The things that happen to us in life shape us, but they should not define us. The lessons learned are guiding posts along the journey of our lives. They give us direction when there are future cross-roads. When circumstances change, does that define us? If you allow them to, they will. However, we are more than that.
The labels that people place on us are out of our control. What we are in control of are the labels we place on ourselves. Self-talk can be our worst enemy or our greatest cheerleader.
When we define ourselves based on our circumstances, we let the world decide who we are. Instead, we should work to design our own lives. We have the power of choice; let us use it wisely.