never wish for anyone to be broken the way we were.

So maybe the next time you want to think badly about yourself because you are broken, remember that there is good in that brokeness as well.