“Without knowing the depths, you can never truly appreciate the heights.”
If you have ever been in a deep depression, experienced a tragic loss, or gone without resources for a period of time, you have a stark advantage over those who have never experienced such mishaps. This article will discuss why hitting rock bottom is your greatest asset and why its powers can lead you to success in anything you do.
If you have hit rock bottom…
1. You are more Intelligent
In great suffering, comes the drive to overcome pain. This is a battle that many of us go through in one way or another. And if you are able to win this fight, whether it be with depression, anxiety, loss, poverty, or sadness you will be blessed with great knowledge that can be used to help other people overcome their sufferings! During our study of the most successful people, we found that the vast majority of our subjects hit rock bottom at some point in their lives! And rather than feeling bad for themselves, they took their newfound knowledge and used it to their advantage.
“To live is to suffer, to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering” – Friedrich Nietzsche
2. Your ability for empathy has been enhanced
According to a study, empathy has been proven to be a leading indicator of success. It has even been noted in the animal kingdom, that the alpha roles exhibit far more empathy for their pack than the subordinates do for each other. Have you ever worked for an un-empathetic manager? Yeah, pretty much everyone wishes their power was taken away.
Having empathy not only makes you a better person, it increases your likelihood of rising to higher levels in your hierarchy. If you have hit rock bottom in any way; mental illness, tragic loss, job loss, etc., you will have a deeper understanding of what others are going through. And in return for your understanding, you will be much more respected than your competitors.
“The struggle of my life created empathy – I could relate to pain, being abandoned, having people not love me.” – Oprah Winfrey
3. You feel more alive
Hitting rock bottom makes the taste of the success much sweeter. It also makes for a far more interesting story. Just ask any underdog who’s achieved their dreams! If you start with $0 in your bank account, every dollar gained provides a good sense of accomplishment. Those who’ve always been well off, don’t understand the simple rush of progress and rarely find joy in life’s simplicities. The same goes for depression, if you’ve experienced that darkness, the simplicity of feeling happy will be much more appreciated.
4. You now Know who Your Friends are
With success, comes a lot of people who may be interested in what you’re up to. They may appear genuine, but once you hit rock bottom those “friends” can vanish quicker than anything. Those who stick around after a loss, or when you’re not quite yourself, are the ones who will be with you until the end.
If you’ve never been in the depths, there’s no telling who will be there for you when times get rough. And this often comes at a shocking surprise. Though if you’ve already gone through this filtration process, you are actually very fortunate. You know who your friends are!
“If you want to find out who your real friends are, sink the ship. The first ones to jump aren’t your friends.” – Marilyn Manson
5. You have become fearless.
If you have experienced great pain, the littler mishaps in life will not phase you as much. No matter what it may be; a heart break, a near death experience, or even mental illness, you will come out the other side with significantly less fear and far more wisdom. This will not only grant you the wisdom on what to avoid in the future, it will help you help others overcome their challenges as well. After recovering, you may even realize that your once-greatest-fears, weren’t so scary after all.
“You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’ You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”
–Eleanor Roosevelt
6. You are Spiritually Mature
Life is about experience. Those who have experienced a wider variety of feelings, are not only more interesting, they are ultimately a more complete person. Have you ever met a wealthy individual who has very strong opinions about other people, yet has never walked in their shoes? Most of us are very off-put by these people’s lack of understanding. And we should be!
If you have experienced the depths, you are more spiritually mature than people who haven’t. And when you do reach your ideal level of success, you will remember your down times and be more willing to help others.
“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom” – Aristotle
7. You are a hero.
It has been proven that those who know what poverty feels like are more likely to help others in need. And similarly to empathy, generosity will allow you to rise higher in social status as well. Those who understand the needs of others, are often seen as heroes. Thus, their chances of success in any area in life are increased tenfold. And this isn’t only related to poverty, you can see this story over and over again; it’s all people who have experienced great suffering then come back to help others going through a similar situation. It’s a sacred treasure that only those who have felt great suffering have access to!
So next time you are in the depths, just know that it is a blessing in disguise. You will make it through, and you will come out the other side a better person. Share this with someone you know who is suffering, it just might make their day.
Have you experienced great suffering? What’s your story? Comment below!
