“Your struggles do not define you, but they can refine you” Aburto Reyna

When you work as an SLP with clients who have experienced a TBI , you often work with them for multiple years. Rehabilitation is a long process. Initially the client has no idea just how long the process can be.

If it is a severe injury then there is just excitement that the person survived; there’s a tremendous amount of gratitude and appreciation to the medical team who was involved in saving them and a sense of awe at the miracles that are often seen throughout the whole process.  Nothing is the same. everything is different. 

Struggle then comes on with a vengeance.

All of a sudden life is defined as pre-injury you – and post injury you. 

Every conversation is about your injury, your recovery and how you are feeling. Are you feeling better? Finished rehab? Back at work yet? (Because you look great!).

You start to feel like your injury IS YOU. 

Your injury is defining YOU.

Did you know that it doesn’t have to be that way? 

Did you know that through struggle can come strength? 

A refiner uses fire to heat metal to a molten state. The refiner has to use very high heat so that it can burn away all the impurities. 

You have to keep it at a certain temperature to then “mold” it into what you want to create. But you need to keep heating it up, pounding it into shape, heating it up again, pounding it again. Small changes are made at each step. 

It is a process. 

But it’s a process that leads to your creation in the end. 

It is worth it.

The struggle you are experiencing can be just a struggle with no purpose. You are defined by your struggle.

Or the struggle is what can be used to refine you; shed the impurities, and create the final result, one small step at a time. . 

It is your choice. Do you you choose to be defined or refined?