1. What Doesn’t Kill You Makes
You Stronger
“Sometimes bad things have to happen
before good things can.”
—Becca Fitzpatrick
Ali Kloska
WRD 110

2. Why Do Bad Things Have to
Happen?
 I went through a really
long stage of low self-
esteem and just
overall awkwardness
 Switching high schools
from a school I knew
everyone to one I
knew no one.
 Lost a lot of people in
a 4 year period
(friend’s dad, my
cousin, my grandpa,
and a school-mate)

3. … They Make Us Who We Are
 Senior Christian Awakening
Retreat
◦ Listened to a witness talk about
how the lows in our lives help to
make who we are today.
 I would be nowhere near who I am
today without everything I went
through
◦ Being positive about as much as
I can (you never know when it
could all end)
◦ Don’t sweat the small stuff! It
isn’t worth the time.
◦ My high school gave me the
ability to be who I wanted to be,
and improved my confidence

4. The First Time I Discussed My
Shift
 At my AMAZING Christian Awakening
Retreat with my small group
◦ Discussed it at the end of the weekend after
hearing everyone’s life-changing stories
• Small group was very encouraging and
agreed with my opinion that bad things
happen to make us stronger people
 They realized it in their own lives as well
 Became a long discussion topic

5. Spreading What I Had Learned:
Retreat Letters
 Retreat letters to people I hadn’t
talked to in a while
◦ I tried to compare what I had been
through to some of the things they had
been through, and used examples from
my retreat

6. Peer’s Response: Retreat
Letters
 A few people were receptive and
came back from retreat and wanted to
talk to me more about what I had
written
 Some still haven’t said anything, I like
to think I helped them get through
something they were going through
(maybe?)

7. Spreading What I Had Learned:
When someone is going through
a hard time
 Telling people everything is going to
work out in the end
 Don’t sweat the small stuff.

8. Peer’s Response: When
someone is going through a hard
time
 Most of the people I try to express this
to do not want to hear it while they are
going through whatever their problem
is
◦ They occasionally come to the realization
this is true
 …and they occasionally do not

9. Spreading What I Had Learned:
Through my actions
 I really do try to take everyday as if it
were my last, no regrets.
 When I get stressed about something,
I usually have an easy time realizing
that it isn’t as big of a deal as I
originally thought.
 HAKUNA MATATA

10. Peer’s Response: My actions
 Several friends have told me to tell my
experiences to other people, and have
suggested I speak at retreats
 I’ve been told multiple times that I am
too positive
◦ I take this as a compliment… obviously

11. My Response To My Position
Shift
 I believe that with some practice, I can
help other people realize that although
life seems really bad, they are going to
get through it and become a stronger,
better person because of what they have
gone through
 I think my techniques could use a little
work
◦ I need to be more understanding that people
are not going to agree with me the majority of
the time

12. In Closing…
 Everything really is going to work out
in the end. Period.
◦ No matter how long it seems to be taking,
or how bad the situation is. YOU WILL
GET THROUGH IT!

14. Works Cited
 Fitzpatrick, Becca. "Quotes About Bad
Things Happen." (5 Quotes). N.p., n.d.
Web. 18 Sept. 2012.
http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/
bad-things-happen