I forgot to mention

Strength is also opportunistic, by which I mean that sometimes strength may be found in utilizing the opportunities that you come across.

I always hated this expression and derivations of because my mother loved to tell me it when I was torn up: 'this is character building.'

*sighs* But there have been many opportunities for me to grow up, practice self-control or improve my situation that have basically ambushed me and tore a hole in me, then waited to see what I would do about it. I always hate to mention this, because it seems colder than the Ice Queen's ass, but at least seven times out of ten (and, privately, I suspect all ten worked the same way), when someone or something has clobbered the fuck outta me, it's been a chance to solidify my self-control or learn something about the way I work (and no, I don't think we're born knowing what we need to about ourselves. There are whole chapters of myself I probably could have lived without knowing, but it has been illuminating, if not pleasant, to be in hell.)

FYI, the expression about being wise meaning you know how little you know is unfortunately true. The more I know, the less I know, if you catch my drift. And I have designated myself wise, so you should trust me. And send me money, because Jeeeeeeebus wants to do a miracle through.... oh, sorry, wrong channel.

I suppose the unfortunate part of being strong contains a lot of moments in which you gather up the bleeding fragments of yourself and get on with it. After all (Ice Queen's other cheek), no one has the time nor the pity to console you for your pain. And if, by some miracle, someone does, it is a bit like winning the lottery (the odds thereof and the fact that being suddenly given that kind of compensation will make you act like a jackass) and a bit like being seduced (because you will sometimes end up trying to milk the person, sympathy or situation for more.) So be careful of your reactions to pain, not because you're trying to be macho, but because you can lose the chance to do something by being overwhelmed, something I have loads of experience with.

Feel free to disagree. This is terrible news or advice when you're in pain.