Thanks to social media we live in a world where everyone is on display. But what those carefully curated, filtered photos rarely show is the pain that is present in every life. Disappointments, failures, stumbles, and setbacks – they happen to the best of us. But that’s sometimes hard to remember.

Don’t be ashamed of your struggles. Tucked inside are the seeds of your greatness.

I’ve seen it so many times with clients. That loss that they thought would break them or even their most embarrassing mistakes become integral to their personal paths to success:

• A lay-off that gives you a chance to start your dream career
• A bankruptcy that reminds your family to enjoy the things that really matter
• Serving as a primary caregiver throughout a loved ones’ difficult illness may spark an idea for a future business to help others that must walk that same terrifying path
• Losing the biggest deal you’ve ever seen leaves you with hard lessons that prepare you for negotiating the next “deal of a lifetime”
• Working with a crazy boss will give you plenty of killer stories to share at a job interview and a crash course in how NOT to motivate and lead your own team

Take this week to reflect upon the struggles in your life, both past and current. What did you learn during those times. How can you use them to your future benefit?