Theme of the Week: Finding Meaning
“To live is to suffer, to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering.”
- Friedrich Nietzsche
Brother,
When I was diagnosed with a life-threatening disease, everything changed in an instant. There was no way to prepare for it, no way to control it, and no clear sense of what the future would look like. I was dealing with something that, at its core, was suffering.
At some point along the way, I realized that I had a decision to make. I could allow what happened to me to define me and find sorrow in my suffering, or I could begin to create something for myself within it.
In doing this, I learned how to ask for help, I started to take care of myself - not just physically, but mentally and emotionally, and I fully leaned into my faith. I became more honest about what I needed from my life moving forward.
In my professional life, I focused on creating opportunities, even in the middle of uncertainty. I graduated from university just three days before my transplant, became certified as a life and wellness coach, and began building what would later become Path to Becoming.
At the same time, in my personal life, I began to recognize that I hadn’t been living as intentionally as I thought. There were strained parts of myself I had been disconnected from, and a version of me that I wasn’t fully aligned with. Realizing this, I began to strengthen my mindset and worked on myself everyday.
What I came to understand is that even when we don’t choose our circumstances, we still have a say in how we respond to them. Looking back, I am so glad I took these steps throughout my cancer journey, and found purpose despite the challenges.
I didn’t choose the suffering, and I would never pretend that it was easy. But within what I couldn’t control, I made a decision to find some meaning in the suffering.
I still don’t know exactly where this road leads, but I do know that so many valuable things came out of one of the hardest experiences of my life.
And that’s the point.
The opportunity to find meaning is always there, and the choice to look for it will always be available to you.
Stay strong, even when you are not. It’s okay, you are not alone.
With love always,
Michael Argyrides
