The One Thing That Got You Through
What happens when you ask one simple question? Something powerful.
One of the things I love most about being a life coach is the community it has created in my life. I am incredibly grateful for the people who have come together for the purpose of connection, healing, and personal growth. Whether through a group Mastermind, a Soul Sisters Retreat, on social media, or simply during a conversation over a cup of coffee, the impact of connection has been profound.
Most recently, I put out a question to my Instagram community:
“What is one thing that helped you get through a difficult time in your life?”
The responses were powerful. But three stood out and were repeated again and again by so many:
Supportive relationships
Time in nature
Faith and gratitude
Both personally and for my coaching clients, I know these have been a source of support and relief during the most challenging moments of life. And what became clear as I read through all of the responses was what these things represented at a deeper level.
They aren’t random. They point to our fundamental human needs. And when these needs are met, they give us the strength to keep going, especially through those dark and unbearable days.
Supportive Relationships
When we are going through a difficult time, we often feel completely alone—as though no one could possibly understand what we are feeling and experiencing. That isolation can be just as devastating as the challenge itself.
We are wired for connection. When life gets hard, having people who show up for us—those who walk beside us without trying to change or fix us—fulfills one of our most important human needs. Knowing that someone sees us, hears us, and stands by our side reminds us that we matter, and can make the unbearable feel survivable.
Time in Nature
When our lives feel chaotic and nothing seems to make sense, nature offers something steady, grounding, and calming. It provides a sense of stability when everything else feels uncertain.
The soothing warmth of sunlight, the calming rhythm of ocean waves, and the quiet beauty of grass and trees regulate our nervous system and remind our physical body that we are safe.
In a world that is constantly demanding our attention and energy, nature asks nothing of us. It simply holds us in stillness, and allows us to replenish, restore, and re-energize.
Faith and Gratitude
When we are in pain, the question of why haunts us the most—and is so often left unanswered. As human beings, we are always seeking meaning and trying to make sense of what is happening. And when that question goes unanswered, it becomes almost impossible to move forward.
Faith invites us to trust in something larger than ourselves. And gratitude anchors us in the goodness that currently surrounds us. Together, they lift us out of survival mode and reconnect us to our authentic selves. We are able to shift our perspective from what is broken and difficult to what is still whole. We are reminded of our hope and purpose, and gently invited to release what we’ve lost and embrace the good that remains.
Healing and growth are never accidental. They happen when our core needs are met, often slowly, one layer at a time. We move from surviving life’s challenges to healing and growing when we allow ourselves to be held by the people who love us, when we step outside and let nature restore us, and when we choose faith and gratitude in our darkest days.
So I’ll ask you here the same question I posed to my Instagram community:
“What is one thing that helped you get through a difficult time in your life?”
Whatever your answer is, I invite you to lean into it.
If this resonated with you and reminded you what supported you in your healing, I’d love to hear your story.
If you’re in a season right now where you’re in need and still searching for that thing, know that you don’t have to find it alone.
Wherever you are on your journey, remember you have already survived every hard day that came before this one. And that is everything you need to keep going.
Photo: D. Bana Photography
