emerged from the fire...

I found some posts on facebook today that I can really relate to. I am going to share them with you here....

I do not define myself by how many roadblocks have appeared in my path.
I define myself by the courage I’ve found to forge new roads.
I do not define myself by how many disappointments I’ve faced.
I define myself by the forgiveness and the faith I have found to begin again.
I do not define myself by how long a relationship lasted.
... I define myself by how much I have loved, and been willing to love again.
I do not define myself by how many times I have been knocked down.
I define myself by how many times I have struggled to my feet.
I am not my pain.
I am not my past.
I am that which has emerged from the fire.
♥
Unkown~.

and....

  All the years you have waited for them to
“make it up to you” and all the energy you
expended trying to make them change
[or make them pay] kept the old wounds
from healing and gave pain from the past free
... rein to shape and even damage your life.
And still they may not have changed. Nothing
you have done has made them change. Indeed,
they may never change. Inner peace is found by
changing yourself, not the people who hurt you.
And you change yourself for yourself, for the joy,
serenity, peace of mind, understanding, compassion,
laughter, and bright future that you get.

|Lewis Smedes|
~Ross.