“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” — Viktor Frankl.
For me, it was the book Man’s Search for Meaning.
I first picked it up because I wanted to understand resilience better. I finished it, realizing that meaning isn’t something we stumble across—it’s something we choose to create, even in life’s hardest moments.
That idea stayed with me.
I’ve lived through seasons where it would have been easy to believe pain was the end of the story. Instead, I slowly discovered that our deepest wounds can become places where compassion grows, where purpose takes root, and where we learn to recognize others’ suffering.
It changed the way I look at people.
Now, when I meet someone who seems angry, withdrawn, or struggling, I find myself wondering what they’ve survived rather than judging how they’re coping.
That shift has shaped not only how I live, but also how I write.
If my words accomplish anything, I hope they remind someone that even in the darkest season, meaning, hope, and connection are still possible.