This post is a part of the With Love series.

Some days might not be so beautiful. We are all human beings, and hurt is part of the process we need to go through. There are so many things around us that can hurt us daily. It is almost inevitable that some time or another, we will fall prey to some hurtful comment.

But I know for sure that hurt builds character. The times we feel torn down the most are the times we dig deepest within ourselves and find out who we really are, who our true friends really are, and what our real passions in life are. It sometimes takes a bit of tears to bring us down to our knees and help us rediscover our roots.

Whenever I feel hurt, I look to myself in the mirror and say, “I love myself. I am safe and I am proud of myself!”

• I am who I am
• I dare to be who I am
• It is natural for me to be proud of who I am
• I know it’s possible to be proud of who I am

Happiness comes from within. Never give your power to anyone else.

~ Brian L. Weiss

Get it out on paper

Writing is an amazingly efficient way to get those hurtful feelings off of your chest. Write a song, or maybe just lyrics to a song, or write in your diary. Maybe you want to write letters to those people who have hurt you, and really pour your gut out and tell them how you feel… And then burn those letters (never to think of them again). Whatever your style, sit down in a quiet place with a pen and a piece of paper, and get your feelings down. It really helps.

Here is a poem I wrote about hurtful times:

I’ll get up

I’ll get up, lift my head and look to the future

Find joy again and say yes to opportunities

Forgive myself and others, put things behind me

Turn disappointments into lessons and failures into gifts

I lost my courage for a while, time to pick it up again

Let go of the fear and let my dreams get wings

There is a light in the tunnel – that light is me

It will show the way for the future that awaits me

Checklist for today

• Think back on some hurtful comment you received during the past week. Then, rather than feeling the pain all over again, try to see how the comments has built your character.
• Try to imagine yourself in that person’s shoes, and try to see the situation from their eyes. You’ll be surprised to find an entirely different perspective on life that you never knew before.
• Grab a pen and piece of paper and write down your feelings. Try to get the last hurtful thought off of your chest.
• Stand in front of the mirror, and imagine yourself free from hurt. Remember this sight and think about it throughout the day.